Overton, Nevada's Lost City Museum

RECENTLY I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE LOST CITY MUSEUM IN OVERTON. FOR THOSE OF YOU UNFAMILIAR WITH MY TRIP ACROSS AMERICA, I AM CREATING A SITE FEATURING HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS, ETC. OF COURSE, THE SITE IS NOT NEARLY FINISHED, BUT I HOPE THIS OFFERS A SMALL TASTE.

DIRECTIONS:

OVERTON, NV IS LOCATED 65 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAS VEGAS VIA INTERSTATE 15, EXIT 93. PROCEED ROUGHLY 11 MILES ON NV-169 E.

HISTORY:

OVERTON, NV WAS ORIGINALLY SETTLED IN THE 1860'S AND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST MORMON SETTLEMENTS IN SOUTHEASTERN NEVADA. IT WAS ALSO HOME TO THE FIRST GROCERY STORE IN THE REGION. IT WAS ABANDONED SHORTLY AFTER THE STATE OF NEVADA DECLARED THE REGION AND DEMANDED BACK TAXES. TODAY, OVERTON IS A QUIET COMMUNITY WITH BEAUTIFUL HOMES AND A MAGNIFICENT LANDSCAPE.

ATTRACTIONS INCLUDE THE LOST CITY MUSEUM, CONSTRUCTED IN 1935 TO EXHIBIT ANCIENT ARTIFACTS DISCOVERED IN A COMPLEX OF VILLAGES KNOWN AS PUEBLO GRANDE DE NEVADA, "NEVADA'S LOST CITY."

EXISTING TODAY AS A 30 MILE-LONG SERIES OF ADOBE RUINS, THIS "LOST CITY" WAS ONCE HOME TO AN ANCIENT ANASAZI INDIAN CIVILIZATION. BEGINNING WITH THE BASKETMAKERS (300 B.C. TO 700 A.D.) AND FOLLOWED BY THE PUEBLOS (700 A.D. TO 1150 A.D.) THIS VALLEY WAS INHABITED BY A SEDENTARY POPULATION OF ANASAZI FARMERS. THEY GREW CORN, BEANS, SQUASH, AND COTTON ON THE VALLEY FLOOR (THE HIGH GROUND WAS USED FOR HOUSING). WATERED BY THE MUDDY RIVER WHICH SOURCES AT WARM SPRINGS, 25 MILES NORTH OF HERE, LIVING IN PIT HOUSES AND LATER IN MULTI-ROOM ADOBE PUEBLOS, THESE PEOPLE MAINTAINED A RICH CULTURE AS MANIFEST BY ARCHAELOGICAL RECORDS THEY LEFT BEHIND. THE LOST CITY MUSEUM WAS BUILT IN 1935 TO PRESERVE THE REMAINS OF THIS GREAT CIVILIZATION WHICH SUDDENLY DISAPPEARED AROUND 1150 A.D., POSSIBLY DUE TO SEVERE WIDESPREAD DROUGHT.

I HAVE INCLUDED PICTURES AS WELL. PLEASE SEE http://www.associatedcontent.com/slideshow/51390/overton_nevadas_lost_city_pictures.html?cat=37