38.557724° -117.545999°

Both a stage station and a ranch, it was a station since the late 1860's. In the 1880's a narrow gauge railroad was planned to go from Ledlie, NW of Austin, to here. It was located on the road to Belmont and Sodaville.

Cloverdale probably began as a stage station.

Wells, Fargo, & Co. have put on a line of stages between Belmont and Westgate, connecting with their Overland stages at the latter place for Virginia. These stages will run twice a week and convey freight and passengers. The time occupied upon the road between the two places will be about thirty hours. At present the changes will be at Cloverdale and Ellsworth.
-Silver Bend Reporter
-Gold Hill Daily News, May 28, 1867

Lots of people passed this way.

On the strength of a letter from Captain Rock, of Belmont, we stated, some two weeks since, that the body of E. H. Van Decar had been found near Cloverdale in Nye county, and brought to the town of Ione for internment. Another letter from the same source, under date of January 10th, states that the people of Ione were advised of the death of Mr. V. at Cloverdale, but declines going after the body becuase of the trouble of holding a Coroner's inquest. The Masons of Belmont, shocked at this heartlessness, sent two men t find and bury the body.These men found no corpse, but saw horses tracks and followed them some distance towards Lone Pine. There is a possibility of Mr. Van Decar being yet alive.
-Gold Hill Daily News, January 14, 1871

ALIVE, SECURE
The last Inyo Independent, of January 28th, says that Judge E. H. Van Decar, who was reported a month ago as having perished in the desert on the way from Belmont to Cloverdale, in Nye county, is actually in the flesh, and living at Independence, Owen's Valley, dispensing Coke, Blackstone, and the spirit of Wood's Digest. The facts connected with this trip, as related by Judge Van Decar, are, that on the 2oth of December he left Belmont as described, and that on the night of the 24th was compelled, havng lost the road, to lay out, suffering no inconvenience, however, as he was well provided with blankets, etc.; and duly continued his journey the following day.
Gold Hill Daily News, February 3, 1871

There were at least a couple schemes to bring rails to or near Cloverdale.

STILL ANOTHER RAILROAD
Another railroad is out with its prospectus. This new candidate is the Nevada Pacific. It is to be of the narrow-gauge system with an outlet to the sae. The prospectus says the projectors propose to construct and equip and fist-class narrow gauge railroad from a point at or near the mouth of the San Joaquin river in California, to a point at or near Cloverdale, Nevada.
-The Pioche Record, September 24, 1881

They eventually got a post office, but it wasn't there for very long.

By the way, D.A. Bender of Carson received notice the other day that Mr. Woodburn has secured the opening of a post office at Cloverdale, Ny county, which is the first and only favor Nevada has had from the great Democratic Administration which was to bring us to the Millenium so fast.
-The Daily Appeal, December 25, 1885

Good news for the cattle people

The Carson Tribune is informed by Judge Wells, who returned from Belmont last Friday, that the roads in the eastern part of Esmeralda and in the western part of Nye county are in very bad condition, owing to heavy rains and cloudbursts. The Judge says that the country between Sodaville and Belmont has had abundant rains, that the bunch grass and white sage are more abundant than ever known there, of excellent quality, and that the livestock are all as fat as seals. Stockmen and ranchers are jubilant and happy.
Reno Gazette Journal, August 26, 1891

William Welsh was notified to immediately repair the damage to the wagon road between Cloverdale and Reese River, caused by overflowing water from an irrigation ditch on said Welsh's land.
Tonopah Bonanza, October 14, 1905

While pretty, Cloverdale is fairly remote. Not much traffic out there nowadays.

POLICE SEEK DANGEROUS MEN
"Extremely dangerous" men who beat and robbed Dale Stevens at his Cloverdale, Nye county ranch Wednesday night, are believed to be in Idaho. Reno Police and the Washoe County sheriff's office said this morning that they had no information on the bandits since Idaho authorities reported Friday night that they were closing in on the subjects. Victim Dale Steves, who lives at Cloverdale, 20 miles north of Tonopah, was beaten with a shotgun and robbed of $15. He was treated for scalp wounds ast the Ny county hospital, then released.
-Reno Evening Gazette, August 2, 1952

Quite the collection of rural Nevada housing here, from large stone to crude dugouts and everything in between. Large corral system leads one to believe that it is still used for the cow business, and a nearby spring and a flock of cows attest to the fact that this is a favorite area for them.