Ragtown

Ragtown was never a town.  Instead, it was the name of a most welcome oasis and gathering point.  This mecca on the banks of nearby Carson River received its name from the appearance of pioneer laundry spread on every handy bush around.

The Forty Mile Desert, immediately to the north, was the most dreaded portion of the California Emigrant Trail.  Ragtown was the first water stop after the desert.  To the thirst- crazed emigrants and their animals, no sight was more welcome than the trees lining the Carson River.

Accounts tell of the moment when the animals first picked up the scent of water—the lifted head, the quickened pace, and finally the mad, frenzied dash to the water’s edge.  Then, emigrants rested for the arduous crossing of the Sierra Nevada that lay ahead.

In 1854, Asa Kenyon located a trading post near Ragtown, offering goods and supplies to travelers during the 1850s and 1860s.  Ragtown was one of the most important sites on the Carson branch of the California trail.

HISTORICAL MARKER NO.  19

STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE

CHURCHILL COUNTY MUSEUM COMMITTEE