Panaca, census designated place in Nevada, United States
Panaca is an unincorporated community in Lincoln County, Nevada, sitting on a high plateau in the eastern part of the state. The town center holds a cluster of preserved 19th-century buildings, including the Panaca Ward Chapel from 1868 and the Wadsworth Store from the 1880s, which together give the place the look of a living snapshot from that era.
Panaca was founded in 1864 by Mormon pioneers who came to settle in the region and build a community. When Nevada redrew its territorial borders in 1866 and absorbed the area, the settlers resisted at first, but formally accepted the change around 1870 after surveys confirmed the new boundary.
The name Panaca comes from the Southern Paiute language and means metal or wealth, a reference to the minerals once found in the surrounding land. Visitors walking through town will notice that community life is still strongly shaped by the Mormon tradition that has been present since the earliest days of the settlement.
The town sits above 4,000 feet (about 1,200 meters) in elevation, so the air tends to be cooler and drier than in the lower valleys nearby. Getting there is straightforward via U.S. Route 93, and a small regional airport run by Lincoln County is located close by for those arriving by air.
Panaca is one of only two places in the entire state of Nevada where gambling is not allowed and no alcohol is sold. This makes a visit to the town feel noticeably different from nearly anywhere else in Nevada, offering a contrast that is hard to find in the state.
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