Some Californians are Elks, others are Moose, and some even are Lions. But the most colorful of them all are the Clampers, members of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV), a fraternal organization founded back in the gold rush days. It all began as a spoof on other lodges and secret societies, and its early history is a little difficult to reconstruct. The early meetings of E Clampus Vitus in the California gold fields were devoted so completely to drinking and carousing that none of the Clampers was ever in any condition to keep minutes, let alone remember what had happened the next day!

The Carson and Colorado Railway was incorporated May 10, 1880 to build a narrow gauge rail line from Mound House on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad along the Carson River to a point on the Colorado River, hence Carson and Colorado. Construction started May 31, 1880 and reached Keeler on Owens Lake July 12, 1883. The first train arrived at Keeler August 1, 1883.
The railroad was purchased by the Southern Pacific Railroad in March 1900 which continued to operate it as the Carson and Colorado. In October 1904, the Hazen Cut-off was started as standard gauge and the narrow gauge track was changed to standard gauge south to Tonopah Jct., a few miles south of Mina.