to establish the Territory of Nevada. Curry served as the delegate from Eagle Valley. In 1859, the discovery of the Comstock Lode east of Carson City was made public. It was the largest silver find in history, attracting tens of thousands of miners to the area. Carson City became a station of the Pony Express in 1860, and was designated the territorial capital in 1861. In 1862, the Nevada Territorial Legislature leased the Warm Springs Hotel, located in the valley east of Carson City, from Curry to hold meetings and detain prisoners. The legislature had been using the site's prison quarry to provide stone material for the Nevada State Capitol. In 1864, the territorial legislature acquired the hotel along with 20 acres (8.1 ha) of land from Curry for $80,000. As the American Civil War was being fought in the Eastern United States, Nevada became a state on October 31, 1864. In 1873, another major silver find called Big Bonanza continued the prosperity of the area. In that same year, railway service was opened by the Virginia and Truckee Railroad to transport ore and timber. Geography Eagle Valley is a tributary to the Carson River basin. Runoff from the valley has contributed to flooding of Carson City, notably on January 3, 1997. See also History of Nevada Silver mining in Nevada References Further reading External links Myth #24: Eagle Valley and Carson City at the Nevada State Library and Archives Landforms of Carson City, Nevada Valleys of Nevada