Black History Month
Ben Palmer is sometimes listed as Ben Parmer in old documents, but his tombstone in Mottsville, NV confirms Palmer.
Palmer and his family were heading to California when they came through the Carson Valley in the 1850's. At the time, this area was still Utah Territory. They decided to settle there to raise and sell cattle.
Palmer claimed 320 acres in what would become Genoa - his sister Charlotte and her family claimed land next door. Charlotte's son Benjamin was born in November 1853 and was the first non-Indian born in the Carson Valley.
By the 1860's, Palmer was one of the most successful ranchers in the valley and was one of the heaviest taxpayers in early Douglas County. He rented grazing lands to passing travelers and he hired Native Americans, blacks, whites, and likely Basque immigrants to work his ranch. He managed a cattle drive of over 700 miles, from Washington state to Carson Valley.
He was so respected that he was invited to register to vote, before the ratification of the 15th Amendment. He later served on the Douglas County Grand Jury and participated on the Douglas County Central Committee for the Greenback and Workingmen's Party.
Palmer helped shape the valley as we know it today by building dams and irrigation ditches.
An old barn still remains on the property.
Palmer passed away in 1908 at the age of 82.
**Not a local history, but one I wanted to share for Black History Month still.
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