Nestled at the base of the Sierras near the Nevada-California state line, the small town of Genoa is a faint imprint of the extensive Mormon colonization effort of the 19th century.

Founded 140 years ago, Genoa is Nevada's oldest town, but when it was settled it was part of the territory of Utah. The quiet, rural town - only about 18 miles over a 7,000-foot mountain pass from the glittering lights of South Lake Tahoe - is one of five towns in the United States named after the birthplace of Columbus.Genoa is an outgrowth of a trading station established in Carson Valley in 1850 by Mormons selling supplies to gold rushers. Located some 500 miles west of Salt Lake City, the trading postbecame known as Mormon Station.

Fifteen Latter-day Saint men, mostly Mormon Battalion veterans, were among those rushing to California, intending to seek for gold in the summer and return to Salt Lake City in the winter.

When they reached the site of what is now Genoa in June 1850, seven of the men, including Hampton S. Beatie and Abner Blackburn, decided to stay there and establish a trading post. A year later in 1851 - the year recognized as being the founding of Genoa - John Reese, who was Beatie's uncle and a LDS merchant, arrived from Salt Lake City with 17 men and 13 wagons of provisions. Reese purchased the rights to the station with the hopes of establishing a permanent trading post.

The small colony constructed a five-sided stockade, which by 1852 enclosed a two-story log cabin that served as a hotel and store; a blacksmith shop and a livery stable; and a fenced garden to raise crops to sell.

From those beginnings, the Carson Valley Mission was organized in 1855. A number of families, including many who later became prominent in both the civic and ecclesiastical life of Utah, were called by the Church to settle in Carson Valley, under the direction of Elder Orson Hyde of the Council of the Twelve.

Elder Hyde, who changed the name of the settlement from Mormon Station to Genoa in honor of the birthplace of Columbus, served not only as its ecclesiastical leader but also as its judicial leader, being the first probate judge.

The Carson Valley Stake was organized on Oct. 4, 1856, with branches established at Carson Valley, Eagle Valley and Washoe Valley. By April 1857, the three branches had almost 300 members.

Elder B.H. Roberts, in his "A Comprehensive History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," said of the Mormon colonization of the area: "Doubtless the western side of the Great Basin, the beautiful Carson valley, would have been the scene of strong, thriving Mormon colonies. . . ." But the Mormon presence in Genoa was short-lived - only six years, from 1851 to 1857.

With the threat of the so-called "Utah War" in 1857, the death knell was sounded for the Latter-day Saint settlement in Genoa. The coming of Johnston's army to Utah prompted Mormon officials to abandon many of their outlying settlements.

Today, the most visible reminder of the Latter-day Saint presence in Genoa is a log replica of the old Mormon Station. The original station built by Reese burned down in 1910 in an out-of-control fire that swept through much of the town, destroying many buildings. A charred log from the Reese station was salvaged from the fire's debris and is displayed in the new Mormon Station, rebuilt in 1947.

The replica, now part of the Nevada State Parks system, includes three rooms and contains many artifacts of the Mormon and later eras in Genoa. Opened from May 1 through Oct. 15, the rebuilt structure was visited by 72,000 persons last year, according to park personnel.

Genoa, now with a population of about 240, was once the heart of a promising Mormon colonization effort. Today it is home to only four LDS families. They are members of the Carson Valley 1st Ward, which meets in Minden, about eight miles away.

Bishop Hugh E. Stockton said "the Church is pretty much received today in Genoa," although that hasn't always been the case. Even during the Mormon era in the settlement in the 1850s, there was a growing animosity between Mormons and non-Mormons.

Bishop Stockton said the ward traditionally holds a July 24th celebration on the Mormon Station grounds that includes a barbecue and games.

The rebuilt Mormon Station is a faint imprint of the past, a reminder to visitors of a pioneer era long relegated to history, which in a lot of ways, appears to be almost frozen in time.