NOVACOVICH-TRIANOVICH-VUCANOVICH

Adam S. Eterovich

In John S. Hittell’s Commerce and Industries of the Pacific Coast, published by A. L. Bancroft and Co. in 1882, is listed under banks: C. Novacovich, Aurora, Nevada. Of thirteen banks in Nevada at the time, C. Novacovich was owner of one of them. The Pacific Coast Business Directory, published by Henry G. Langley in 1867, lists C. Novacovich as proprietor of the Merchants Exchange Hotel and agent for Wellington's Stage Lines.

During the same period that Marco Millinovich was shot and killed at his San Francisco saloon in Virginia City and the gunfight of Nikola Perasich at Darwin other Slavonians were arriving from San Francisco and the California gold fields such as Nikola Barovich in Austin; John Ivancovich, Elia and George Perasich in Carson City; Martin Brazzanovich, Nikola Gregovich and Nikola Mersich in Columbus; John Chiatovich and Company in Lida; Mat Coschina, Geo. Gustinovich and Alex Mandich in Pioche; Elia Chielovich, Vincent Milatovich in Reno; and Milatovich, Nobile Radovich, Vucanovich, Vukovich, Zenovich, Medin, Gugnina, and Lovely in Virginia City.

Hit Pay Dirt-- During the early 1860’s C. Novacovich and Nikola Trianovich were in the Lander area and had made important silver locations. The “Sclavonians” were recognized by Thompson and West in their History of Nevada in 1881 as being original silver locators and one of the first groups of white men in the Lander area. Their silver claims can be found in the country registry for that period. No doubt, after making their fortunes in the silver fields., they returned to their original pursuits of restaurant, saloon and hotel keepers. Thus, Nikola Trianovich and C. Novacovich ventured into Aurora, one of the wildest mining towns in the West in the 1860’s.

Aurora

At the same time that the famed silver lodes were being discovered in Virginia City, Aurora, less than 100 miles away was becoming one of the richest silver mining towns in the history of America. First called Esmeralda in 1860, tents sprang up overnight and the famed Wells-Fargo cut the first road, scaling the rugged mountains to Esmeralda’s 7500 foot gulches, and inaugurated freight and passenger service over the Sierra to Sacramento.

The rich mines attracted so many people that on November 25, 1861, the Nevada Territorial Legislature Established Esmeralda County, naming Aurora its County Seat.

Daily Killings-- By 1864, Aurora was a town of 10,000 or more gold and silver seeking men and women. Shootings and killings were a daily occurrence. The John Daley gang ran Aurora with the six-gun. The desperadoes murdered one and all who stood in their way until in 1864, when the vigilantes, made up of respectable townspeople, took the law into their own hands and arrested four of the Daley Gang. Over the telegraph wires from Carson City came a message from Governor Nye: “There must be no violence.”

Samuel Youngs’ one of the County Officials gave his famous reply. “All quiet and orderly. Four men will be hung in half an hour.”

In 1864, Aurora had two newspapers, a brick schoolhouse, blocks of brick buildings with saloons, livery stables, banks, and retail businesses.

For years no one knew in which state, California or Nevada, Aurora lay. Two military armories were constructed because of the dispute and the voting public would first vote in the Nevada armory then cross the street and vote in the California armory! The dispute centered around taxes collected since the two largest mines produced 30,000,000 collars in a short period.

Style In 1864-- With Aurora at the height of its mining boom, the following advertisement appeared in the Aurora Times on October 7, 1864:

ADVERTISEMENT EXHCANGE DINING SALOON

It should be noted that a Mr. White and a Mr. Mitchell were also part owners. Mitchell Vucanovich, a vice president and pioneer member of the Slavonic Society in San Francisco, was also known as V. Mitchell.

ADVERTISEMENT MERCHANT’S EXCHANGE

The Pacific Coast Business Directory for 1867 lists Novacovich as owner of the Merchants’ Exchange Hotel and also agent for Wellington Stage Lines.

PICTURE EXCHANGE HOTEL

The lower portion of the hotel was apparently the saloon and dining room operated by Nikola Trianovich. This was one of the finest buildings in Aurora at the time. Mitchell could also have been the owner during 1861-1867.

Stage Coach

Serviced Stages-- Christ Novacovich was also agent for all stagecoach lines in Aurora and served the famed Wells Fargo and Co and Overland Stage Coach Lines. Wells-Fargo became a tradition of the West and one of the earliest stage coaches can be seen on display at the Wells-Fargo Banking Offices on Montgomery Street in San Francisco.

The following ad appeared in the Esmeralda Union on Saturday, November 23, 1867:

WELLINGTON’S STAGE LINES

On or after Tuesday, the 27th day of June, we will run

six horse Concord coaches

From Aurora to Kearsage

Passengers leaving Carson City Monday Morning arrive

Kearsage in two days

Via Odobe Meadows

Hot Springs

Blind Springs

Montgomery

Okensville

San Carlos

Bend City

and

Fort Independence

Returning, leave Kersage every Sunday at Adobe Meadows,

with saddle train for

White Mountains

Columbus

Silver Peak and

Red Mountains

Carson and Esmeralda Stage running through in one day, leaving Carson Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at 3 o’clock and

returning, leaves Aurora Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning at four.

Stage leaves for Sonora every Thurs. going through in 2-1/2 days.

Fare $15.00

Stages run direct from Wellington’s to Austin, Reece River-- through in 30 hours. For Particulars inquire of C. Novacovich, agent.

ADVERTISEMENT BANK EXCHANGE SALOON

Wild and Lawless-- Mark Twain visited Aurora in 1861-1862 to invest in mining stocks and also lay his claim to the riches being discovered. The author Effie Mona Mack in her book “Mark Twain in Nevada” mentions the Exchange Saloon and states that Twain stopped in for a drink with an associate while moving their small cabin down the main street!

No other frontier city was quite so wild and lawless, or so well known and infamous in so short a time, 1861-69, and visitors can still view Boothill with its graves and desperados, vigilantes, sheriffs, and perhaps a Slavonian or two who didn’t realize he helped write the story of the West.

Nikola Trianovich operated the Atlantic Exchange Restaurant, in Sacramento in 1854 with Zambelich. He was also a share holder with John Herzo, a Dalmatian, in the Excellsior District, Nevada Territory in 1863. After leaving Aurora he became a pioneer of Treasure City, Nevada at the beginning of the mining boom in 1869. he opened one of the first restaurants in the White Pine District and the following ad appeared announcing his establishment:

ADVERTISEMENT NATIONAL RESTAURANT

ADVERTISEMENT BODIE AND AURORA STAGE LINE

1. Zajednicar, December 21, 1966, Pittsburgh