[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 24, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3092-S3093]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  GARDNERVILLE, NEVADA, 125TH BIRTHDAY

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to wish the town of 
Gardnerville, NV, a happy 125th birthday.
  Gardnerville was founded by Lawrence Gilman in 1879. Mr. Gilman had 
found a nice 7-acre tract of land on the East Fork of the Carson River, 
and he thought it would make a beautiful location for a town. So he 
decided to move his hotel, then named the Kent House, from Genoa, NV, 
to the new spot. John M. Gardner sold the 7 acres to Mr. Gil man for 
$1,250. In gratitude, Mr. Gilman named the town after Mr. Gardner.
  The Kent House was later named the Gardnerville Hotel and became a 
symbol for the town of Gardnerville--a new endeavor in an ever-changing 
world. Although the hotel no longer stands, you can still visit the 
humble beginnings of Gardnerville near the J & T Bar.
  Mr. Gilman recognized that if he wanted to create a real town around 
his hotel, he needed to offer business amenities and leisure activities 
that would attract the ranchers in the area. So he added a blacksmith 
shop and saloon to his hotel. It wasn't long before local ranchers 
started coming into town, relaxing and visiting in the saloon while 
their horses were shod next door. Thus did Gardnerville begin its 
voyage down the path to prosperity.
  By 1899, Gardnerville had blossomed into a thriving city. Almost 
everything a person might need could be found right on Main Street--two 
livery stables, a boarding house, three general merchandising stores, 
four saloons, one meat market, and two hotels, including the original 
Gardnerville Hotel that had started it all.
  Gardnerville's emergence as an important social and commercial center 
was aided by the formation of the Valhalla Society in 1885. The purpose 
of the Valhalla Society was to provide information to immigrants, 
mainly those of Dutch descent. Gardnerville also

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served as a feed stop for the 24-horse freight teams that regularly 
traveled between Carson City and Bodie--in other words, it was the 19th 
century equivalent of a filling station.
  Today Gardnerville remains an active town. With five parks, three 
schools and an enviable location just minutes from Lake Tahoe, 
Gardnerville offers a wonderful quality of life. It has kept pace with 
progress, but it maintains the feel of a one-stop town, where a person 
feels at home even if they are just passing through.
  As the people of Gardnerville prepare to celebrate their town's 125th 
birthday, in between baking cakes, decorating Main Street and 
organizing the numerous events that are planned, I hope they pause for 
a moment to remember that their beautiful city was started on just 7 
acres of land. Today Gardnerville has outgrown that original tract, and 
it continues to fulfill Mr. Gilman's dream.

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