Longtime readers know I am a sucker for old Carson City photos, many of which can be found at Around Carson and are also stored on this site and on Flickr under “Old Nevada.” I was fortunate enough to come into possession of a treasure trove of pix from the Nevada State Library and Archives that are centered around the State Capital Building during its earthquake renovation in the 1970s. I want to take the time to present them in their proper context but here’s some exterior views of “way back when.”

This is one of the more well-known early pictures of the State Capital Building from the 1870s (I think that’s what the caption says). Of particular note are the old wooden fence and the nearly complete lack of mature trees and other vegetation. This is probably a pretty decent portrayal of life in those days in Carson City.

Here’s the building from the early twentieth century before the north and south wings were extended, and long-time residents will notice that Carson Street in front of the building is a dirt road and that the photographer is also standing on a dirt road. First Street (or King Street, as it became known) used to extend from the front steps of the Capital Building westward up to Kings Canyon but was chopped off for the construction of the old Nevada Supreme Court Building.

Here’s a close-up aerial view that’s probably from the 1950s judging from the cars that are parked on Carson Street at the bottom of the picture. Second Street is to the right and Fall Street is in the back, and both will be blocked off when the Capital Plaza is created in the mid-1970s.

Same area but from a higher altitude and probably close to the same time frame. This picture and the next one vividly recall that Carson City was at one time a small rural town with plenty of ranch land a stone’s throw away from the main street.

Looking east from the Capital dome and probably the late 1960s or early 1970s judging from the cars. The dome dominating this picture is the Capital Annex and it housed the State Library. The building to the left was home to the state employees’ insurance agency for decades and the building to the lower right served many state and county offices including the State Printer. I think the white building on the upper right was part of the State Veterans Housing Complex. Above that far off in the distance is Nevada State Prison.

Finally, a couple of outdoor pictures during the Capital Building renovation in the late 1970s. The first is the western view of Carson City with King Street and the old St. Theresa’s Church in the center, and the second has the Ormsby House during its heyday.

Please remember to credit the Nevada State Library and Archives if you chose to use these pictures and, as always, the facts here are derived from my weak memory so I welcome any and all corrections and recollections of those days gone by. In the meantime, I’ll see what I can do about organizing the rest of the pictures.