Virginia City begins with the story of a tiny bottle that was smashed to pieces in the African-American Boston Saloon. It was excavated by the author’s 14-year-old son, who recovered 21 tiny pieces including an embossed base with the brand name Tabasco Pepper Sauce. Archaeologists were able to date it to the early 1870s, making this bottle the earliest yet found from the famed Louisiana sauce company. How it got to Nevada is still a mystery. Archaeology tells a story, or perhaps hundreds of them, and this delightful book tells the story of one of the Wild West’s most important mining towns.
Author Ronald James, along with hundreds of volunteers, students, and professional archaeologists, have been prying loose the secrets of Virginia City, Nevada, from the ruins of old buildings, trash piles, and cemeteries for several decades. Beginning as a mining camp for a few lucky individuals in 1859, it was one of the richest places on earth, attracting more foreign-born residents per capita than any other place in the United States. It was home to corporate executives, middle-class families, skilled craftsmen, miners, prostitutes, and barkeepers to name a few. Native Americans, Chinese and recently freed slaves from the South added to the mix.
Their stories are emerging as the researchers continue to explore the town. More than 30,000 artifacts have been recovered from the Boston Saloon alone. The Shooting Gallery and Saloon has yielded thousands of spent cartridges and bullets. More surprising is a delicate teapot lid and cup, ornate women’s buttons, and a collection of crystal bottle stoppers. Details the historical record fails to tell.
Historical archaeology combines traditional historical research with the scientific discovery of the material remains of the once thriving community. Virginia City is an ideal laboratory for such research and this volume documents the methods and the story of a great Western boom and bust town. Long-term Nevada state historic preservation officer, author James pulls together the results of numerous digs and study projects into an engaging story of the famed frontier town. Written in an engaging narrative for the general reader, it’s a hard book to put down.
