Notes from the Cabin in the Sky, 9-5-2025

I'm excited to see that the Dayton Depot is making progress in the efforts to rebuild. For Gold Rush era towns, the loss of historic buildings to fire is an all too familiar story, but Dayton has had more than its fair share. We are sadly unique in the loss of so much to arson, and the events of last weekend in the hills above Dayton show that the community has work ahead.

Meanwhile, in Gold Hill, I have found a new motivation for the weekly newspaper deadlines: cannon fire. The hills echoed with gunshot interspersed with larger explosions and the occasional train whistle for Virginia City's Civil War Days, and I found it quite invigorating. However, at least one resident of Gold Hill did not. Vocal local Rusty Shackleford made it clear to me that he is NOT a fan of the Civil War. He cares not for the blue or the grey, sees nothing civil about it, thinks it's even worse than summer thunderstorms, and simply wishes for the noise to stop so he can go back to barking at the next delivery man. Luckily for him, we seem to have moved on from Civil War Days and back to normalcy, whatever that might be. Rusty is relieved.

Whether cannons or dynamite or mine hoists or water pumps, the Comstock in the 1800s was a noisy place. People have a tendency to idolize the past, but peace and quiet is wherever you can find it, and nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

This morning, looking out from the Cabin in the Sky, it's peaceful. I get to watch the stars fade into dawn and embrace the day with gratitude. It's time to go to print.

Signing off,
AG