This is the true history of a man named John Chisholm Smyles. He was a surveyor and recorder. As a young man, he ventures out and settles in the town of DeWitt in the frontier state of Iowa. He marries the girl of his dreams. Then John works his way out west to Nevada Territory, in 1862. John becomes a respected citizen in the prominent town of Reno, Nevada.

This story tells about the life John lived and the legacy he left behind as a surveyor. You will read about the hardships of the mining towns of Brooklyn and Peavine City. The story includes John's struggle with gold fever, the importance of railroads, and the 601. The background of John's life includes the effect that alcohol had on him and the tragic ending of his life in the Nevada's hospital for the insane.