# Reese River
> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Reese_River
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Reese_River.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reese_River
> Source revision: 1293338649
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{short description|River in Nevada, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
right|Location of the Reese River within Nevada
[[File:2014-07-28 08 08 07 View south up the Reese River from Nevada State Route 722 (Carroll Summit Road) in Lander County, Nevada.JPG|thumb|The Reese River near [Austin](/source/Austin%2C_Nevada)]]
The '''Reese River''' is a {{convert|181|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}}[{{cite web| url=http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/| title=The National Map| publisher=U.S. Geological Survey| accessdate=Feb 10, 2011}}] [tributary](/source/tributary) of the [Humboldt River](/source/Humboldt_River), located in central [Nevada](/source/Nevada) in the western United States.[{{GNIS|861052}}]
[[File:Pony Express Map William Henry Jackson.jpg|thumb|The Reese River [Pony Express](/source/Pony_Express) station was burned during the 1860 [Paiute War](/source/Paiute_War).[{{cite web|title=Pony Express Historic Resource Study (Chapter 8)|url=http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/poex/hrs/hrs8a.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408022304/http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/poex/hrs/hrs8a.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 8, 2012|publisher=NPS.gov|accessdate=10 June 2012}}]]]
The Reese rises in the southern section of the [Toiyabe Range](/source/Toiyabe_Range), on the flanks of [Arc Dome](/source/Arc_Dome). In its upper reaches, the Reese River is a fast-flowing mountain stream surrounded by relatively lush growth, including [Aspen](/source/Aspen) groves and [cottonwood](/source/Populus_sect._Aegiros) trees. It then flows north between the Toiyabe Range and the [Shoshone Mountains](/source/Shoshone_Mountains) for approximately half its length. The river then passes through a low point in the Shoshone Mountains and continues north between that range and the [Fish Creek Mountains](/source/Fish_Creek_Mountains). Once it exits the Toiyabe Range, it becomes a slow, muddy stream, and its waters are used for irrigation by scattered farms and ranches along its lower reaches. Although considered a [tributary](/source/tributary) of the Humboldt, in most years, the Reese dwindles into a chain of shallow pools long before it reaches the [main stem](/source/main_stem). Only during infrequent floods does the Reese contribute water to the Humboldt, entering near [Battle Mountain](/source/Battle_Mountain%2C_Nevada).[Horton, Gary A. (2000). [http://water.nv.gov/mapping/chronologies/humboldt/hrc-pt1.pdf Humboldt River Chronology: an Overview]. Carson City, Nev.: Nevada Division of Water Planning. pp. 55-59.] [Nevada State Route 305](/source/Nevada_State_Route_305) parallels the lower, usually dry portion of the channel from the Austin area to Battle Mountain.
The river is named after John Reese, who explored the area in 1854 as part of the expedition of [Colonel Edward Steptoe](/source/Colonel_Edward_Steptoe), and who later served as a guide to Captain [James H. Simpson](/source/James_H._Simpson)'s survey of a military road through [central Nevada](/source/Central_Nevada_Route).[{{cite book | url=http://dwgateway.library.unr.edu/keck/histtopoNV/Origin_of_Place_Names_Files/1941NevadaOriginofNames-pt1.pdf | title=Origin of Place Names: Nevada | publisher=W.P.A. | author=Federal Writers' Project | year=1941 | pages=42}}] The mining boomtown of [Austin](/source/Austin%2C_Nevada), located in the upper reaches of the Reese River, names its long-lived newspaper the ''Reese River Reveille''.["Reese River Reveille Newspaper, Austin, NV." Goaustinnevada.com. 2010. Web. 09 June 2012. .]
== Reese River excitement ==
The Reese River excitement took place in 1862 and 1863 in the river valley. During this period, the area was explored and settled. After [Austin](/source/Austin%2C_Nevada) was founded, prospectors went south to explore the [Toiyabe Range](/source/Toiyabe_Range) and crossed the border of Lander County and Esmeralda County. Three mining districts were organized in the Toiyabe Range in Esmeralda County, namely Marysville, Twin River, and Washington. Also, several villages and ranches were established in the county. After the Toiyabe Range, the [Shoshone Mountains](/source/Shoshone_Mountains) were found, and in 1863 silver was found on the western side of the mountain range. At that place, Union District was organized, and the village [Ione](/source/Ione%2C_Nevada) was founded.[{{Cite book |url =https://archive.org/details/historyofnevada00ange |pages =[https://archive.org/details/historyofnevada00ange/page/512 512] and 513 |title =History of Nevada |year =1881 |last1 =Thompson |last2 =West |location =Oakland, California |accessdate =7 February 2016 }}]
[Nye County](/source/Nye_County%2C_Nevada) was established as a result of the Reese River excitement: inhabitants of Union District signed a petition in which they said the district was far from [Aurora](/source/Aurora%2C_Nevada) and Austin, the county seats of respectively Esmeralda and Lander County. Nye County was created by the [Nevada Legislature](/source/Nevada_Legislature) on February 16, 1864.