In 1863, William Wixom, a physician brought his family from Alpha Diggins, California to Austin. His wife's name was Maria. She was a frail woman who was musically talented. They had two daughters: Emma, or "Pet," as they called her, when she was just 5 years of age (born Feb. 7, 1859) and an older daughter, Laura. When Maria Wixom arrived, she told the people of Austin about her youngest daughter and how she performed in parades and sang the "Star-Spangled Banner." She was only 4 years old.
It didn't take long for the townsfolk to realize that this lively, precocious child was full of life and love and would share her love for life in song. She would sing for fresh baked bread and molasses and loved to go into the meadows and mountains to imitate birds singing. She would gather wild flowers to make garlands, in the meantime, sticking one or two of the blossoms in her hair. She would place the "Wixom halo" on her head and sing before the mirror.
When Emma was only 8, her mother died, while she was traveling to the midwest to visit relatives. William Wixom kept a promise to himself that he would make life the best for Emma . . . and he did. He ordered a grand piano to be shipped from Boston around the Cape Horn by clipper ship and freighted from Sacramento.
She played the piano for hours. She sang in performances at the M. E. Church and International Hall, and all Austin- ites loved her.
The Indians would even come to hear her singing. A Shoshone chief, Toi Toi, called her the "Songbird of the Mountains." By the time she was in her teens she could sign for the deaf and speak Washoe, Paiute and Shoshone.
But there was one more thing that Emma needed, and Dr. Wixom knew that. He gathered money from breeding horses and doctoring the people of Austin to send Emma to Mills Seminary in Oakland, the best school for young women. There she developed her singing abilities as well as her ability to speak and teach German. She spoke other languages as well - French, Spanish and Italian.
Emma's concerts at Mills drew huge crowds; her unpretentiousness and love for simple things in life, and her songs, endeared her to everyone.
She enrolled at Mills Seminary in 1873, where she was fondly referred to as "Wixie." She was 14. President Harrison's wife greeted her at a concert, and cheered when she sang songs.
When she graduated from Mills College in 1876, she had planned to teach German there, but had an opportunity to travel abroad. At school she met Adrian Ebell who decided to take her on a tour of Europe to study music.
Before Emma left she played at a concert in Austin to benefit an injured miner. The Reese River Reville said that ". . . the happy birdling . . . seemed to impart a feeling of joyousness to all present."
After the concert, she left for Europe. Her chaperon fell ill while traveling and died, and his wife returned to America, leaving the group of young women to fend for themselves. Emma, however, had a dream, just as her father had for her. She wanted to sing in the opera. She studied with the finest teachers and sang in the finest operas in Europe.
In 1879, she gave her first public concert and that is when she changed her name from Emma Wixom to Emma Nevada, in gratitude of the Sierra camps and the state where she grew up.
In l880, at age 21,she was making concert appearances in Italy and Germany and debuted in "La Somnambula", in London's Haymarket Theatre, resulting in tremendous praise and three curtain calls. It was her most popular role. At age 25 she was invited to appear before Queen Victoria where she sang the "Rose of Sharon."
ln June 1885, she married Dr. Raymond Palmer, an English physician who became her agent, and they honeymooned while crossing the Atlantic.
She returned to America several times and in December 1885, traveled to Battle Mountain. As part of that tour she played in Virginia City at Piper's Opera House.
Following the performance in Virginia City, Emma went on to Battle Mountain, where she arrived at about noon the following day. The Nevada Central brought Emma and a trainload of prominent friends to Clinton, about 9 p.m. that evening where a torchlight parade of townsfolk waited to escort them to Pony Canyon (named for the Pony Express riders). The line of carriages waiting at the platform was closed to protect sensitive throats from the winter weather, but as Emma reached Main Street, residents lined the streets. Bonfires were everywhere as well, as streamers and the Lander Guard band. She flung hack the curtains and threw kisses to the noisy crowd.
By 8 p. m. Saturday, Dec. 5, 1885, more than 200 eager listeners filled Austin's largest hall. Tears filled the crowd's eyes as she sang " Carnival of Venice," "Rose of Sharon," "Home Sweet Home" and others and they praised and had rave reviews for her.
Emma's only child, Mary Mathilda Mignon Amina Palmer was born in 1886. Emma returned to Nevada City in 1892, and then went on to tour Spain and Russia She starred in "Lahkme" two years after the settlement of the Spanish-American War.
In 1902, she sang in Reno and Nevada City. Then, performances fell to Mignon, her daughter, who established her own career as an operatic star. Emma moved to Hampstead, just outside London and trained students.
On June 20, 1940 Emma Nevada died. She was 81.