#52Ancestors52Weeks...Week 19 Theme: Preserve....Preserving the Hurd Burial Plot in Virginia City (Bluett, Hurd, Burrows)

 

 Silver Terrace Cemetery, Virginia City, Nevada. Hurd Plot in foreground, mine tailings in the distant background. Facing south. I used the mine tailings as a reference to help find the location of the plot. 

Photograph taken September 14, 2023 by Patti Alden

  The theme for this week is Preserve....this is the perfect week to share the location where my three times great grandparents William Hurd and Harriet Bluett Hurd were buried.  If you have been following the "saga of the cemetery", you know that going as far back as the mid 1940's relatives on this side of the family  have been searching for this location, with no luck. I am happy to say we now know exactly where the Hurd plot is!  This information needs to be preserved for future generations. 

  

 

  This last summer I took a trip down to Bowers Mansion with my daughter and son-in-law to look for family heirlooms (Bowers Mansion label on the right will take you to the post).  While there I discovered that a Bluett relative had visited previously, and left a folder of information on the Hurd family with the curator.  In the folder Mr. Bluett also left his email address!  I reached out to this cousin in early September, and got a reply the very next day.  It turns out his great grandfather James Wellington Bluett and my great great great grandmother Harriet Elizabeth Bluett Hurd were brother and sister!  We exchanged several emails and I found out that he knew where the gravesite was located and that he had visited in 2019.  Amazing!

   My new found cousin sent me three pictures he took of the gravesite, but no other information on the exact location.  The Silver Terrace Cemetery in Virginia City, Nevada, is a large pioneer cemetery made up of many smaller sections and covers quite a lot of hilly, gravelly  ground.  Most graves are covered in sagebrush and weeds.  If you go, wear good hiking boots and watch for snakes! 

  My next step was to use his photographs and find geographic markers, fences, trees and homes that I could match to google satellite maps of the cemetery.  I also watched a Youtube video someone made of a drone flyover of the cemetery.  From there I knew where to start searching.  My husband and I drove up to the cemetery on September 14, 2023 and found the plot within a short amount of time.  It was located in the corner of the Odd Fellows section; plot B4-021-OF to be exact.  

   Plot B4-021-OF was a mystery!  Unfortunately this information provided only a general location. And, I wasn't sure this was our Hurd family member.  Until I had Mr. Bluett's photographs I didn't know the exact location, or who was buried in this plot. 

 From the Tombstone Transcription Project from Storey County, Nevada. 

 The exact location is in the bottom right hand corner of the Odd Fellows section near the white picket fence. Unless you know what to look for, you might walk right by the plot itself. 

Looking east. Picture taken by Patti Alden September 14, 2023

 The plot is outlined by a pink stone curb surround.  The stone is of unknown origin (this needs more research).  The plot is large enough that it would hold two people; I would surmise that William Hurd and Harriet Hurd were both buried here.  William died in 1876 and Harriet died in 1893.  Only Harriet's burial location was recorded with the county. 

  Under a clump of sagebrush we could just make out HURD.   

Picture by Patti Alden, September 14, 2023.

 Picture by Patti Alden, September 14, 2023.

  It looks like the letters were painted in black at one point, or this is black mold or lichen which may be removeable. More research is needed there!

 

 This is a picture sent by B.Bluett, taken in 2019.  It was not as overgrown as it is now and the lettering was easier to read.  Facing east.  I used the black iron fence, the white picket fence and the tree as references.  

  If you want to visit the Hurd plot, take Cemetery Road going north,  park in the cemetery parking lot and take the farthest trail on your right down the hill.  Go through the little gates leading into the Odd Fellows section (google maps lists it as Masonic Cemetery).  

Front Gate Silver Terrace Cemetery Virginia City, Nevada 

Picture by Patti Alden September 14, 2023.

  This is the view looking north up the hill.  The Hurd plot is behind the plot with the iron fence rail. It needs some TLC.  

  Some synonyms of the word preserve are: Conserve, maintain, save, safeguard, care for, shield.  My first goal was to record and preserve the exact location of the Hurd plot.  Going forward, our family's next step might be to clear the plot of weeds and sagebrush.  I have contacted the Comstock Cemetery Foundation and have permission to do so anytime. That would be minimal preservation that is doable at this point in time.  Beyond that, I will need to do more research into the type of stone that was used for the curb surround, and see if the black is paint or mold or lichen.  Do we want to remove it? Paint in the lettering again? I am just not sure.  The Cemetery Conservators United Standards advocate for "less is more" and "do no harm".  Things to think about. 

  The simple burial plot of my great great grandparents is mixed in with more ornate and elaborate marble headstones, as well as now unreadable wooden markers.  And how many grave sites are lost entirely due to time and vandalism? There is a beauty and serenity in this cemetery in the midst of the sagebrush and weeds and ever present wind.  Each grave tells a story and has become part of the history of Virginia City. The Hurd family was certainly a part of that history and I have told many of their stories in previous posts.  I am very grateful that I was able to contact a new cousin who had information that was not passed down on our side of the family. It amazes me how bits and pieces of vital information are lost in just a few generations and how fragile oral history is. 

 Remember Miss Alta Powers who was almost buried alive after a cave in near the cemetery? She was going to put flowers on her Grandmother's grave.  It was the grave of Harriet Bluett Hurd.  I wonder if the stone surround was put there before or after this event? 

   

3 June 1935 Nevada State Journal

Alta Powers was the daughter of Hattie Hurd Powers, sister of my great great grandmother Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows.  

The Mexican Mine was located near the cemetery. 

    So, it is time to get the family together for another trip to the cemetery. We will need some basic gardening tools and a little time to clear the weeds and sagebrush.  And maybe leave some flowers!  At least we know where we are going this time. 

 

References:

The Tombstone Transcription Project for Storey County, Nevada    http://usgwtombstones.org/nevada/storeycem.html

Cemetery Conservators for United Standards 

https://cemeteryconservatorsunitedstandards.org/

52Ancestors52Weeks Week 40 Theme: Preservation...............The Burrows and the Hansens Took a Road Trip to Virginia City

     October is National Family History Month! Since October of 2001 families have been encouraged to think about their family histories and origins, and ways to honor them. The theme for this week is preservation.  This prompt got me thinking about how my family has preserved our history in the last several generations, and how we preserve it now.  

   I recently found this photograph in the Bob Hansen Family photo album.  The location of this photograph tells a story, as well as the grouping of family members.  The Burrows and the Hansens were very proud of their family history and the unique connections between Virginia City, Nevada and Grass Valley, California. This was one way they shared and preserved their family history for future generations.  They took a multi-generational road trip........

  This picture was captioned by Alma Goins Hansen, who probably took the picture as well.  She wrote: "Lucy Burrows, Bob, Mother H, Skip, Jack, Dad Hansen, Gay...Geiger Grade Lookout     Road to Virginia City".  Lucy Burrows was the wife of Roy Burrows; they lived in Reno where their 13 year old daughter Gertrude died of appendicitis in 1930 and Roy was in the construction business.  Roy was an older brother of my Great Grandmother, Vere Burrows Hansen (Mother H. in the picture).  Bob and Jack were two of three sons of Vere and John Hansen (Dad Hansen in the photo).  Bob married Alma Goins, and their children were Skip and Gay; they lived in Reno as well where Uncle Bob was also in the construction business.  The John Hansens, as well as Jack Hansen, lived in Grass Valley, as did my Grandfather Harold Hansen, who was not on this particular trip.  So, three generations of family were on this trip exploring family history.  It must have been quite a day!

  I love the candid feel to this picture. I'm not sure what Uncle Jack was thinking of Skip at this particular moment....he was probably worried Skip might go backwards down the steep drop offs that Geiger Grade is famous for!  Uncle Jack probably drove his parents over the hill (over the Sierra Nevada mountains to Reno) in one of his fancy cars, as he loved to buy a new car every year or so. Vere was always very interested in family history and was the family archivist all those years ago.  Her origins were very important to her and she made sure everyone else knew the family history also.  She probably thought you were never too young to get in the car with your family and visit the cemetery. 

  Geiger Grade is the curvy, steep and very scenic 20 mile route from Reno, Nevada up to the mining town of Virginia City, Nevada. The summit sits at 6,889 feet and provides spectacular views of the Truckee Meadows.  My own family has driven that route many, many times to visit the unique mining city, ride the train and wonder about the stories I had heard of family who lived here at one time.  However, quite a bit of detail was lost (to me at least) of the more important details in this narrative.  I was not taken to Virginia City as a young child (that I can remember) and only experienced the area after moving to Reno from Grass Valley as an adult.   I have been rediscovering those details in the last few years and making sure they are preserved beyond just the oral stories and visits to cemeteries.  I too value my family history! 

 

This picture was taken the same day as the above picture.  

    Pictured are Lucy Burrows, Bob Hansen, Jack Hansen, John Hansen and Vere Hansen.  This picture was taken sometime before John Hansen died on April 10, 1945; probably around 1940 and right before Bob and Jack enlisted in the war.   I was glad to see Lucy Crampton Burrows in these pictures.  Her family history revolved around Virginia City, as well (see my post from October 12, 2020 Roy Burrows). She probably provided quite a bit of oral history that added to this trip, as she was born in Virginia City in 1884 and spent her early childhood there.  

  Uncle Bob moved to Reno after his high school graduation from Grass Valley High School in 1926.  He loved exploring the area and probably learned about family history from Uncle Roy and Aunt Lucy.  

Virginia City photo taken around 1930 by Bob Hansen from the Bob Hansen Family Album.  This looks like the view was taken down C Street towards Carson City.  You can see the St. Mary in the Mountains Catholic church steeple on the left in the distance. 

  Even before this particular trip other family members would make a day of it and visit the town and cemetery to remember family buried there.   In fact, I shared this story of another relative, Alta Powers, who had quite the adventure at the cemetery in Virginia City in 1935 when she went to place flowers on Harriet Hurd's grave (see February 20, 2021..How a Weird Tale Solved a Family Mystery).  Unfortunately, this bit of information was not handed down to the next generations as they (and I) had been searching for this particular gravesite for years. Which goes to show, oral history is very, very fragile. 

3 June 1935 Nevada State Journal

Margaret Hansen Boothby (Mom) with Gay Hansen in the photo booth at the Bucket of Blood Saloon in Virginia City, Nevada.  Around 1944-45? Another trip to visit the cemetery, and some new memories made with cousins. 

  I have previously posted quite a bit of history and the results of my research on the Burrows and Hurds who lived and worked on the Comstock during the silver mining boom in the late 1800's.  That part of our family history has never been formally researched or written down up until now. Auntie Claire made a good start by constructing a family tree, back when the internet was just starting to be a  useful tool used by genealogists.  I have been working to flesh the tree out with more research,  organize the many pictures that were saved from this branch of the family, and present it all to my children and other family  members so that it becomes meaningful and personal to their own lives.  That's what preservation means to me. 

  Preserving family history is on on-going and ever-changing process.  My goals are much different than the goals of the family members in the above pictures.  I am continuing the work started by my Auntie Claire who was the "keeper of the stuff" many years ago, and by my Great Grandmother Vere Burrows Hansen who kept everything to begin with (we are so very lucky!).   It seems that now I am the "keeper of the stuff".  So, what do I do with it all?  I am working to digitize,  archive and store all of our  pictures and documents (and there are a lot!) so that my grand children and great grandchildren can enjoy them and wonder about them  as much as I have over the last few years.  I am working to document those few precious cherished items handed down that tell certain stories themselves before they are gone.  I am in the process of doing much more research and writing down family history, as well as the memories and stories of family members who are able to contribute.  And the best part of preserving all this is that I get to share it with family (and friends) through email, texting, blogging and social media.  Those are things that were certainly not available way back when! But, in the end, I would like to change it all back to print form.  Something tangible for future generations.  I am not sure I trust technology!  And who knows where technology will take us in the future?  How will my great grandchildren be documenting my life? Who will be the "keeper of the stuff"? More things to ponder. 

  How do we preserve family history?  In my family, we have honored family members by visiting the towns and places where they lived and the cemeteries where their final resting places are.  We have passed down pictures, cherished items and oral histories.  My personal preservation efforts have utilized even more modern methods with the help of technology.   But, in the end, I still do go visit cemeteries every so often.  When my grandchildren are a little bit older,  we can even all go together.  After all, it is  a family tradition! 

These pictures were taken from a very recent fall visit to the Knights of Pythias Cemetery, located on Nevada Street here in Reno.  It is the final resting place for Lucie A. Burrows, her parents Lena Koehler and Henry Crampton,  and her daughter Gertrude Burrows who died so young.  I hope their stories will not be forgotten. 

  Relationship Reference: Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby (sister Claire Hansen Clark)->Harold Hansen->Vere Burrows Hansen m. John Hansen

Sons of Vere and John Hansen:  Jack, Robley (Bob) and Harold Hansen

53Ancestors52Weeks Week 7 Theme: Unusual Source. Or, How a Weird Tale Solved a Family Mystery (Harriet Bluett Hurd)

 3 June 1935 Nevada State Journal

  This week's theme is "Unusual Source".  Genealogists use many sources to find out facts about their relatives' lives:  Census reports, birth certificates, death certificates, funeral records and city directories can give up a great deal of information to a family historian and help create a basic outline or timeline of a person's life span. But, these resources can be a little "dry".  How do you add a little personality to the dry facts? 

  One of my favorite resources lately has been local newspapers.  They give wonderful and  personal details that  help make people that lived their lives long ago all the more real.  You can really get a feel for  their personalities, their beliefs, their interests and sometimes even hear things in their own words if they are quoted. You may be really  lucky and get to see a photograph! 

  Using newspaper articles as a resource is not that unusual in genealogical research. But,  newspaper stories can  give up unusual details that might help answer questions that have gone unanswered through the usual methods.   I found out something very unusual from a little snippet  in the Nevada State Journal just the other day, when I was searching for articles about another cousin, Alta Powers.  It was certainly a weird story, but it helped confirm a fact that I thought was true, but couldn't prove with the usual resources. 

  For the last several years I have been researching my Hurd/Bluett families that came from Pennsylvania to California and Nevada in the mid 1800's.  They were a hardy bunch that ended up living in the mining town of Virginia City, Nevada.  My Great Great Great Grandmother was Harriet Bluett Hurd.  She and her husband had a total of 10 children, and she came to the west from Pennsylvania not once, but twice.  The first trip the family made was across the Isthmus of Panama and up the coast to San Francisco, and then by stage to Nevada City, California.  Her husband died in a mine accident in Virginia City in 1876, after the family had gone back to Pennsylvania and made yet another trip back out west to settle in Virginia City.    She lived there with her remaining children until her death in 1893 at the age of 58.  

  I had several nice resources on her life to work from, including 40 years worth of US  census records, census population records from Pennsylvania, and local County birth and death records.  I even found several newspaper snippets about her trips to visit family in Nevada City, and her last illness and eventually her death.  I did not, however, have any records of her place of burial.  I had many records of her children's final resting places, but not hers nor her husbands.  The family story was that she was buried in Virginia City, but no one could locate her actual grave. 

  My mother tells  the story of how she and her uncle and grandmother (my GGG Grandmother Harriet's granddaughter)  drove up to Virginia City, Nevada  from Nevada City, California (a day trip to be sure) in the 50's.  They went to the cemetery trying to find where the grave was.  My mom recounts the story..."I can see all of us tramping around the cemetery with the wild winds whipping the long grass around.  Spooky, especially when you are a kid!"  I too, have been tramping around that cemetery looking for relatives, with no luck.  And yes, the cemetery can be spooky with its constant winds, weeds and sagebrush. 

The Silver Terrace Cemetery Virginia City, Nevada.  From Travel Nevada.

  As I was looking for articles with the name of Alta Powers (I had been researching her story at the time) on Newspapers.com during their latest free weekend,  this headline jumped out at me. GROUND COLLAPSES AS RENO GIRL PUTS FLOWERS ON GRAVE. What? Whose grave? Was she Ok? I didn't even have Harriet Bluett Hurd on my radar that day. As I read on, the article gave the exact relationship to the deceased...her grandmother.  That would have been Harriet Bluett Hurd!  It also gave the location of the grave as "near the old Mexico Mine" in Virginia City.  Well, that would have been very close to the vicinity of the Silver Terrace Cemetery.  The grave was probably over one of the many tunnels from the mine, and the ground gave way.   And, thank goodness, my first cousin 3x removed was ok after the ordeal. 

   Considering that there are hundreds of unmarked graves in this cemetery, and at that time the ground was still under threat of collapsing, I will probably never determine the exact location of her burial.  But, now I do know that she was, in fact, buried in Virginia City in 1893.  Her husband is most likely there, too.  Too bad this very strange and weird story didn't get passed on to my Great Grandmother! 

  

Relationship Reference:  Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Harold Hansen->Vere Burrows Hansen->Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows->Harriet Bluett Hurd

Alta Powers was the daughter of Hattie Hurd Powers, whose mother was Harriet Bluett Hurd. Harriet was a younger sister of Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows. 

The Hurd Family: A Night with Emma Nevada, a Relic of Historic Import and Sentimental Treasures from the Comstock (Hurd)

 

 Emma Nevada in Paris circa 1880 from Nevada Magazine March-April 2020

26 November 1885 Nevada State Journal

  Emma Nevada has several connections to the Hurd family, oddly enough.  She was born Emma Wixom February 7, 1859 in the Alpha Mining camp near Nevada City, California.  The Hurds were living in Nevada City at the time.  Emma's father moved to Austin, Nevada a few years later where Emma's singing talent was discovered when she was just 5 years old. She went on to study voice and language at Mills College in California.  Her beautiful soprano voice took her from Oakland to Europe.  In 1880 she changed her name to Emma Nevada and began an illustrious European career singing in prestigious operas and performing for royalty.  In 1885, she returned to the US and performed in Austin and Virginia City.  In 1902 she performed at her Alma Mater Mills College, as well as in Nevada City.   She died in 1940 at the age of 81, the pride and joy of Nevada. (excerpts taken from Nevada Magazine March-April 2020 issue by Eric Cachinero).  

  An article written in the Reno Evening Gazette 31 July, 1943 gives some insight into the other connection to Emma Nevada.  The family piano is part of the story, and I am sure the Meacham and possibly the Hurd families were in attendance at the opera house on November 26, 1885 to hear the great Emma Nevada.  The family must have been very proud of this event, as it comes up in several stories related through the years.  The article also gives us a  glimpse of what kind of art and furniture was found in Hattie Powers' home!  It is a long, flowery article, and I have condensed it a bit,  but is worth the read.  

ARTS AND ARTISTS

"A relic of historic import and many sentimental treasures which whisper of yesterdays on the Comstock lend special interest to the home of Mrs. Hattie L. Powers, 120 Stevenson Street, Reno." 

 "Strains of 'Tis the Last Rose of Summer', 'Home Sweet Home', and other loved old-time melodies stir one's mind while viewing an impressive large square Steinway piano whose solid ivory keys still gleam their whiteness.  In the early days of Nevada's history, it was shipped from New York, traveling the long distance around Cape Horn to grace the home of James G. Fair, one of the 'Big Four' on the Comstock. Later when Fair's household furnishings were being sold, it was purchased by Mr. Powers' step-father, Robert S. Meacham, pioneer lumberman of the Comstock, who began supplying lumber to the mines in the late 60's  and lived there until 1912."

  "The piano was once used on the stage of Piper's Opera House for it so happened that when Emma Nevada came to Virginia City to sing, those many years ago, there was no Steinway piano for her accompanist.  Since this famed Nevada singer would have none other than a Steinway, Meacham's piano was moved into the opera house for her performance."

 

  "In the Powers' parlor are old time paintings by Mrs. Meacham and by another member of the family, Carrie A. Hurd, sister of Mrs. Powers. There is also a flower study in watercolor by Kate Mansfield, a Comstock painter of the Gay Nineties.  We remembered reading in the Comstock's famous newspaper, 'The Territorial Enterprise', under the date of November 27, 1895, an item which read, 'Miss Kate Mansfield has opened a studio on the corner of B and Taylor streets in the Mallon building and is prepared to give lessons in all kinds of art work, also a special class in drawing for children.  All kinds of decorative work done reasonably.  Portraits in oil, watercolor and crayon.  For particulars, call at the studio.' "

  "........Attracting attention in the dining room is a very interesting oil painting by Mrs. Meacham painted under the tutelage  of Kate Mansfield..it depicts a dining table  spread with embroidered white cloth and laden with various fruits and dainty cakes."

  "In the bedroom is a sturdily constructed marble-topped dresser of the Civil War period, brought down from the Comstock, which boasts a secret drawer. A fine desk in the dining room is a Virginia City relic which has happily withstood the wear of many years."

 

  "Adorning a bedroom in the Powers' home is a large plate glass mirror whose very wide silvery frame displays the joint artistry of Kate Mansfield and Mrs. Meacham in the form of a lovely spray of chrysanthemums painted in oil, a few of whose autumn tinted blooms extend onto the mirror. It is a charming example of home decoration in the Gay Nineties."

  "In those 'oil-lamp' days, it was the mark of a lady to follow some artistic pursuit and Grandmother Meacham painted on china as well as canvas. Her many fine articles of hand-painted china attest to her marked aptitude for the work.  Whole sets of decorative china, some of which are the exquisite, fragile 'egg-shell' have been handed down to her granddaughters, Miss Alta Powers of Reno and Ina Powers Sample of Pasadena, California. Unique indeed to the present generation is a kidney-shaped set of 'bone' dishes used to receive bones from meat courses and there is a score of butter pats bearing charming decorations by this pioneer Comstock mother who sought beauty for her home in this frontier community." 

 "Mrs. Meacham devised a design which included the Meacham monogram and this was used on a set of silverware made at Schreve's in San Francisco from bullion she had sent down from the Comstock Lode."

  "Mrs. Powers possess a necklace whose pendant is a five-dollar gold piece marked on one side with Grandfather Meacham's monogram R S M."

  "Still another heirloom which has descended to one of the granddaughters is a quaint heart-shaped locket on which is pivoted a gold nugget taken from the Ophir Mine on the Comstock and it is surrounded by tiny turquoise stones and chip rubies.  A token of affection, it was presented years ago by Grandfather Meacham to Grandmother Meacham." 

  

 According to Alta Powers in her memoirs (previous post) the piano was handed down to first Alta, and then went to Ina's house in Pasadena. After Ina's death, Alta sold the piano to a "Pasadena lady whom I knew would treasure it and take care of it".  I hope she did.  

  Schreve and Company is still in business in San Francisco on Post Street.  They have been in business since 1852.  By the 1860's they had established their reputation as the finest silver and goldsmith in America, and became one of the more elite jewelry businesses in San Francisco. Their building on the corner of Post and Grant was a brand new "earthquake proof" building which opened in March of 1906, and was one of the few buildings to survive not only the earthquake, but the fire on April 18, 1906.  After the earthquake the company reopened and eventually  introduced their first line of  flatware, as well the publication of  their first series of illustrated catalogs. (shreve.com/our-story).  Grandma Meacham died in 1912, so she could have devised her design for the set of silverware from Schreve's after 1906.  

  If you have lived in or visited Reno or Sparks you may remember this Golden Rooster from John Ascuaga's Nugget.  It is solid (not hollow) 18 carat gold. Weight is 15 pounds.  Newman's Silver Shop of Reno and Schreve's of San Francisco teamed together to create this masterpiece for the Nugget Casino.  It was auctioned off in 2014, selling for $234,000.  (Reno Gazette Journal  27 July, 2014). 

What a unique connection to the treasures of Grandma Meacham!

  

The Hurd Family: Stories From the Comstock During the Turn of the Century (Hurd)

Ina and Alta Hutchinson Virginia City, Nevada Circa 1900  Shared by Mimi Swaney on Ancestry.com

  Ina and Alta Hutchinson were the daughters of  Hattie Hurd Powers and Avery Rhodes Powers.  They were both born in Virginia City, Nevada.  Ina was born in 1895 and Alta was born in 1899.  In 1900 the family lived on the east side of "C" Street with Robert Meacham and Altana Powers Meacham.  Robert Meacham was the step father to Avery, and owned the local lumber yard in town.  Avery also worked at the lumberyard as an accountant.  

                                                     Ina Powers circa 1897-8 shared by Mimi Swaney on Ancestry.com

  Ina attended the Fourth Ward School and graduated in 1912 in a class with 6 students.  She went on to graduate from the University of Nevada, Reno, and then taught at Southside School before continuing her education at the University of California, Berkeley in 1932.  She worked as a speech therapist, and as a teacher of the deaf.  She was affiliated with the John Tracy Clinic for the Hard of Hearing.  She also taught at Pasadena Junior College.  She passed away in 1948 at the age of 53.   

  

Ina Powers before 1920 shared by Mimi Swaney on Ancestry.com

  Alta Powers worked as a telegraph operator, a stenographer and a bookkeeper in Reno, Nevada.  She lived with her parents in Virginia City and then later with her aunts Annie and Edith in Reno.  She lived with her mother in Reno when her parent's  marriage ended and Avery remarried.  Later in life, she moved to California, living in Oakland and Pasadena.  She led a very busy social life, and was a member of several social and business groups.  She and her friend Lois Cloud were mentioned in many newspaper snippets during the 30's and 40's.  She loved to travel and was an amateur photographer.  She was even on a basketball team in 1932...

13 February 1932 Nevada State Journal

  Alta was also a keeper of the family stories.  I was fortunate to find her typed memoirs on Ancestry.com.  These are priceless, as they really give a feel for living on the Comstock at the turn of the century.  Pay attention to the story of the piano, as it comes up later in the story of the Hurd girls.  This is the second set of Memoirs; I cannot find the first set.  This was shared by an Ancestry member named azbombero in 2014.  

  

    

Alta Powers as a young lady shared by Mimi Swaney on Ancestry.com

Alta Powers shared by Mimi Swaney on Ancestry.com

  Alta passed away in 1999 at the age of 99, and is buried in Inglewood, California. It looks like she and her friend Lois Cloud were residents of a residential care facility in Jackson, California towards the end of their lives.   Alta was buried in the same mausoleum section as Lois at the Inglewood Park Cemetery. 

Relationship Reference:  Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Harold Hansen->Vere Burrows Hansen->Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows.  Hattie Hurd Powers was the second to youngest sister of Elizabeth Jane.  

  What's next? .....Alta was also a keeper of "the stuff".  What happened to the Hurd belongings?  And where was Harriet Hurd buried?  

The Hurd Family: Edith Hurd and a Family Tradition of Teaching (Hurd)

31 August 1930 Nevada State Journal 

  Edith Hurd was my Great Great Aunt, the youngest sister of my Great Great Grandmother Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows.  This is her story!  

I share a birthday with Edith Francis Hurd, who was born February 4, 1875.  Picture shared by Mimi Swaney on Ancestry.com. 

  Edith Francis Hurd was the last child born to William and Harriet Hurd.  She was born in Mahanoy, Pennsylvania right before the family came back out to Virginia City, Nevada.  She was only a year old when her father William died in a mining accident in the Ophir Mine.  Edith had several older sisters who taught in Virginia City, first at the First Ward School, and then at the Fourth Ward School.  The family made sure that the youngest daughter would have a good education, as she  attended Bishop Whitaker's School for Girls in Reno, and graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno before going on to become a teacher and eventually a principal in Reno.   She had an amazing career and was the contemporary of  many women who have very familiar names to anyone living in Reno:  Miss Mamie Towles,  Miss Echo Loder,  Miss Libbie Booth,  Miss Grace Warner,  Miss  Rita Cannan,  Miss Alice Maxwell, and Miss Jessie Beck.  If those names sound familiar, it is  because elementary schools in this area bear those names!  

                                Here is a timeline of Edith Hurd's life and career.  

1875 Edith was born on 4 February Mahanoy, Pennsylvania, and the family moved back to Virginia City, Nevada.  In 1876 William was killed in a mining accident in the Ophir Mine.  

1891 Edith was 16 years old when she traveled from Virginia City to Reno to attend the Bishop Whitaker School for Girls (2 Sept. 1891 Nevada State Journal).  Ozi Whitaker was the Episcopal Bishop of Nevada.  On his arrival in Reno, he saw the need for educational opportunities for girls and built a school on land donated by Charles Crocker of the Central Pacific Railroad. It is located where Whitaker Park is now.  It was completed in 1879, and had a dormitory for boarding 40 girls and was a day school for local girls.   Edith may have been a boarder.  Highly qualified educators provided rigorous courses through 12th grade as well as exposure to traditional Christian values. Monthly tuition was $65 a month, and so attracted daughters of wealthy Nevada families and boarders from the east.  The school closed in 1894. (Mella Harmon, "Bishop Whitaker's School for Girls (site) Reno Historical). 

Bishop Whitaker's School for Girls    Courtesy of Jerry Fenwick (Mella Harmon, "Bishop Whitaker's School for Girls (site) Reno Historical)

  Her mother Harriet died in 1893, leaving the rest of the family to make sure she completed her education.  Edith's family was not wealthy, but she had many siblings that most likely made sure the tuition was paid.  Education was always a top priority for the Hurd girls.  She was on the Roll of Merit in 1893, and the Honor Roll in 1894 in the Music Department.  

1896 June 9 Edith Hurd graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno (the University was moved from Elko and opened in Reno in 1886).  She graduated from the Normal School  which was a department specifically designed to  prepare high school graduates for teaching in the many remote  mining towns in the state. 

1900 The US Census enumerated Edith as living in Rebel Creek,  Humboldt County (half way between McDermitt and Winnemucca on Highway 95).  She was a boarder, and was working as a teacher.  What an experience that would have been!  That area of Nevada was, and still is, out in the middle of nowhere.  

By 1903 Edith was back in Reno.  She was teaching,  as in 1905 she won a contest sponsored by the Palace Dry Goods Company (July 21 1905 Reno Evening Gazette): 

She returned from Portland on August 19, 1905 (Reno Evening Gazette).  She had attended the Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair.......

 

1916 According to the Nevada Educational Directory of 1916 Edith was teaching at the Orvis Ring School (Libby Booth was principal), living at 339 W. First Street in Reno.  

1917 Edith was teaching at the South Side School, and making $1,000.  Her friend Echo Loder was Principal at the Mary S. Doten School, where Ina Powers was also teaching. Ina was the daughter of Edith's sister Hattie, and had graduated from UNR also.  (GoogleBooks.com State of Nevada Educational Directory) 

1923 The Reno City Directory listed Edith as teaching at a High School (it didn't list which one). 

1925 The Reno City Directory listed Edith as the Principal at McKinley Park Elementary, which was just down the street from where she lived on 339 West First Street. This was the first mention I had found of her career as a Principal.  

McKinley Park Elementary around 1915 Courtesy Special Collections, University Nevada, Reno Libraries.  The school was about 6 blocks from Edith's home on West First Street. Across the Truckee River from her house was the Trinity Episcopal Church.  This picture was taken before the construction of the Keystone Avenue Bridge to the west.  The trees were just newly planted. 

  Just a little side note on McKinley Park Elementary....it was designed by George Ferris in 1909 and was part of the "Spanish Quartet" schools built in Reno in the early 20th century.  The other three were Mt. Rose Elementary (still in use as a school),  Mary S. Doten on Lander Street (no longer in existence), and Orvis Ring Grammar School on Evans Avenue (no longer in existence).  McKinley Park Elementary is now the McKinley Arts and Cultural Center overseen by the City of Reno.  renohistorical.org is a wonderful resource for history in the Reno area if you are interested. The school was built on the sight of  McKinley Park, which was named after President McKinley who had been assassinated in 1901.  

   Edith Hurd also taught at  the Southside School which was on East Liberty Street.  The newer art deco annex was built in 1936, and the original building built in 1903 does not exist any longer.  

  The last mention I could find of Edith's position as Principal of McKinley Park was in an article written in February of 1936 in the Reno Evening Gazette.   I believe she retired after that, as she had been teaching since the turn of the century.  At that time she was living at 120 Stevenson Street, which was on the same corner block as 339 West 1st Street.  I am not sure if it was an apartment building at the time, or how the address changed,  but she did live with her sister  Winnifred  Curtis and her family at one time at the West First street address and then her sister Annie and her sister Hattie, as well as Hattie's daughter Alta at the Stevenson street address.  It was an address that Morrill Curtis was living at in 1920, and may have been his property.  I need to do more research into this property.  

  Edith did not marry, but kept up a busy social life with her friends and family.  It looks like she also loved to travel during her summers off....

12 August 1912 Reno Evening Gazette.  Miss Sweiss was also a teacher.  

24 June 1935 Reno Evening Gazette

  And, she found time to spend with her niece Ina during Ina's  summer vacation....

  

Ina Powers Sample was the daughter of Edith's sister Hattie.  Ina taught in Reno, and then went on to become a teacher at Pasadena Junior College.  She specialized in teaching the hearing impaired.  24 July 1943 Nevada State Journal. 

  

27 July 1960 Reno Evening Gazette

  There are so many other stories I found in the newspapers about Edith.  Too many to share all of them.  She must have been a popular teacher, as she was reported to be "near death" in 1907 from typhoid fever (thank goodness she recovered), she underwent an operation at St. Mary's in 1926, she saved a young lady from a car wreck on the Truckee Highway in 1932, she was an Eisenhower supporter in 1956 and entertained friends at the Mapes in 1957.  She led a wonderful life and had a very successful career.  

  What fascinates me the most  about my Great Great Aunt is that I had no idea she even existed until a few years ago.  I have lived in Reno for 37 years and have driven by McKinley Park School at least a thousand times.  I have driven by the cemetery where Edith is buried many, many times, as I lived in the same neighborhood.   I finished my Masters at the University of Nevada, Reno, helping to start a brand new department of Early Childhood Special Education in 1986.  I worked in the Washoe County School District for 31 years, teaching young children with developmental disabilities and working with their families.  My first teaching job was at Mamie Towles Elementary in 1984.  I spent a total of  7 years teaching at Alice Maxwell Elementary during my career.  Now, all these parts of my life have a very different meaning in the context of my family history.   I also have a unique place in this story of education in the Truckee Meadows! 

  I am so proud of the many wonderful women that came before me and laid educational foundations here in Reno.  And now, I can count my relatives in that group.  Ella Hurd taught at the First and Fourth Ward school in Virginia City, Carrie Hurd graduated and also taught at the Fourth Ward school in Virginia City, Hattie Hurd's daughter Ina graduated from UNR and taught handicapped children, and of course, Edith's teaching career that began in remote Rebel Creek in 1900.  I secretly wish that an elementary school had been named after Edith Hurd.....!

  And how can I not mention my mother, Margaret Hansen Boothby, who was (and still is) a life long educator in Nevada County, California.   I watched her juggle a teaching career along with family and community responsibilities while I was growing up in Nevada City.  I had a wonderful role model!  I will also mention Gay (Hansen) Sandberg, who was an educator in the Washoe County School District for many, many years (daughter of Robley Hansen, Harold Hansen's brother).  She taught Government and Civics at the Jr. and Senior High level, teaching at McQueen and Hug High Schools.   Claire Hansen Clark, my aunt,  had a short teaching career before raising her family in California.  We have a unique family tradition of teachers on this side of the family to be sure. 

  

  Just a few years ago, my mom and my daughter and I  visited the Fourth Ward School in Virginia City (which is now a museum) and just marveled at how our relatives carried out their teaching duties.  It was a great trip back in time!

Patti (Boothby) Alden and Margaret (Hansen) Boothby 18 June, 2017 Fourth Ward School, Virginia City, Nevada

Fourth Ward School Virginia City, Nevada 2017 (photo by Patti Alden)

Fourth Ward School Interior 2017 (photo by Patti Alden)

Relationship Reference: Me->Margaret Hansen Boothby->Harold Hansen->Vere Burrows Hansen->Elizabeth Jane Hurd Burrows (older sister to the Hurd girls).