Big John: Lawman and Artist

John Gardiner Silveira (1892-1965), nicknamed Big John for his height and girth, was the Deputy Sheriff of Searchlight from 1940 to 1963. A World War I veteran and the son of a Portuguese immigrant, he worked as a cowboy before entering law enforcement. John was a product of his time when rural Nevada law was rugged and laborious; he was an efficient lawman known for his skills of intimidation and expert marksmanship. John liked to drink booze and shoot guns in his spare time, but he was also an artist who created beautiful rockwork that still survives nearly ninety years later. After starting out in Nipton, California, he designed and installed the now-extinct rock gardens in the inner courtyard of the Ranch House, as well as the magnificent stone fireplace and chimney.

Hotel Nipton. Nipton, California, ca. 1930s.