Sam Clemens and his brother Orion traveled from St. Joseph, Missouri to stake some claims near Aurora. After working his claim for only about a week, Samuel wrote his brother to ask for writing materials. Soon, Sam began sending stories about a miner's life in Aurora under the pen name "Josh" to the editor of the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise

It didn't take long for Sam to be offered a job at the newspaper. His humorous articles about the Comstock's "flush times" were a hit throughout Nevada and California. It was here that he first began signing his work, Mark Twain. Five years later, after traveling throughout the gold country of Nevada and California, he wrote The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, and his career was launched.

Come visit the museum in Hawthorne, NV, and emerge yourself in our colorful history.