- As part of his Snake River expedition, Peter Skene Ogden became the first white man in Nevada.

- August - In a letter written by Jedediah Strong Smith, he reported briefly on his expedition (where he represented the fur trapping company of Smith, Jackson & Sublette), that he had departed from Salt Lake City with 14 men, heading south along the Sevier River, then west along the [now] Virgin, Colorado and Mojave rivers.
        He traveled through the Virgin Valley, a route that would serve as the right-of-way for the Old Spanish Trail (1829-1848) and for the Mormon road or southern route of travel to southern California.
        The area was settled by pioneers of the Latter-Day Saints Church, who colonized Bunkerville in 1877 and Mesquite in 1880.
        Smith reported being attacked by Indians along the Colorado and then suffering from thirst; they survived by using the "Cabbage Pear" hedgehog cactus. Jedediah Smith, leading an expedition down the Meadow Valley Wash to the Muddy River in search of new trapping grounds, reportedly became the first white to enter into Nevada.

- Jedediah Smith and his party returned from California, crossing the center of  what became Nevada.  Smith's journal and map have never been found, his exact route is unknown.

- November 9^th - Humboldt River first discovered by Peter Skene Ogden on his fifth Snake Country expedition 1828-1829.  This was Ogden's last expedition to the Snake Country.

- Antonio Armijo lead a party of 60 on the Old Spanish Trail to Los Angeles. While the caravan camped about 100 miles northeast of the present site of Las Vegas, a scouting party set out to look for water. The abundance of artesian spring water found here shortened the Spanish trail to Los Angeles by allowing travelers to cut directly through, rather than around, the vast desert. Spanish traders who used this route were thankful for the shortened trip and they named this convenient desert oasis Las Vegas, Spanish for "The Meadows."

- January 8^th, - The first pack train to pass from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to Los Angeles crossed Las Vegas Valley.  Antonio Armijo, a Santa Fe merchant, commanded the train and its 30 drovers. The successful completion of the journey opened a trade route between the two Mexican provinces of New Mexico and California. It was on this trip that a portion of the Old Spanish Trail was discovered, (Located on Interstate Highway 15 at Arden, two miles east of Mountain Springs Summit.) 

- [Very few written records were kept during this era, therefore it is difficult to find specific information regarding this time period.]

- Joseph Walker of Bonneville's expedition camped on the Salmon River during the winter of 32/33.

- Joseph Walker led a group from Captain Bonneville's party along the Humboldt on a secret reconnaissance of California.¹

- Known as the "Passage of The Emigrants" in Bancroft's Works Volume XXV Nevada, Colorado and Wyoming 1540-1888 published 1890 states: "Nothing was known of this region except what the trappers had reported; none were known to have passed across the country from and to California save the parties under Smith and Walker, respectively."

- In the "Great Horse Raid", organized in part by trapper Old Bill Williams and Ute Chief Walkara, about 1,000 horses were stolen from California ranches. Many of these horses came through the Las vegas Valley.

- The abandonment of the Mormon Mission at Las  Vegas also meant the closing of the Potosi mine.
        Fort Mohave was established in the southern tip of Nevada, and it's believed that soldiers from the fort discovered gold in Eldorado Canyon which led to active mining in that area. The mines in Eldorado Canyon proved to be among the most consistent producers in the state from 1860 until World War II when the mines were closed. (They are open to the public for tours).

- April - Pony Express began its route from St. Joseph, MO to Sacramento, CA - 1800 miles.  It took about 10 days to make the run - one way.  The riders changed horses twice per trip, about every 10-15 miles, and averaged about 33 miles per day.  Click here for a map showing the route in Nevada.
        May 12^th - A battle between Indians and whites near Pyramid Lake cost the lives of 66 white men, including Major William M. Ormsby.
        Northern Paiute warriors, fighting to retain their way of life, decisively defeated a volunteer army from Virginia City and nearby settlements.
        The battle and consequent white retreat began with a skillful ambush north of Nixon and continued along the plateau on the opposite side of the Truckee River almost to the present site of Wadsworth.   
        June 2^nd - A strong force of 754 volunteers and regular U.S. Army troops engaged the Indians in battle along the tableland and mountainside in retaliation for the battle on May 12^th. Several hundred braves, attempting a delaying action to allow their women, children and elders to escape, fought with such courage and strategy that the superior Caucasian forces were held back during the day until the Indians withdrew. 46 Indians perished in the battle.
        November 3^rd - The Territorial Enterprise newspaper resumes publishing a newspaper in Virginia City.  The first issue of the paper printed in Virginia City was published from the corner of A Street and Sutton Avenue, then the heart of the booming business district.  The paper was founded two years prior in Genoa.  (Mark Twain got his start as a writer with the Territorial Enterprise in '62). 
        Telegraph line was extended from Carson City to Virginia City.  It was called the "Placerville & Humboldt Telegraph Company Line."  It was part of the first transcontinental telegraph system.
        The first bank opened in Nevada - The Wells Fargo Express and Banking Company opened an office in Virginia City.
        The first ore mill built in Nevada was built at Galena to process gold from the Comstock lode.¹⁰
        Nevada's population: 6,857.

- Virginia City housed nearly 10,000 miners, prospectors, shop-keepers and  ne'er-do-wells in an odd hodgepodge of mansions, clapboard shelters, and canvas tents.
        Western Shoshone Indians sign treaty of Ruby Valley, signed by Te-Moak.

- October 31^st - Statehood obtained.  Nevada becomes  the 36^th state.   Since this was the time of the Civil War, the state motto of "Battle Born" was adopted.   As far back as 1857 many names were used to refer to the area that became Nevada:
Sierra Nevada Territory; Washoe Territory; Carson  Territory;
Eastern Slope; Humboldt; Esmeralda; Sierra Plata; Oro Plata and Bullion.
But in 1864 the land emerged as "Nevada" a Spanish word meaning snow-covered.
Nevada is also known as the "Silver State" and the "Sagebrush State."
        Henry Goode Blasdel  1^st elected Governor of Nevada 1864-71.

        The longest Morse Code telegram ever sent was the Nevada state constitution Sent from Carson City to Washington, DC. and cost $3000.  The first part was tapped out by Frank Bell, cousin to Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone.

- Octavius Decatur Gass (separate website) took over the Old Mormon Fort, establishing a station to supply Las Vegas Valley miners and settlers.  William M. Stewart and James W. Nye elected to the U.S. Senate.  Sutro Tunnel Company formed.

- Francis Jardine Bell 6

- Roswell Keyes Colcord 7^th Governor of Nevada 1891-95. Governor Colcord  died in Carson City on October 30^th, 1939, at the age of 100. 
       Nevada recieved first prize for wheat at the New Orleans Exposition.

- Las Vegas gets its first Post Office, but was not called the Las Vegas Post  Office.   It was the Los Vegas Post Office in order to keep it separate from the Las Vegas in Arizona.  Delamar mine discovered.

- Denver Sylvester Dickerson 11^th  Governor  (served his term as Acting-Governor), of Nevada 1908-11.  After his term as Governor,  Dickerson was appointed  Superintendent of  the State Police and Warden of the  State Prison.  He served  as head of the state prison until his death on  November 28^th, 1925.    Las Vegas  consisted of a few ranches, the Kyle Ranch, the Las Vegas Ranch, and a few neighboring communities.  See 1908 map here.

- First Mayor of Las Vegas, Peter Buol elected.

- The first state motor vehicle law passed, the license fee to be 12.5 cents per horsepower, minimum horsepower  rating to be 20.
         Nevada State Route 1 was designated as the first highway and went across the northern part of the state from Wendover to Verdi.  Later it was named "The Victory Hwy" (1920), then in 1926 - U.S. Hwy 40, and finally in 1958 it became Interstate 80.⁹ 

- Fredrick Bennett Balzar 15^th Governor  of Nevada 1927-34.  During his administration, he  signed Nevada's open gambling law and the six  weeks divorce law. He was the only governor to die in the governor's mansion. He died there on March 21^st, 1934.

- Vail Montgomery Pittman became acting (19th) Governor 1945-50, July 24^th, when Governor Carville resigned.  He was officially elected in 1946.

- July 22^nd - KLAS, Nevada's first TV station, went on the air beating KOLO in Reno by 2 weeks 5 days.    An extension of the University of Nevada in Reno was established in Las Vegas known as Nevada Southern University, and was two years at first.  The "Southern" in the title is where the mascot "Rebels" comes from. It eventually became a 4 year college, and renamed the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, UNLV.  Classes had already started in 1951.
       Uranium discovered in the Reese River Mining District.

- April 27^th - For the first time in Nevada history more than one person was killed inside a casino, according to state archivist Guy Rocha.   On this day, 3 motorcycle gang members were killed inside Harrah's Casino in Laughlin during the annual River Run.  The incident occurred after a fight broke out between rival gang members of the Hell's Angels and the Mongols.  In addition to the 3 killed, another 13 were taken to local hospitals with gunshot and stab wounds.
        August 2^nd - "Las Vegas, Nevada - A B-29 "Superfortress" bomber, missing for over 50 years in Lake Mead, has been located by Henderson resident Gregg Mikolasek. The aircraft was found with sidescan sonar, a device which uses sound to image objects resting on the bottom of a body of water."¹³