39° 15' 40"N, 117° 40' 56"W USGS Carroll Summit Quad (station)
39.2586699N 117.8299565W USGS Carroll Summit Quad (camp)

Carroll! It's a station! It's a mining camp! It's two places!

We've never been to Carroll-- although we have a pretty good idea where it is-- but anyone who's taken the old Lincoln Highway (SR722) to Austin has passed by the abandoned Carroll Station.

Named after Charlie Carroll, born around 1871 in Ireland, he discovered gold (we think) back in 1911 and the camp was formed. Never a big producer, it didn't last very long, although the newspapers of the day proclaimed it a wonderful thing.

The Gold basin Mining Co. recently made the first payment on a group of claims at Carroll, in the southwestern part of the county to Charles Carroll, J.L. Watt, William Watt, and Mrs. Isabel Watt. All remaining Watt and Carroll properties are to be offered for leasing.
-Mining and Scientific Press, volume 103, July to December 1911

1912 January 1
CARROLL HAS NEW MAIL SERVICE
Mail Will Be Sent Hereafter via Fairview, Which is Closer Than Austin
There is little matter that the people of Fairview should not overlook, and that is the department has established a post office at the new Camp of Carroll, just over the eastern boundary of Churchill County. A mail contract will evidently be let in the near future. At present nearly all the traffic is going in from Austin. We are informed on good authority that it is but thirty-four miles from Fairview to Carroll, as against fifty-five miles from Austin. Carroll is a live and thriving mining camp and from all appearances will make good. The government always insists on sending the mail from the nearest post office. This was done in the case of Rawhide, the mail being sent from Shurz instead of from Fallon. Fairview should look to it that the department is apprised of the actual conditions and thus land the contract. - Fallon Eagle.
-Reno Evening Gazette

They didn't have much luck mining at Carroll- it was never very successful. Some had less success than others. It had its ups and downs- mostly downs.

1912 February 3
CAMP CARROL [sic] HAS MADE A NEW STRIKE
Another Chimney of Rich Ore Found After Many Leasers Had Quit Trying
Frank Hoy and Mr. Baker of Eastgate too a run into Wonder in the auto today on business, and returned to the ranch in the evening. Mr. Baker is very enthusiastic over the future of the mining outlook in the vicinity of Eastgate. The capitalists who are operating it at Buffalo canyon are proceeding steadily with the development of their property, expanding between $2,000 and $3,000 a month. At the camp of Carroll, things had been going badly. The ore body in the big mine had been lost, many of the leasers had given up hope and gone away, another promising camp gone to the bud. A crosscut was run a short distance from the bottom of the shaft, and a body of ore bigger than ever opened-- Wonder News
-Reno Evening Gazette

WILL WATT OF AUSTIN IS KILLED BEING CAUGHT IN MACHINERY
(Special To The Gazette)
AUSTIN, Nev., May 22-- Will Watt, a mining man of this place, was killed today at the new camp of Carroll, where he was visiting a mine in which he was interested. He became entangles in the machinery of the hoist, which is propelled by a gasoline engine. Mr. Watt is well known in Reno, where he paid frequent visits. He was associated in the livestock business with his brother, George Watt, president of the Lander Land and Cattle company. This is one of the largest concerns of its kind in the state. The body will be brought to Austin for internment.
1912, May 22 --Reno Evening Gazette

FUNERAL OF WILL WATT
Held At Austin and Was One of the Largest Funerals Ever Seen At That Place
The funeral of William Watt was held in Austin last Saturday afternoon from the Masonic Hall of that place. the services were conducted by the Episcopal Minister, Rev. R. Henriques. It was one of the largest funerals ever held in the the town, not only the young man being beloved by all who knew him for his sterling qualities, but also on account of his sad death. On Wednesday morning, the 22d, Mr. Watt went to work at the Carroll mine. It being a cold morning, he wore his coat. the man being away who attended the gasoline hoist, he took charge of it, and after starting the engine, he reached over with his left arm to oil some part and in so doing, his coat sleeve caught in the "timer." He tried to jerk his arm away, and that threw his body in such a manner that the tail of his coat caught in the cog wheels and dragged him into the machinery. The weight of his body stopped the machine, and he told the men near by to cut his clothes and take him out. They tried to do so, but to no avail. Then he explained how to remove the compression and reverse the engine and pressed the flywheel with his foot to help his friends extricate his body. Falling into the arms of one of the men, named Charles Carroll, he asked him to bid goodbye to his mother and brother and everybody for him, and gave a keepsake for his sister Isa, then expired with a smile on his lips. His left arm was nearly severed from his body, his lung protruded and the large artery of his neck was cut, causing him to bleed to death in a few minutes. the miners all said they never knew a braver boy, and nearly 200 men, miners and others, walked to the cemetery the day of his funeral and scarcely a dry eye could be seen. The young man was just 31 years old and was soon to have been married. He was an owner in the Carroll mine with his mother and brothers. His mother is prostrated with grief and George WIll was not told of his brother's death until yesterday, as he is recovering from his recent illness and the amputation of his left arm. James, who was William's constant companion, is heartbroken over the loss of his brother.
1912, June 2- Reno Evening Gazette

Back in the day, climbing Carroll Summit was not the leisurely and thoughtless activity it is today; you had to plan the trip and stop every so often to cool off your automobile. Situated at 6,684 feet in altitude, about 350 feet above Smith Creek Valley, Carroll Station probably made a nice resting point before continuing up the rest of the grade heading west, or a place to cool your brakes if heading east.

Carroll Summit Road, 1925, between Austin and Eastgate. This scenic route replaced the original Lincoln Highway route through New Pass Canyon, which was reconstructed in the 1930s to reclaim the US 50 shield. Now marked NV 722, Carroll Summit Road retains the flavor of early automobile travel across Nevada. It has been targeted by the LHA Nevada- Sierra Chapter for potential Scenic Byway designation. Carroll Summit Texaco, Carroll Summit Road (NV 722). The former Texaco station is a hip roof, frame building abandoned and open to the elements.- Indiana Univ. of Pennsylvania

It's said that around 1925 a little building from the south shore of Lake Tahoe was moved up to Carroll Summit when when it was heard that the Highway 50 project was going to replace the highway that followed the old Lincoln Highway route past Cold Springs. The new road would go through Eastgate, up Road Canyon and over Carroll Summit into Austin. It may have been figured that the highway building crew would need a "watering hole," so one was made available for them. The new highway , which is now State 722, was finished during the spring of 1925. If this story is correct, the station was there from 1925-c.1962, when the highway was once again routed north around through New Pass Canyon. The store at Eastgate closed then, too. Mr. Sam Carter owned Carroll Station from 1946-May 1, 1950, when he sold it to Fred and Rose Phillippi Stephens. They were there until the highway changed. Fred and Rosie sold food, jerky, etc..... never major groceries. They had oil, gas, fan belts .... the locals used to go there many evenings a week and have a drink or two and visit.

I'm lumping the two sites together because (a) I'm lazy and (b) I don't have that much info on Carroll yet and (c) I'm lazy.

Meanwhile, don't get the idea that everything at Carroll Station was a bed of roses...

ARMED ROBBERS ARE SENTENCED
AUSTIN-- Two men who plead guilty to the armed robbery of Carroll's Station December 7 have been sentenced to five years in the Nevada State Prison in district court here. The two- Roland J. Desgagne, 33, and Arlie Vincent Long, 23, were captured by Fallon police officers, Churchill County Sheriff's deputies, and a Nevada HIghway Patrolman. A few hours previously they had tied up Mr. and Mrs. Fred Stevens, station owners and Thorne Springer, a customer, then fled with the contents of the cash register and a supply of groceries.
-1961, January 2, Reno Evening Gazette

The station now is but a fond memory, the building empty but standing. There are also a couple outbuildings which are also still standing. Up the road about 500 feet, a dirt road leads up White Rock Canyon. It would appear that every single oil can and beer can ever used at Carroll Station has been dumped in this canyon. There doesn't appear to be any other activity in the canyon to support another conclusion. We didn't see much trash or any dumps around Carroll Station, so we assume they made the trip down the road to dump everything there. Good Lord, did they go through a lot of beer. Thirty-five cars a day pass by the station on average, compared to 680 or so on the new section of US 50.

We haven't been to Carroll the mining camp yet.