Several individuals step out of the "motor lorry" as the day shift arrives in Boulder City, Nevada.

Bridge near Canon City, Colorado.

Geologic formations southeast of Boulder City, Nevada.

A statue of early trappers that is inscribed with "This is the place." A view of the left-hand side of the This is the Place Monument. Several individual sculptures make up the full monument. The This is the Place Monument is a historical monument at the This is the Place Heritage Park, located on the east side of Salt Lake City, Utah, at the mouth of Emigration Canyon. It is named in honor of Brigham Young's famous statement in 1847 that the Latter-day Saint pioneers should settle in the Salt Lake Valley. Sculpted between 1939 and 1947 by Mahonri M. Young, a grandson of Brigham Young, it stands as a monument to the Mormon pioneers as well as the explorers and settlers of the American West. It was dedicated by LDS Church President George Albert Smith on 24 July 1947, the hundredth anniversary of the pioneers entering the Salt Lake Valley. It replaced a much smaller monument located nearby.

The remains of early day "elite" transportation (coach) in Virginia City, Nevada.

The mountains near Virginia City, Nevada. Virga can be seen falling from the clouds. Like many cities and towns in Nevada, Virginia City was a mining boomtown; it developed virtually overnight as a result of miners rushing to the Comstock Lode silver strike of 1859 on the eastern slopes of Mount Davidson. But, Virginia City far surpassed all others for its peak of population, technological advancements developed there, and for providing the population base upon which Nevada qualified for statehood. The riches of the Comstock Lode inspired men to hunt for silver mines throughout Nevada and other parts of the American West. At its peak, Virginia City had a population of over 25,000 residents and was called the richest city in America. Dominated by San Francisco moneyed interests, Virginia City was heralded as the sophisticated interior partner of San Francisco. “San Francisco on the coast and Virginia City inland” became the mantra of west coast Victorian entrepreneurs. Early Virginia City settlers were in large part the backwash from San Francisco and the California Gold Rush, ten years before. Mine owners who made a killing in the Comstock mines spent most of their wealth in San Francisco.