The Long Endeavor
(Why Nevada Landmarks?)

Milepost succeeded milepost. The days became longer, then shorter again. Every inch of pavement lengthened further to no end on my journey. As years rolled by, time stood still long enough for me stare onto that endless blacktop. And I waited, and I thought, living harmoniously among the land. Hence, my adventure begins. The tale you are about to read was originally nothing more than a passion, quickly growing into a labor of love -- a love of history, and a love of the neglected things we take for granted. Some may call it a personal fix, while others may compare it to a bit of insanity. Whatever the case, my tale debuted in the spring of 2007, when I began a quest to personally record and conquer every state historical marker in Nevada. Still, I did not think of my tale as a goal, acts of labor, or a way to earn key celebrity status. My tale is about an endeavor, a relationship with the place that I call home -- an endeavor I hope all of you will take with you.

When my venture began long ago on that May afternoon, I thought about what this "adventure" might entail. I thought about the time I would miss at home. I thought about the cost of venturing so far. I thought about the state of recklessness on nights where I may not sleep. Most importantly, I thought about the risk. Boom and bust, making or breaking a mans heart in search of riches, thoroughly and completely lied awake in my mind. Still, I continued on.

Nevada's open roads equated to reliving of old days gone past. Perhaps that is the irony. In a society, rim-rocked and tormented by change, the passing of time in her (Nevada's) openness is irrelevant. In old and open Nevada, I was home, wrapped in a feeling of unparalleled freedom and engulfed by true majesty, a beauty that remains uniquely beautiful and unmatched by any other American landscape. And in these sights was history calling, and waiting to be found. Opposite of today's technological world, nothing compares to the true and honest Nevada. A grocery store, a gas pump, or maybe a hospital down the road, could be considered fortunate extremities grafted into our little cubicles of life. What joy our emigrant cousins would have felt to have such extremeties at their disposal! Needless to say, after I had conquered a few markers among Nevada spaciousness, it didn't take long for me to experience the same joy.

I decided to build a website. I had originally planned this website to be nothing more than a catalog, a gray database to store the notes I had compiled and any other hints of information behind the wheel. However, I was unaware at just how many fellow Nevadans had the same idea. All I wanted to prove was that history, in a world of constant change and growing suburbia, is indeed alive and well in the Silver State. Since this website's debut in 2007, people not just locally, but nationally, have taken part in seeing the same oneness that Nevada has provided me through her historical markers. The truth is, this marker hunter has felt his fair share of hardships over the course of his journey. His 2001 Tacoma, whom he has named Silver in honor of Nevada, has accumulated a proud and painstaking eighty thousand miles along the course of her journey. She is also proud to say that she has balled and lost a few tires along the way -- four sets to be exact. Silver broke her front windshield just outside of Tonopah, and took it not a loss, but as a right of Nevada passage. Even her driver refused a comfortable bed, a nice meal, and a clean shave for every marker conquered. He slept under the stars, looking up and imagining the same life as that of an early Nevadan. At all times possible, her driver also preferred the long way home, not for prestige, but for celebration. Like crimson bands found in a Shoshone sunset, azure waters of an alpine lake, to galloping mustangs in a distant valley -- this was real. This was Nevada. Silver and her driver took the journey not as torment, but as testament to have lived Nevada from corner to corner. *End third person speak.*

"The Long Endeavor", Esmeralda County, NV.

When it was finally time to return to the real world, my work was far from over. What do I with the research? Where do I begin? You see, my friends... this endeavor did not just take place among that oneness found in Nevada, but took place equally among concrete walls and elevator music. The truth is, my "marker hunting" has amounted to endless hours of repeated research in libraries along with thorough scanning of state archives and government offices. I have done quite a bit of rampant pleading with ranchers, long-time Nevadans, and even a few upturned-nosed individuals just to answer a few (or a few hundred) questions regarding Nevada's missing markers. Comparing evidence to hearsay, dividing fact from rumor, and recording notes and photographs long into the wee hours of the night sometimes sometimes took the fun out of what I was seeking in the first place: "fun" and freedom. However, what you find in these pages is the result of all this lovely time, effort, and research.

As such, I sincerely hope all of this hard work and time-consuming effort has paid off in what you'll this website -- a fun, accurate, and informative catalog of Nevada's historical markers! Please note that my primary purpose for Nevada-Landmarks is not based on monetary gain. Also, I did not use this book or website to become some hu-hah local celebrity. Instead, my goal here is simple: to catalog every state marker in Nevada for a record of its existence. * He sighs as he brings this introduction to an end. *

In Closing...
If anything, I hope our state's history and historic markers are remembered and kept alive for future generations to enjoy. As our state reluctantly grows into the 21st century, many markers have already gone missing due to heavy building and or road construction. (Please visit my MIAs page for more details.) Sometimes all that remains of history, maybe even tales like mine, may lie solely within the text of an historical marker. I will leave you, the reader to decide how you interpret this endeavor. Call it a labor of love, a quest of zanyness, or a communion with Nevada. Whatever your interpretation, I ask that you jump behind that wheel with me and shout 'Bon Voyage' through a sea of sagebrush, a Nevada where you are your own captain, first mate, starboard scout, and ultimate explorer all rolled into one! (No dice pun intended) Islands of mountains lie waiting on the horizon while a lone blue shape of Nevada inches closer to being conquered. So again I ask, why Nevada Landmarks? Because you can.

-- This proud Nevadan thanks you for visiting this site!
Sincerely -- Paul Sebesta, 2011

Welcome to My State!
Nevada will not be your compassionate mother, nor will it be your stern father. It's a state that will only say "I told you so".

Partnered with Great Basin Wilds Photography Copyright, Paul Sebesta

You can also find me here!

- Back to Top -

Updated, May 15, 2013

* All text, images, quizzes, stories, and personal findings found on Nevada-Landmarks.com are protected via Copyright, Paul Sebesta. Nevada-Landmarks.com is not a subsidiary or affiliated with the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office, Department of Cultural Affairs, or Nevada Department of Transportation. All information found on Nevada-Landmarks is free for public use, providing credit is given to Nevada-Landmarks or myself. *