Williams Station massacre

The Williams Station massacre was an incident that ignited the Pyramid Lake War of 1860.[1]

Williams Station massacre
LocationSilver Springs, Nevada
Coordinates39°27′09.3″N 119°04′10.7″W
DateMay 7, 1860
Deaths17 killed
PerpetratorsPaiutes

Williams Station was a combination saloon, general store and stagecoach station located along the Carson River at the modern-day Lahontan Reservoir. On May 6, 1860, Williams Station was raided by Paiutes while its owner was away. There are conflicting versions as to why an Indian war party killed all the white men and burned Williams Station. Upset at the encroachment of whites, the Utes decided to ally with a large Shoshone band and massacre all the whites.[2]

When James O. Williams returned he found his two brothers' bodies mutilated and tortured, as well as all the patrons of the saloon murdered.[3] After killing the men and burning the station, the Indian War party marked their trail with blood. Williams discovered that the two homes across the river of settler families (13 people) were likewise murdered. Further during the last fight at Pyramid Lake bodies of several parties of unarmed prospectors were also found to have been murdered.[4] Likewise the Pony Express Station at Cold Creek was raided by Indians at this time, killing the innkeeper and running off all the stock.[5]

The deaths of the white settlers led to great panic with nearby Virginia City, Nevada. A local militia force was quickly assembled under the leadership of William Ormsby. Ormsby was defeated at the first Battle of Pyramid Lake which in turn led to a second, more sizeable, force led by John C. Hays to be assembled. Hays' force returned to the site of Williams Station and won a small victory there before being united with U.S. Regular Army forces under Joseph Stewart.

The site of the Williams Station massacre has been submerged beneath Lahontan Reservoir since 1905.

Sources
  1. New York Times Correspondent (June 13, 1860). "FROM CALIFORNIA.; The Washoe War--Battle of Pyramid Lake-- Causes of the Outbreak--Exaggerations and Panics--Succinct Statement of the Whole Affair--Gossip about Town, &c". The New York Times.
  2. Daily National Democrat (Marysville, California) 15 May 1860, Page 2.
  3. Guthrie, C. W; Smith, Bart (2010). The Pony Express: an illustrated history. Guilford, Conn.: TwoDot. ISBN 9780762748167. OCLC 317451038.
  4. Lekisch, Barbara (2007). Tahoe place names: the origin and history of names in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Great West Books. ISBN 978-0944220016. OCLC 502280378.
  5. Cassinelli, Dennis (March 29, 2017). "Pyramid Lake Indian Wars part 1: Williams Station massacre". Nevada Appeal. Lahontan Valley News.
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