The rural population is also less diverse in terms of race and ethnicity. The valleys are often no lower in elevation than 3,000 feet (910m), while some in central Nevada are above 6,000 feet (1,800m). Silver was the primary mineral mined in Nevada when it was admitted to the union in 1864. Jedediah Smith entered the Las Vegas Valley in 1827, and Peter Skene Ogden traveled the Humboldt River in 1828. Equally evident is the unconventional, rebellious, and anti-government reputation associated with Nevadans who, regardless of their The History of Nevada as a state began when it became the 36th state on October 31, 1864, after telegraphing the Constitution of Nevada to the Congress days before the November 8 presidential election (the largest and costliest transmission ever by telegraph). [108], The Supreme Court of Nevada is the state supreme court and the head of the Nevada Judiciary. boom towns and fabulous fortunes. it achieved statehood. Nevada became the 36th state on October south of the Great Basin are located within the Mojave Desert, while Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada