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Carlin High School Newspaper – The Sagebrush

The Sagebrush was published by the students of CHS. The oldest edition that we have is from 1934 and the oldest 1948. We do not know if it was published continuously during this period. What we do know is that the students of CHS put a lot of time and effort into each edition. Some were up to 19 pages long and all included illustrations drawn by the students themselves! Each edition had class news from first grade to the senior class, town news, honor roll names, sport and club updates, and stories and poetry written by the students. Some issues included stories that were reprinted, like the following Christmas tale. We hope to share more tidbits from the copies of The Sagebrush that we have and are always looking for more editions so please let us know if you have any!

The Story of Santa

It is interesting to know how our customs of today began.  One that is especially interesting at Christmas time, is the origin of Santa Clause.  Here it is as told in a story called “St. Nicholas, the Real Santa Clause!”

A rich young man was walking one day through the streets of his native town when he heard sounds of lamentation from the house of a noble born man whose money had all been lost and who was now living on the verge of starvation with his three daughters.  The young man listened and he heard a girl’s voice say:

“Father, let us go into the streets and beg, for it is hard to starve.”

Then he heard the proud father make answer:

“Not yet.  Not tonight let us wait one more night.  I will again pray God to save my children from such disgrace.”

Nicholas hurried home.  Among the treasures he had inherited from his father were three bars of solid gold.  He took one of these bars at night to the house of the poor man, and finding an open window which he could just reach by standing on tiptoe, he thrust the bar of gold and departed.  Then he came on a second night, and left the second bar; and the third night, and left the third bar.  But the third night he was discovered, and the poor father who believed the gold had come from heaven, knelt at his feet.  Nicholas lifted him up and said.

“Give thanks to God, for it was He who sent me to you.”

This and many another splendid gift of gold did Nicholas make in the name of God and always in secret, so that he is called St. Nicholas, and we say that he comes to children on Christmas Even and fills their stockings with gifts for the sake of his Master, the Lover of all children and the Savior of mankind.

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Sometimes the news reported was rather interesting! For example, this edition states that “Silvano Pacini wrecked his car when he ran into a train standing on the crossing.” Perhaps he was hoping for a new one for his birthday which The Sagebrush reported was on November 3rd.

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How Carlin Got Its Name

Most Carlinites’ know that the town was named after a military figure.  Though there is some confusion about why and what his rank actually was.  Captain or General?  Did he spend time here or did he just pass through?  Did he have three daughters named, Mary, Susy, and Maggie.  Well, though some may never agree…here are the facts.

William Passmore Carlin was born in Illinois in 1829.  He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1846.  In 1858, First Lieutenant Carlin traveled west to Utah.  Later that year, he traveled further West to California.  When the Civil War began in 1861, Carlin returned to the East and was promoted to Captain and quickly after that he was promoted to the rank of Colonel.  By the end of the war in 1865 he had reached the rank of Brigadier General.  He died in 1893. 

Despite several authors claiming that Carlin was stationed in the area at the “Government Military Indian Reservation Headquarters” until it was moved to Owyhee this is not accurate.  His memoirs make no reference to such a posting.  They merely document that he passed through the area.  The title given the location isn’t exactly accurate either.  The reservation was located on Maggie Creek, approximately, 1 ½ miles north of the town.  The location was chosen in 1874 and no military post was built there.  By 1888, the land was returned to the Department of the Interior.  During this time, Carlin was stationed in the Dakotas, Wyoming, and then North Idaho. 

Another persistent rumor is that the three creeks that run through the Valley to the Humboldt River were named after his three daughters.  But Carlin had only one child with his wife and that child was a boy.  Another William Carlin.  No daughters to be seen. 

So, how did the town get the name?  The Central Pacific Railroad used various methods for picking a name for places they “created” as they laid tracks headed east.  For example, it is believed the town of Elko was named after an animal and the “o” was just added for some extra jazz.  How Carlin got its name is a little more logical.  Supposedly some of the pushers and shakers at the Central Pacific admired West Point graduates who fought for the Union in the Civil War.   Consequently, William Passmore Carlin, a West Point graduate with 43 years of service in the military was chosen that day. 

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Fishing in June by Earl Trousdale

The following is a “tale” from the memoirs of Earl Trousdale titled “Tall Tales” from the Old Timer.  Earl spent most of his life in Carlin, served as Mayor, and passed on at the ripe age of 99.  All spelling and grammatical anomalies are the product of the author and he requested they not be changed.

It was the middle of June and time for our annual fishing trip to Beaver Creek. Cremer, Wise, Livingston and I left town about five o’ clock in the morning. A beautiful morning, I might add. We planned to go high on the creek and to keep only those fish fourteen inches or longer, all other to be thrown back.

             We traveled up Maggie Creek road, four of us in Cremer’s coupe. The road was a dirt road. On we went past the five mile fence, through the canyon, on past Simon’s field, through Little Jack Creek, over Coyote Creek, through Spring Creek and past the Redhouse Ranch. Eventually we reached the turn off to Beaver Creek. An hour had past and the sun was climbing higher. It was still June so it really wouldn’t be too hot. There were a few clouds in the sky, but absolutely no sign of a storm.  We forded Beaver Creek going through about two inches of water which made the crossing easy. The bottom of the creek is composed of pea sized gravel, making it very treacherous in times of high water. There seems to be no bottom in high water and I have seen a car sink down to where the water is running through the cab in a matter of seconds. But, not on this day.

             Onward we drove up the creek for about three miles and then it was time to load up our gear and our lunches before we walked another mile or so to begin fishing.

             Fishing was excellent! The water was clear and the fish were hungry. By limiting ourselves to fourteen inches, every fish we kept we ended up throwing three or four back into the creek if a fish swallowed a hook. We were very careful not to injure them if possible.

             With four fishermen in the party, it was about a hundred yards between holes and so after walking and fishing for several hours, we found ourselves to be a long, long way up that creek. We stopped to eat our lunch and to clean our fish. What a catch – we had all limited out – twenty five fish was the limit at that time.

             It had started to snow about noon, but what the hell this was June, it was probably just a spring squall. At any rate, we didn’t pay much attention to it until we noticed the snow was sticking to the ground, it wasn’t melting!

             We headed back to the car happy and contented with ourselves. A very successful fishing trip. It was late afternoon and we were going to have to leg it to get back to the car by dark. It seemed like forever and a day before we finally got to the car, those fish had become mighty heavy by the time we got there. It was still snowing and the snow was about six inches deep and the damned car wouldn’t start.

There was a heated argument about just what we would do, continue to walk out at that time, or wait until morning and daylight. It was finally decided that because we were so tired and unable to see the trail because of the snow, we would build a fire. Two would sleep in the coupe while the other tended the fire. We took turns.

             While Livingston and I were tending the fire, this dumb child let Livingston convince him that he, Livingston that is, had a great fear of coyotes. True, the coyotes were howling, but I have never seen other that the back end of a coyote. Coyotes want no part of a man, unless of course someone should corner said coyote, then I’d say LOOK OUT! Anyway, I believed the man and I spent my time gathering brush while Livingston sat by the fire and worried about the coyotes getting him, or was he laughing at this dumb, gullible child.

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AARP Community Challenge Grant

We have been selected as a 2020 AARP Community Challenge Grantee!

Carlin Historical Society is thrilled to announce we have been selected to receive an AARP Community Challenge grant. We are one of only 184 grantees selected from across all 50 states, Washington D.C, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

With this “quick-action” grant we will install signage for the Carlin Museum.

“We are incredibly proud that AARP selected Carlin Historical Society to receive this grant,” stated Sabra Esparza, President. “AARP is a nationwide leader on making neighborhoods, towns, and cities more livable for all residents and we are honored that they see the tangible value this project will bring to our community.”

About the Community Challenge

The Community Challenge funds innovative projects that inspire change in areas such as transportation, public spaces, housing, smart cities, civic engagement, coronavirus response and more.

It’s all part of AARP’s nationwide work on livable communities, which supports the efforts of neighborhoods, towns, cities and counties across the country to become great places for all residents. AARP believes that communities should provide safe, walkable streets; affordable and accessible housing and transportation options; access to needed services; and opportunities for residents to participate in community life.

To learn more about the work being funded by the AARP Community Challenge across the nation – including all 184 granted projects this year, visit aarp.org/CommunityChallenge. You can also view an interactive map of all Community Challenge projects and AARP’s livable communities work at aarp.org/livable.

WE HAVE OUR NEW SIGN!

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Union Pacific Grant

The Carlin Historical Society and Museum is on Track for Success Thanks to Union Pacific Grant!

The Carlin Historical Society is the proud recipient of a $5,125.00 Union Pacific Railroad Community Ties Giving Program grant, which will help them create an interactive exhibit about the history of the railroad in Carlin, Nevada.  Union Pacific’s Community Ties Giving Program provides small- and medium-sized grants that align with the railroad’s priority cause areas in safety, workforce development and community spaces. “Union Pacific proudly supports organizations that improve the quality of life where our employees live and work,” said Scott Moore, senior vice president-Corporate Relations, chief administrative officer and Union Pacific Foundation President. “Investing in high-quality, nonprofit programs puts our communities in a position for future growth and prosperity.”

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The Phone Directory

The following is a “tale” from the memoirs of Earl Trousdale titled “Tall Tales” from the Old Timer.  Earl spent most of his life in Carlin, served as Mayor, and passed on at the ripe age of 99.  All spelling and grammatical anomalies are the product of the author and he requested they not be changed.

By Earl Trousdale

               In going through my files (such as they are) I ran onto a 1940 Carlin Phone Directory! What a jolt to my memory. That phone book is comprised of one page. The entire directory on a 6″ by 9″ page is hard to believe.

            The reading of those names brought memories of times 50 and 60 years ago. A time when the streets were gravel, there was a bonified business district on Main Street. The highway, Highway 40, ran where Bush Street is now. I take it back, it was the Victory Highway then. There was a Standard Station and Motel opposite the school, just west of where the post office is now. The PFE and WP still put up natural ice every winter. The more I think about it those times the farther back in time my mind tends to go.

I remember some of the people, Constable “Dolf” Berning, who was always doing something for the kids like decorating the huge Christmas Tree in the school auditorium. Jim Griffin and his brothers going to the ranch early each morning and (isn’t it funny the little things you remember) I remember how furious the Griffins were when a train blocked the road home. I remember Judge Bielas sunning himself on the south side of the old Beanery at they Stop Sign on Main Street. Old George Arthur coming to town with his two dogs, one on the left running board and one on the right. People who had dogs hated to see him coming because Arthur’s dogs were always spoiling for a fight. I remember my Grandfather, Bill Linebarger, teaching me to milk cows, him on one side and me on the other. Carman Roberts, boy could she ever play the piano at those silent movies and she was mean too.

             I remember the old European Store and all the good old Italian smells coming from the cheeses, salamis, and sausages hanging from the ceiling.

            I remember swimming in the river in the summer–the baseball games and celebrations. I remember the ice skating in the winter and the dances–it was all fun.

            In my opinion, there might have been a depression and there was no television. People made the most of that which they had and although some people had it rough it was still better than the present day “Prosperity.

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Main Street Carlin By Earl Trousdale

The following is a “tale” from the memoirs of Earl Trousdale titled “Tall Tales” from the Old Timer.  Earl spent his entire life in Carlin and was the mayor from    We will be sharing with you some of his stories.  Enjoy!  All spelling and grammatical anomalies are the product of the author and he requested they not be changed.

Do you remember?  The old Puett house on the corner of Tenth and Railroad.  It had a half-dug basement and the house was on what I called stilts.  The Puett family had to use a ladder to get into their hours.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The old warehouse on the corner of Eighth and Main.  It belonged to John Puett and it too was on stilts.  All the ties used for the stilts were wrapped in tin from five gallon cans to keep the mice and rats out.  Do you remember when the kids broke into that warehouse?  For a week or so, half the kids in town wore those funny “Bohler” hats.  Remember?

Do you remember?  Smyth’s Grocery which was situated next door to and east of the present City Club.  Herschel, the son of the grocer use to come back to Carlin periodically to visit old friends.  Remember?

Do you remember?  Linebarger’s General Store which was situated about where the west end of the State Hotel is now.  It had a porch in front.  The meat scales hung from the outer edge of the porch which was where the hogs and beef were weighed.  Inside the store was a wonderland of shelves, bins and barrels.  Most commodities at that time came in bulk and so crackers, pickles, corned beef and sauerkraut came in barrels and beans, sugar and flour came in bins.  Bananas came on a big stock and the clerk would cut off as many as the buyer wanted.  There was all kinds of mining equipment and supplies in the back.  Remember?

Do you remember?  Schermahorn and Vodnicks Store which was located on the ground floor of the Colonial.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The old European Store.  There was Italian sausage, salami, Italian cold meats and cheeses hanging from the ceiling.  What a wonderful small when one entered the store.  There was a porch on this store also and all the Italian men use to sit there and discuss whatever.  I never could understand them and so I never knew what they were saying.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The icehouse across the street from the European Store.  My grandfather used to put up ice from the river and store it in that icehouse for use in the bar and restaurant.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The old post office situated on the southwest corner of Sixth and Main Street.  The post office was part of Kappler’s House.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The Southern Pacific Beanery situated across the street from the post office.  At one time it was the focal point of town.  It had a restaurant, barber shop, rooms upstairs and everything could be paid for with a pie book.  A pie book was a lot like a book of stamps and was issued to all S.P. employees as an advance against their wages.  My Dad always had a pie book to give me for haircuts and candy.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The concrete abutment on the south side of the Beanery right at the stop sign.  Old Judge Bielar used to sit there every day if the weather was good, and I do mean every day.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The freight house and it’s long loading dock on both sides.  In the spring, after the sheep were sheared they would load those huge sacks of wool on the dock.  Boy, that was a kids delight.  We would play on the sacs, find tunnels and crawl under the sacks, crawl between the sacks.  What fun!!  It’s a wonder some of us didn’t get killed or smothered.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The silent movies.  There were benches in front for us kids to sit on.  The piano player would watch the movie and play the music accordingly.  One of the bigger kids would read the words to the rest of us and when the movie got too exciting we’d all whoop and holler then Carman Roberts would yell at us to shut up.  Remember?

Do you remember?  Going to school in what is now the Senior Center.  I remember a huge swing on the west side of the school and one da Willis Drake and Quito Libro were both on that swing going ever higher and yelling that they were going to pump so hard they would go all the way around!  Well, they almost made it but not quite.  When the swing was almost straight up in the air, the law of gravity took over and down they crashed.  It damn near killed them.  Remember?

Do you remember?  The school on the southeast corner of Eight and Cedar.  Well, I don’t but maybe some do.  If so, their older than this old timer. 

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Catholic Church Burns

The Eureka Sentinel

Saturday, May 7, 1910.

Carlin Catholic Church Burned

Carlin Common wealth, April 28: About 5 o’clock this morning the fire whistle gave an alarm and in a very few minutes the volunteers had the hose cart at the hydrant nearest the blaze. The Catholic Church was completely enveloped in flames and it was all the firefighters could do to save the residences of Mrs. Griffin and Sam Buckle. The church is a total loss. Rev. Father Collins was sleeping in the rear of the church and was unable to save his personal belongings.

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Based upon our research the Old Catholic Church that stands today was the second dwelling and was built in 1912. Check out our previous post to read about its dedication and what it looked like inside!

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Carlin’s Old Catholic Church

The Evening Standard, Ogden, Utah, Wednesday, October 2, 1912

When was the Church built? The following article appeared in a Utah newspaper with regards to the dedication of the Church. It describes the interior. If you have been visiting the Church recently you can still find the fleur-de-lis pattern on the walls.

Dedication of Carlin Church

Sunday, September 29, will be long remembered as a red-letter day in the annals of the Catholic Church in the Sagebrush State. On that day the festival of St. Michael the Archangel, the pretty church in the well-known railway town of Carlin was solemnly dedicated. At 10 a.m. a large and representative congregation filled the edifice, visitors coming from Palisade, Elko, Lamoille, Wells and adjoining country to mingle with Carlin representatives of every creed and class.

The Rev. W. H. Corcoran, the pastor, delegated by the Rt. Rev. Blaho Scanlan, Salt Lake City, carried out in every detail the impressive ceremony according to the Roman ritual.

After the first Gospel, Father Homan, taking as his text the words of Holy Writ, “Thou art Peter and upon this rock I shall build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” delivered a most eloquent and instructive sermon, dwelling with great force and logic on the origin, infallibility and sanctity of the Catholic Church.

At the end of the mass the celebrant, Father Corcoran, made a short but comprehensive statement dealing with the finances of the church naming all those who contributed to its erection. He said in part:

The day’s opening ceremony and solemn dedication were of great moment to himself and the Catholics of Carlin. That they were fortunate in securing Father Homan’s services who had preached them a sermon worthy of himself and the occasion that brought them together. He cordially thanked, on the part of Bishop Scanlan and himself, all who contributed to defray the cost of building. He said a special word of thanks and recognition was due to the ladies who had rendered such signal services in the good cause, especially Mrs. Thomas McKenna, Mrs. Ellen Griffin, Mrs. R. El Keyser, Mrs. A. Stone and Mrs. Rosa Sperlich: they had truly borne “the burden and the rest of the day.” He complimented the Catholics of Carlin on their lavish generosity and extolled the noble sacrifices they had made in building such a handsome temple of worship and said it would ever remain a standing monument of their faith and religion. He looked forward to their church being the source of community of manifold graces and blessing from the high heaven. He thanked the choir for the beautiful and appropriate musical service they had rendered on the auspicious occasion. He paid a glowing tribute to Mrs. J.P. Tehan. San Bruno. Cal. for her donation to the church of artificially painted window of the Sacred Heart of Jesus surmounting the altar. On entering the church Father Corcoran reminded his hearers, the beautiful symbol of the loving heart of the Savior would be the first thing to strike them. He painted in glowing terms the tenderness of Jesus towards sinners, graphically describing the scene where Jesus pardoned the Magdalen and in conclusion, he exhorted all to practice devotion to the Divine Heart.

The altar was gorgeously decorated with choice flowers. Miss Rosa Sperlich presided at the organ, which has just been presented to the church by Mrs. A Stone of Carlin.

The church is 39 feet long and 26 feet broad. It has a pretty sanctuary and the altar, designed by Father Corcoran, is reminiscent of the Church of the Catacombs. The interior is of pressed iron, the walls 16 feet high are of beautiful fleur-de-lis pattern and are painted a deep rose; they are surmounted by a molding in tan: the ceiling is a light pink. The communion rails, pews and confessional are stained and varnished. The altar is in white enamel.

A pretty sacristy adjoins the church. The interior is painted in the present fashionable French Gray with white facings. The building is lighted with electricity.

Three magnificent statues of the Sacred Heart, Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Joseph, now on their way from Chicago, the gifts respectively of Mrs. Sherera, Battle Mountain; Miss Rosa Sperlich and Mrs. Thomas Griffin, of Carlin, will greatly add the beauty and embellishment of the edifice. Carlin may feel justly proud of the beautiful addition in their progressive town.   

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WE NEED YOUR HELP! DO YOU HAVE PICTURES OF THE OLD CATHOLIC CHURCH? INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. ALL ARE NEEDED! EMAIL THE CARLIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY OR CALL US AT 754-2287 TODAY!

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Gravel Road Memories by Earl Trousdale

The following is a “tale” from the memoirs of Earl Trousdale titled “Tall Tales” from the Old Timer.  Earl spent most of his life in Carlin, served as Mayor, and passed on at the ripe age of 99.  All spelling and grammatical anomalies are the product of the author and he requested they not be changed.

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Do you remember when all the streets of Carlin were gravelled? Even the highway was gravel!  A trip to Elko was an ordeal, not a Sunday drive.

          My grandfather owned a 1925 “Star” sedan, cloth top, open sides, top speed – 40 miles per hour. My Aunt Ezzie and my Mother decided to lead up the kids and make a trip to Salt Lake City. Four kids in the backseat, Mother and Aunt Ezzie driving —I mean that literally– they argued all the way! Aunt Ezzie drove 25 miles per hour and no amount of pleading could change her mind. It took us 2 days!

          Finally we reached the “Point of the Mountain” and low and behold–pavement! My Mother then asked Aunt Ezzie to increase the speed to which she replied, “I have never driven on pavement before, therefore I must be more careful”! She reduced speed to 15 miles per hour the rest of the way!

          Black was the favorite color for autos prior to 1928. Remember? Model T Fords were black, Franklins were black, Stars, Chevys. Buicks, all black. I don’t remember any other color until about 1928 or 29′. Maybe some old timers can recall. BUT, wasn’t it odd? –Black, everything black.

          Ralph Scott used to let me tag along with him when we were kids, we had some wonderful times together. Once we went to Elko in his Dad’s Buick, vintage about 1925 or 26′ — big, blocky, square, and of course black. The highway was gravel. It wound around and over Triolite hill, through the canyon, over Moleen, (the meanest, most dangerous hill between Carlin and Elko), anyhow we travelled over a small hill doing about 35 or 40 miles per hour (we were flying) and suddenly we were in a bunch of cows lying n the middle of the road–How Ralph got us through them , I’ll never know!–We were crossways, longways, and sideways, that car leaned, slipped, zigged, zagged, and skidded, then, just as quickly as we came upon them, we were past them. Most of the cows were still lying down, it was that fast. Ralph was just as pale as felt to be. We laughed hilariously and went on our merry way!

Want to know more about the history of Carlin?  Stop by the Carlin Museum at 718 Cedar Street to learn more about Carlin. Open on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.!