In 1859, Nevada caught the nation’s attention when gold and silver was discovered; the Comstock Lode. A stampede more vigorous than anything seen during the 1849 rush to the California gold fields drew thousands of eager prospectors to Northern Nevada and created the boomtown of Virginia City.
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Equus ferus caballus - There are two extant subspecies of Equus ferus: the Przewalski's horse and the domesticated horse. The domesticated horse was reintroduced into the western hemisphere by the Spanish. Lost or escaped horses formed feral herds and quickly multiplied in the ideal settings of the American plains. Although referred to as wild, the many herds of horses found roaming the open spaces of Nevada are derived from domesticated horses having severed their relationship with humans; they are not truly wild.