Indian Troubles

The Paiutes had been friendly to the mountain men and the early settlers. With the heavy immigration brought by the Gold Rush, however, their mood changed. Friction increased, and in 1860 there were two armed clashes at Pyramid Lake. A U.S. Army post, Fort Churchill, was erected on the Overland Mail and Pony Express route near Virginia City. Other posts were built, and by 1874 the federal government had assumed authority over all the Indian lands in Nevada.