Nevada has a rich and storied history which shows itself in our oldest towns in the state. Let's "visit" Genoa, Nevada's oldest town, to learn more!

Genoa is located in Douglas County in the Carson River Valley.

It's about 42 miles south of Reno and 25 minutes east of Lake Tahoe.

The town was founded in 1851 in an area that eventually was known as the Nevada Territory from 1861 to 1864.

Genoa was originally settled by Mormons. They created the Mormon Station trading post which served travelers heading through the territory to California to mine for gold.

Genoa is named after the city in Italy. The natives pronounce it "gen-OH-ah."

It became the first capital of the Nevada Territory in 1861, although later the same year the capital was moved to Carson City. In 1864 Nevada became a state of the Union and Genoa became its first town.

You can still see many of the original buildings from the 1800's today in Genoa.

The Douglas County Courthouse was first built in 1865 but was severely damaged in a fire in 1910. The fire was started by a resident of the county poor house. He tried to get rid of bed bugs and accidentally set his straw mattress on fire, which spread quickly through the town. The courthouse was rebuilt in the same year. In 1916 the County decided to move the court to Minden. The Genoa courthouse building became an elementary school until 1956. It has served since then as a historical museum. The museum's main emphasis is on the history and culture of the Washoe people, as well as pioneer life.

John Thompson, aka Snowshoe Thompson, was a a regular in Genoa in its early days.

Snowshoe Thompson was a Norwegian who introduced the sport of skiing to the western territories. His major role was to deliver mail between Placerville, CA and Genoa and eventually Virginia City, NV. He used cross country skis to do this, despite his "snowshoe" nickname. He is buried in the Genoa Cemetery and commemorated with this statue.

A portion of Genoa has been designated as the Genoa Historical District, listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

This area is known for the distinct late Victorian architecture of the buildings. The town has a population of about 250 people who still live and work in these older homes and businesses.

Each year Genoa holds a Candy Dance Arts and Crafts Faire.

This tradition began in 1919, when residents of the town made homemade candy and held a dance to raise funds for repairs for some street lights. The arts and crafts festival was added on later, and now this well-attended event raises money for the town government.

Genoa also lays claim to having the oldest saloon in Nevada.

The Genoa Bar is known as "Nevada's Oldest Thirst Parlor." Famous patrons include Mark Twain, Teddy Roosevelt and Johhny Cash. The saloon has also been used in some old Western films.

Several films have used the charming town as a backdrop.

The movie Misery used the town as its set, although the film crew doubled the size of the town by adding fake buildings, which were removed once filming was over.

Today visitors can enjoy learning about Nevada's history in Genoa.

The Mormon Station Memorial State Park Museum preserves the history of the Mormons who first settled Genoa in 1851. Other historical places, including the Courthouse Museum, are the Genoa Cemetery and the Hanging Tree. There's even a historic ghost tour! Another favorite location is Walley's Hot Springs, which was founded in 1862 and is the earliest hot springs resort in the state.

Have you ever been to Genoa? Share your experience with Genoa, or some other old Nevada towns, in the comments!