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Okla-homey
10/31/2006, 07:05 AM
October 31, 1864 : The U.S. Congress admits Nevada as the 36th state

http://img273.imageshack.us/img273/3056/cccccccccccccccccccccneig2.gif (http://imageshack.us)

142 years ago, on this day in 1864, with the general election of 1864 looming and anxious to have support of the Republican-dominated Nevada Territory for President Abraham Lincoln's reelection, the GOP dominated U.S. Congress quickly admits Nevada as the 36th state in the Union.

See, although as a people, we have practically sainted the memory of "Honest Abe," his contemporary re-election bid was not assured because he was a polarizing figure in American politics. A great number of folks believed he was a horrible president, having driven the nation to a terrible and destructive war for no good reason.

Yes, there were calls of <paraphrasing>, "No Blood for (a very perjorative word for black people)"

Thus, "Lincolnites" in Congress pushed for for Nevada statehood to garner more votes for their man to help ensure the Illinois lawyer stayed in office.

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/4373/ccccccccccnvflagtv4.gif (http://imageshack.us)
Nevada, which entered the union during the Civil War features the words "Battle Born" on its state flag reminiscent of its admission during wartime. On a cobalt blue background in the upper left quarter is a five-pointed silver star between two sprays of sagebrush crossed to form a half wreath The current Nevada State Flag design was adopted March 26, 1929, and revised in 1991. The 1991 revision added the word "Nevada"

In 1864, Nevada had only 40,000 inhabitants, considerably short of the 60,000 normally required for statehood. But the 1859 discovery of the incredibly large and rich silver deposits at Virginia City had rapidly made the region one of the most important and wealthy in the West.

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/4864/cccccccccccccccccclode2mh9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
The heart of the Comstock Lode in Nevada silver mining country

As an aside, the inexpert miners who initially developed the placer gold deposits at Virginia City had complained for some time about the blue-gray gunk that kept clogging up their gold sluices.

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/8706/ccccccccccccccccccchistok7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Some of the Nevada "small-time" silver miners could not afford pack mules:D

Eventually several of the more experienced miners realized that the muddy blue crap the gold miners had been tossing aside was actually rich silver ore, and soon after, they discovered the massive underground silver deposit called the Comstock Lode.

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/3492/ccccccccccccccccomstockka6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Western US mining areas. The blue spots are primarily silver deposits as seen in Nevada

Unlike the easily developed placer deposits that had inspired the initial gold rushes to California and Nevada, the Comstock Lode ore demanded a wide array of expensive new technologies for profitable development. For the first time, western mining began to attract investments from large eastern capitalists, and these powerful men began to push for Nevada statehood.

http://img276.imageshack.us/img276/1737/ccccccccccccccccccccccclv3.gif (http://imageshack.us)
Mining silver was not a task for the claustrophobic

The decisive factor in easing the path to Nevada's statehood was President Lincoln's proposed 13th Amendment banning slavery. Throughout his administration Lincoln had appointed territorial officials in Nevada who were strong Republicans, and he knew he could count on the congressmen and citizens of a new state of Nevada to support him in the coming presidential election and to vote for his proposed amendment when the amandment went to the states for ratification by their legislatures.

Since time was so short and a condition of statehood was having an approved state constitution on file, the Nevada constitutional delegation sent the longest telegram on record up to that time to Washington, D.C.. That telegram contained the entire text of the proposed state constitution and cost the then astronomical sum of $3,416.77.:eek:

Their speedy actions paid off with quick congressional approval of statehood and the new state of Nevada did indeed provide strong support for Lincoln.

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/6826/cccccccccccccccccccccc1rd3.gif (http://imageshack.us)
As you can see, Lincoln managed a little more than 50% of the popular vote in most of the states. Nevada's 60% for Lincoln came in handy

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/3882/insane7zogu7.jpg

Rogue
10/31/2006, 09:13 AM
Thanks Homey. Random stat of the day, the largest silver mine in the US is in Idaho. Funny to me that NV has sagebrush on the flag. I hates me some sagebrush.

Okla-homey
10/31/2006, 09:29 AM
But we got a pipe on ours...crystal meth rulz!

TUSooner
10/31/2006, 10:27 AM
Very interesting. But I was hoping for some mention of these famous Nevada dudes:
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/4222/cartwrights1avj5.jpg

:D

Okla-homey
10/31/2006, 10:47 AM
Very interesting. But I was hoping for some mention of these famous Nevada dudes:
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/4222/cartwrights1avj5.jpg

:D

Okay, Dan Blocker held baby Homey in his lap at a rodeo in Ardmore at Hardy-Murphy Coliseum in 1962.

Happy?

TUSooner
10/31/2006, 10:50 AM
Okay, Dan Blocker held baby Homey in his lap at a rodeo in Ardmore at Hardy-Murphy Coliseum in 1962.

Happy?

Dang. I AM in awe !!

Mixer!
10/31/2006, 10:51 AM
Wasn't "Bonanza" based in part around Jan-Eric Cartwright's family?

Rogue
10/31/2006, 10:59 AM
Dan Blocker is from La Mesa, TX (or some other little town between Big Spring and Lubbock) according to their water tower thingy.

TUSooner
10/31/2006, 01:06 PM
Wasn't "Bonanza" based in part around Jan-Eric Cartwright's family?
Who? Tell me more.

handcrafted
10/31/2006, 02:24 PM
Bonanza didn't take place in Nevada, it was set in northern California.

TUSooner
10/31/2006, 05:17 PM
Bonanza didn't take place in Nevada, it was set in northern California.
Nuh-uh!!!! :eek: They lived right outside Virginia City and they were always talking about them silver mines, too.

I AM RIGHT! plplplplplplplpllplplplplplpllppplpllplpppp :P

Okla-homey
10/31/2006, 08:57 PM
All I know is "Bonanza" employed racist stereotypes with its "Hop Sing" pig-tailed "chinee" cook character being held in abject servitude and forced to prepare food and clean for the four white devils who benefitted immeasurably from his toil..;)

royalfan5
10/31/2006, 09:26 PM
I used to have a cow alarm clock that played the Bonanza theme, and then moo'ed when you shut it off.

Mixer!
10/31/2006, 10:00 PM
http://www.oag.state.ok.us/images/ag/Jan_Eric_Cartwright.jpg


Jan Eric Cartwright, Oklahoma State Attorney General from 1979-1983.

reevie
10/31/2006, 10:12 PM
See, although as a people, we have practically sainted the memory of "Honest Abe,"


I think Dietized is a better word than sainted.

SicEmBaylor
10/31/2006, 10:43 PM
The only thing honest that "Honest Abe" did was destroy dual sovereignty and the constitutional balance between the states and a Federal government created by those states that now rules those states with an iron fist.

If you want to read an alternative view of "Honest Abe" there are plenty of good books out there. Start with:

http://www.amazon.com/Real-Lincoln-Abraham-Agenda-Unnecessary/dp/0761526463/ref=bxgy_cc_img_a/102-3350042-7993729
http://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Unmasked-Youre-Supposed-Dishonest/dp/030733841X/sr=8-1/qid=1162352544/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3350042-7993729?ie=UTF8&s=books