Nevada Appeal at 150: Nov. 23, 1910: Taxpayers of Lyon County working for division

Does Ormsby County want to annex a portion of Lyon County to her territory, is the question that is being asked a number of people in this city by John Damon, one of the prominent residents of Dayton and who is leading a movement to cut the county of Lyon up among the bordering counties.

Mr. Damon is one of the old residents of Lyon County and a man familiar with all the conditions of that section. In speaking of the matter to a representative of the Appeal this afternoon, the visitor had the following to say.

“The people of the northwestern part of Lyon County are up in arms and the move that is on foot to divide the county is one that is gaining in strength and support every day. Years ago the taxpayers of the above mentioned section worked to have Mason Valley added to Lyon County, at that time that valley being a part of Esmeralda County. With the acquisition of that section an indebtedness of many thousand dollars was shouldered by the taxpayers. As soon as the this indebtedness has been paid, the town of Yerington began to yell for the courthouse. They had evidently overlooked the people of the Dayton section that had pulled them out of a hole, and since that time a constant fight has been waged to move the county seat.

And so a movement is on foot as regards the division of the county. There are plans to section the county and annex it to Churchill, Washoe, Douglas, Storey and Ormsby counties. Churchill is to get the section in which Fernley is located and the people of that community have pledged the Legislative candidates of Churchill County to make a fight in the Legislature to that end.

The people of Smith Valley would be annexed to Douglas County, and the section of the county in which is included Ramsey is to be offered to Storey County. Washoe County will get the slice in which is located Fort Churchill, which will carry with it a number of miles of the main line of the Southern Pacific and add greatly to the taxable property of that already rich county.

The people of Dayton and Silver City want to become a part of Ormsby County and the section that will be annexed if the movement goes through will mean an added valuation of in the neighborhood of two hundred thousands dollars to the assessment roll of Ormsby County.

This continues the Appeal’s review of news stories and headlines during its Sesquicentennial year.

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