In 1851, John Reese established a trading post, Mormon Station, now the town of Genoa which was Nevada’s first permanent settlement. After Douglas County became part of the Nevada Territory in 1861, Genoa was named the county seat. In 1865, the Douglas County Courthouse was built. The county seat was moved to Minden in 1916, and for the next forty years the former courthouse was used as a school. The historic building was opened as the Courthouse Museum Genoa in 1969 by the Historical Society.

Following are a few of the exhibits on display in the Courthouse.

The Washo Room:
Among the collection of Native American Artifacts is a ceremonial basket woven by famed Washo basket weaver, Dat-So-La-Lee.

Fearful Crossing:
Featured are a map and artifacts of the Emigrant Trail and other routes traveled by the pioneers making their way west.

Snowshoe Thompson:
Commemorates Norwegian John A. “Snowshoe” Thompson (1827-1876). For twenty winters, Thompson skied the mail over the rugged Sierra Nevada mountains between Genoa, Nevada and Placerville, California.

Pony Express:
After only 18 months of operation (1860-1861), the Pony Express rode off into the sunset with the advent of the “talking wires”-the overland telegraph.

The Museum Bookstore is full of books pertaining to the local history, flora & fauna, mining, logging, Basque, Washo, maps, note cards, and postcards.

Time Period Represented: Pre-historic to early 1900s

Hours Open: Daily 10:00am to 4:00pm

Visitor Fees: Adult $3.00 Youth $2.00 Under six Free DCHS members Free

Seasons Open: May to October