The area of Nine Mile Ranch has a long history that began with the Paiute Indians who lived there long before John C. Fremont’s expedition into Nevada in 1843-1844. According to Fremont’s journal, he camped there along a small stream now called Rough Creek in January 1844 while traveling to California, in approximately the same location as the ranch today. After gold was discovered in Aurora in 1860, the area became a main route from Carson City to the booming mining camps of the Esmerelda Mining District, including Aurora and later Bodie, and stage stops were established along the route for travelers. Over the years the place was known by several names, including Cobb’s Rancho, Nine Mile House, Nine Mile Station, and Green’s Station, though Nine Mile Ranch appears on most modern maps. Among the notable historical figures known to have visited the area were John C. Fremont, Kit Carson, Mark Twain, Governor James Nye, and J. Ross Browne.