Please remember to exercise caution when exploring Nevada's Ghost Towns & Mining Camps. Open shafts, drifts going into mountainsides, and old buildings, are all DANGEROUS. Be aware of your surroundings, and let someone know where you are, especially if your plans change.

Grass Valley (Spencer)

DIRECTIONS: From Austin, take U.S. 50 east for 5.7 miles. Exit left onto Nevada 306 and follow for 19 miles to Grass Valley Ranch.

"Grass Valley has had a rich livestock history since 1873. John Spencer, who made his fortune in the Nevada mines, founded the Grass Valley Ranch and lived here for twenty years. Spencer also owned the Birch Creek Ranch in Smoky Valley. He built a huge house and made Grass Valley a profitable ranching operation. When Spencer died in 1893, a long feud developed between his two sons over ranch ownership. A post office opened here on February 20, 1876, and served many ranches in the valley until it closed in 1913. Sarah Spencer, widow of John, served as postmistress. A stage line, the Austin-Grass Valley Stage, was set up during the 1890s. The stage was driven by John Callaghan, whose father, Dan, originally settled the nearby Callaghan Ranch in 1864. The feud between the Spencer brothers was never resolved, and in 1904, the ranch was bought by Walter Magee at a public auction. Magee sold the ranch in 1908 to the Lander County Livestock Company, run by George Wingfield, the Nevada mining magnate. The ranch served as a freight station for ore being shipped from Cortez to Austin. In 1917, Wingfield sold the ranch to John Saval, a Basque sheepman. Saval was killed in an auto accident in 1931, and the ranch passed to George Watts. In 1934, the ranch was purchased by Richard Magee. His former wife, Molly Knudtsen, is the current owner. The huge house that Spencer built burned down in 1951. Several older buildings remain at Grass Valley. Molly Knudtsen is one of the great women of Nevada. Besides being a history buff and an author, she has been very active in many public service organizations, including the Nevada State Museum. Her books provide a fascinating in-depth look at some of Nevada's ranching history."

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