William Ormsby
Encyclopedia
William Matthew Ormsby was an early settler of Nevada who was instrumental in the establishment of Carson City and the Nevada Territory
. Major Ormsby was killed leading a vigilante force against Paiute
Indians near Pyramid Lake.
. His efforts at gold mining and horse sales in the West were mostly unsuccessful. He joined William Walker's filibustering expedition to Nicaragua and returned to California afterward.
also shared the vision of a new territory and foresaw that Carson City in Eagle Valley
would become the new territory's capital. Curry left a large tract of land in the center of the valley open for the possibility of a capitol building. Major Ormsby moved to Carson City and bought land to the southwest of Curry's proposed capitol site and constructed a hotel, which he called the Ormsby House
. Attempts for creating a new territory in 1859 were unsuccessful but the discovery of the Comstock lode
near Virginia City brought new hope for a territory. Ormsby opened his hotel in 1860 in the wake of the Comstock Lode as more and more settlers and prospectors came to the area.
toward Pyramid Lake. Piaute chief Numaga ambushed Ormsby on May 12, 1860 and defeated the vigilantes killing 76 men and wounding another 29 at what came to be known as the first Battle of Pyramid Lake
. Among the killed was Major Ormsby. Colonel John C. Hays defeated the Piautes with a second and better organized force in June. Ormsby and the other dead were buried on the field by Hays' men. Ormsby was later re-interred in Carson City's Pioneer Cemetery until he was exhumed by his family and removed from the state.
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. Major Ormsby was killed leading a vigilante force against Paiute
Paiute
Paiute refers to three closely related groups of Native Americans — the Northern Paiute of California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon; the Owens Valley Paiute of California and Nevada; and the Southern Paiute of Arizona, southeastern California and Nevada, and Utah.-Origin of name:The origin of...
Indians near Pyramid Lake.
Early Life
Major William Ormsby was born in Greenville, PA in 1814. His title of "Major" may reflect his service in the state militia. Ormsby moved to California in 1849 during the California Gold RushCalifornia Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
. His efforts at gold mining and horse sales in the West were mostly unsuccessful. He joined William Walker's filibustering expedition to Nicaragua and returned to California afterward.
Nevada
Undeterred by earlier struggles, Ormsby moved to Genoa, Utah Territory in 1857 as an agent for the Pioneer Stage Line. Ormsby and other supporters of the stage line favored western Utah Territory as the focal point of their overland stage route. Ormsby presided over a meeting in Genoa which selected Judge James Crane to go to Washington, D.C. in an effort to create a new territory they thought should be named "Sierra Nevada". Abraham CurryAbraham Curry
Abraham Van Santvoord Curry is considered the founding father of Carson City, Nevada. A native of the state of New York, he traveled to the West Coast during the California Gold Rush and settled in Nevada's Eagle Valley, where Carson City was established.Curry served as an assemblyman of the...
also shared the vision of a new territory and foresaw that Carson City in Eagle Valley
Eagle Valley (Nevada)
Eagle Valley is the area encompassing Carson City, Nevada. The valley was first settled during the California Gold Rush of 1848. The discovery of Nevada's Comstock Lode in 1859 established the economic importance of the area, which would become the site of the Nevada State Capitol.-History:The area...
would become the new territory's capital. Curry left a large tract of land in the center of the valley open for the possibility of a capitol building. Major Ormsby moved to Carson City and bought land to the southwest of Curry's proposed capitol site and constructed a hotel, which he called the Ormsby House
Ormsby House
The Ormsby House is a hotel/casino in Carson City, Nevada. Originally opened in 1971, it closed in 2000 for extensive renovations. It was planned to reopen on July 4, 2001, but the opening date has been pushed back many times due to construction delays, and management changes...
. Attempts for creating a new territory in 1859 were unsuccessful but the discovery of the Comstock lode
Comstock Lode
The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. discovery of silver ore, located under what is now Virginia City, Nevada, on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range. After the discovery was made public in 1859, prospectors rushed to the area and scrambled to stake their claims...
near Virginia City brought new hope for a territory. Ormsby opened his hotel in 1860 in the wake of the Comstock Lode as more and more settlers and prospectors came to the area.
Pyramid Lake War
In 1860 two proprietors of Williams Station, an overland state stop near present-day Silver Springs, kidnapped two Piaute girls. An angered group of Paiute warriors rode to Williams Station to rescue the girls and killed the five white settlers and burned the station in the process. Word of the attack reached other settlers and they wanted to deal with the attackers. 105 vigilantes from Carson City, Virginia City, Genoa and Silver City assembled and chose Major Ormsby as their leader. Ormsby led this poorly trained and poorly armed force north from Williams Station along the Truckee RiverTruckee River
The Truckee River is a stream in the U.S. states of California and Nevada. The river is about long. Its endorheic drainage basin is about , of which about are in Nevada. The Truckee is the sole outlet of Lake Tahoe and drains part of the high Sierra Nevada, emptying into Pyramid Lake in the Great...
toward Pyramid Lake. Piaute chief Numaga ambushed Ormsby on May 12, 1860 and defeated the vigilantes killing 76 men and wounding another 29 at what came to be known as the first Battle of Pyramid Lake
First Battle of Pyramid Lake
The First Battle of Pyramid Lake took placed in 1860 as one of the opening engagements of the Paiute War.-Background:In April 1860 Paiute leaders held a council to decide a course of action over the increased settler traffic along the California Trail and Pony Express. Chief Winnemucca tried to...
. Among the killed was Major Ormsby. Colonel John C. Hays defeated the Piautes with a second and better organized force in June. Ormsby and the other dead were buried on the field by Hays' men. Ormsby was later re-interred in Carson City's Pioneer Cemetery until he was exhumed by his family and removed from the state.
Legacy
- Ormsby CountyOrmsby County, NevadaOrmsby County was a county of Nevada from 1861 until 1969. It contained Carson City, the county seat and later state capital, founded two years earlier. It was named after Major William M...
was named in his honor, and Storey CountyStorey County, NevadaStorey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 3,399, which was estimated to have risen to 4,110 in 2006...
was named for Edward Farris StoreyEdward Farris StoreyEdward Farris Storey was a Nevada settler who was killed during the Paiute War. Storey County, Nevada was named in his honor....
, another Pyramid Lake War casualty. - Ormsby HouseOrmsby HouseThe Ormsby House is a hotel/casino in Carson City, Nevada. Originally opened in 1971, it closed in 2000 for extensive renovations. It was planned to reopen on July 4, 2001, but the opening date has been pushed back many times due to construction delays, and management changes...
still retains the name of Ormsby's original hotel in Carson City. - Ormsby Blvd in Carson City
- Ormsby's brother, Matthew, fought in the Confederate Army during the Civil War