Pioneer Pieces: The Cosmopolis of the West

In the space of a few weeks in the early 1850s, Virginia City grew from a flophouse and saloon to a bustling community of  5000-15,000 people.  Like any mining town, it was a rough sort.  Most legends involve a character of sorts in the Old West.  With Virginia City however, there was a group of characters that have made their mark in Nevada mining history.

In Virginia City, the fire companies were thought of as a "aristocratic group" that was part military, part social, and part political.  In this case, the fire company of Virginia City was a great asset to the Union Army during the Civil War.  Their job? To keep the residents of Virginia City from developing any southern sympathies to the Confederacy.  They secured the loyalties to the Union of all of Virginia City's population - at least that's the legend that survived.

More about Virginia City next time...