Silver ore was discovered in 1859 under what is now the city. $400,000,000 in silver and gold was taken from the Comstock mines over the following 20 years. Much of the growth of Nevada and San Francisco was triggered by the wealth generated by the discovery. And the wood timbers that braced the deep, deep mine shafts came mostly from the Lake Tahoe Basin via Glenbrook and Carson City.

Climbers, skippers, and pilots internally want to hug the earth in difficult circumstances, but this is usually, exactly the wrong thing to do. Climbers need to push back from the rock face so their boot soles have the maximum traction. Skippers need to head offshore, away from the rocks, reefs, and solid earth. Pilots need to gain altitude, to give them space to maneuver and time.

In pioneer days (1840s-50s), this place was known as Truckee Meadows, a relatively fertile valley. Gold was discovered in the area (in Virginia City) and thus began the transition of this place from agriculture to commerce.