Then and now: Long history of Walley’s

Walley’s in1875. Photo/Nevada Historical Society

Walley’s Hot Springs in 2014. Photo/Bill Kingman

In 1862, David and Harriet Walley established Walley’s Hot Springs, a spa with 11 baths, a ballroom, and gardens, on what is today’s Foothill Road in Genoa.

These two photos, 1875 and 2014, were taken from the same viewpoint. The tall white building in the old photo served as a hotel until it burned-down in 1935.

Today’s main building is slightly shifted from the original hotel site. The adjacent stone building (at left) was built in 1890 atop the principal hot spring and distributes hot water to the tubs and pools.

— Bill Kingman