"I believed even worse would happen to us if we abandoned this wilderness, and I stared out across the night desert imagining what worse could be. We would become nothing without deep and pressing country, places we can never name or possess. Our insides would weaken if we did not have such things. Our minds would become bitter and self-absorbed. I had many times tried to invent a valid argument for the preservation of wilderness and could never find it within the bounds of my language. But I knew that without these far places we were risking ourselves as a species. We need these anchors in the land."
Soul of Nowhere, Craig Childs, page 181, copyright 2002
This is the book that I chose to take with me on our trek to Salt Lake and back. I love Childs' work. He is one who walks, seeking ancient paths, through deserts in the US and Mexico. Sometimes he travels alone; other times he journeys with scientists, archeologists, and other researchers. He has found beautiful artifacts and landscapes, but he never says exactly where. He brings nothing out of the land but his drawings and writings, no matter what he finds. He believes in protecting the integrity of the land and those who came before him. His passion for the desert deeply inspires me.
When we left Salt Lake City, Tyler mentioned that we might be able to camp outside of Wells, Nevada. I checked my weather app, and replied, "It looks like it is not snowing there, but there is a mention of wind." That proved to be quite the understatement. When we arrived in Wells, we pulled into a gas station. The wind was so strong, we could barely open the doors, and so chilly I am sure we were not alone in wondering why we would want to (Of course, there are bodily needs that will override such hesitations.) We filled the truck and unfilled ourselves. Tyler then said there is one place he at least wanted to take a look at before we headed on: the ghost town of Metropolis. Off we went up a Bureau of Land Management Road.
We found a plaque in Metropolis, but it was iced over and we could not read it. Therefore, I am sharing the following history of Metropolis from the website, roadtripryan.com:
"The founders of Metropolis, by choosing such a grand name, clearly had big plans for their city. In 1910, Harry L. Pierce of the Pacific Reclamation Company purchased 40,000 acres for the site of Metropolis. His vision for the city was that it would become the hub of the farming region. By 1912, Metropolis was off to a good start. The company had built an amusement hall, post office, school, train depot, and hotel. The hotel was top of the line for the time, with hot and cold water in every room, central heating, and an electric generator. The Mormon church encouraged members to move to Metropolis, and a spur railroad line was built and put into service to the town in 1912. Unfortunately, Pierce's plan to get water for the town from the Bishop Creek Dam that he had built failed. Lovelock, a community downstream, blocked Pierce's water allotment rights. Without water for agriculture, the town was doomed. Some dry farmed wheat successfully for a few years. The settlers killed most of the coyotes in the area early on, which had the unintended consequence of causing the rabbit population to explode, which decimated their crops. Droughts came after a few years which, along with a Mormon cricket infestation, spelled the end of farming.The community limped along for a few years. Pacific Reclamation Company went bankrupt in 1920, and the railroad spur was closed in 1922. In 1925, the last store closed, and the post office was shut down in 1942."
While we were there, we learned that Metropolis was built with bricks leftover from the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco. Not much is left, as you can see from the photograph of what remains of the hotel. There is, however, a well maintained cemetery there. I do not know who maintains it, but there are people in the area who are descendents of the pioneers who attempted to make their stand in Metropolis, and who very well may decide to be buried there when the time comes.
Certainly not completely researching the water rights was a big part of this failed dream. However, what also played a major part was trying to destroy all the coyotes in the area. When humans try to completely eliminate top predators, the effect ripples throughout the entire food/life chain, eventually affecting human populations as well. Perhaps we can say that they abandoned the "anchors of the land," believing that humans simply cannot fail. Yet, as we are learning, they most assuredly can.
We turned, and headed towards Reno. I think I will always remember that wind.
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