Cleveland Ranch Marker located at the Junction of U.S. 50 and 93 (North Spring Valley). Marker reads:
"CLEVELAND RANCH
EST 1899 16 1/2 miles
JOHN CHACHAS
Note majestic Mount Wheeler in the back ground. Historical photographer Ron Healy took this photo in 1985 and gave it to Al Frederick May 2, 1999.
Cleveland Ranch is located in North Spring Valley. From Ely, take U.S. 50 south for 29.4 miles. Exit left onto a good road and follow for 16 miles to Cleveland Ranch. Some of the original buildings remain and huge trees line the road to the old ranch making it an inviting area. The ranch is private property and must be viewed from the road.
The postal designation Cleveland was named for Abner C. (“Cleve”) Cleveland who had joined the rush to White Pine, taking up a ranch in Spring Valley. During the mid-1860’s, Abner C. Cleveland and Daniel Murphy became partners in a cattle venture in Spring Valley. Murphy loaned Cleveland money to enter the partnership, and the new ranch was stocked with Hereford cattle. The ranch became successful within a few short years. Cleveland became a Nevada State Senator in 1870.
An Indian skirmish occurred near Cleveland in 1875 that proved to be nothing more than an absurd situation. Today’s reporters have nothing over The White Pine News published in Hamilton during September of 1875 for sensational reporting! Readers had to think that a major Indian war had broken out in Spring Valley and would soon spread to encompass the Hamilton area. A full page was devoted to the telegrams that were flying back and forth asking soldiers to protect the embattled ranchers.
According to B.F. Miller in Nevada in the Making, published in Vol. IV in the Nevada Historical Society Papers, two Goshute offered to sell a mine to two miners for fifty dollars. The men agreed to pay after they had a chance to inspect the mine. The miners refused to pay when, upon inspection, the ledge proved to be worthless. In the dispute following the refusal to pay for the mine, the Indians killed one of the men. The other, Leathers who was one of the early discoverers in the White Pine District, escaped to the Cleveland Ranch. Cleveland proceeded to go on the warpath. He captured an Indian, who in trying to escape, was shot and killed. Things escalated and a scare developed. Governor Bradley was asked to send aid, and he immediately arranged to have troops moved to the scene. The troops, under the command of Major Dennis, frightened the Goshutes into a near panic. They had no desire for war at that particular time. The debacle ended when the Indians gave up the murderer of the white man. The mob immediately lynched the Indian, and the "war" was over.
When Murphy died in 1882, Cleveland took complete control of the ranch and the Cleveland post office was established on July 24, 1882. In the early 1890’s, the mail service was so unsatisfactory that W. N. McGill and A. C. Cleveland agreed to go B. F. Miller’s bond for fifty thousand dollars each. Following the Dorsey mail frauds, the government required mail contractors to furnish a bond and this bond had to be secured by unencumbered real estate. McGill and Cleveland also agreed to help finance and equip the various routes if Miller could secure the mail contracts and act as general manager for the service.
Cleveland was an important man on the Nevada political scene. In 1902 he ran for governor, but lost to Governor John Sparks. Cleveland died the following year. After his death, his widow Kate (Peters) Cleveland took control of the ranch. William N. McGill attempted to buy the ranch after Cleveland’s death, but was refused. Cleveland was a primary stop on the Aurum-Osceola run. The stage was running twice a week during this period. Postal operations continued until February 15, 1905.
In 1909, Mrs. Cleveland sold the ranch to Thomas Judd from Lund. Months later, Judd deeded the land to W. N. McGill, much to Mrs. Cleveland's chagrin. Cleveland Ranch was the largest ranch under fence in Nevada in 1910. It again furnished a name for a post office that was re-established April 19, 1917 and discontinued November 17, 1924.
