The Virginia Street Bridges

The Virginia Street Bridges. . , In 1859, one of the area's early residents, Charles W. Fuller, built a dwelling on the south side of the Truckee River where the third Riverside Hotel now stands. He constructed a seventeen mile crude sketch of road in the region and received permission to collect tolls. The following year he built a wooden bridge across the river along this route. The winter of 1862 had considerable flooding and this bridge, along with all the others along the Truckee, was swept away., The following year, Myron C. Lake purchased the property from Fuller and replaced the bridge. Four years later, it too was damaged by high water, and was rebuilt by Lake. The importance of the site, known temporarily as Lake's Crossing, grew rapidly with the 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode. With the coming of the railroad none years later, the crossing was renamed by Charles Crocker, "Reno" after Civil War hero, Major General Jesse Lee Reno., The famous "Iron Bridge" was to follow in 1877. The span was moved from Virginia Street to Rock Street in 1905 when it was replaced with a more attractive concrete structure. This new crossing's low design was partially responsible for heavy flooding of downtown Reno in 1950, 1955 and 1997. Lasting over a century, this venerable bridge was demolished in 2015 to make way for a fifth known river crossing at this location. , Dedicated June 24, 6021 (2016) , Julia C. Bulette Chapter , E Clampus Vitus