Eureka County(21) ► Humboldt County(28) ► Lander County(23) ► White Pine County(26) ► Cassia County, Idaho(38) ► Owyhee County, Idaho(14) ► Twin Falls County, Idaho(41) ► Box Elder County, Utah(82) ► Tooele County, Utah(26) ►
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On Chestnut Street, on the right when traveling east.
"We have to cross the river four times... on each side of you there is a perpendicular wall of vast rock... overhanging the road so one has a feeling very near bordering on fear as he passes under those precipices" -- Lewis Beers, Aug 3, 1852 — — Map (db m149731) HM
On Tomera Road near Nevada Route 278, on the right when traveling west.
“The trail or road… ascends a considerable hill 1/3 mile ahead of us… the water here is cool, but too alkaline to be agreeable. Hot Springs in the river-bank, sulphur, &c.” —
J. Goldborough Bruff, Sep 7, 1849 . . . — — Map (db m81179) HM
On W. Hamilton Street at B Street, on the left when traveling west on W. Hamilton Street.
Carlin, the oldest town in present Elko County, was established as a railroad division point in December 1868, by the Central Pacific Railroad. It was named, by Central Pacific officials, after William Passmore Carlin, a Union officer who served his . . . — — Map (db m67264) HM
On Old Highway 40 (Chestnut Street), on the left when traveling north.
In December 1828, Peter Skene Ogden and his trapping brigade (Hudson's Bay Company's Fifth Snake Country Expedition) were the first European Americans to enter here. Joseph Paul, one of Ogden's trappers, died nearby - the first white man to die and . . . — — Map (db m136726) HM
On Tomera Road near Nevada Route 278, on the right when traveling west.
By the time emigrants reached this spot, they had enjoyed fairly good traveling for the past ten days or so, as they followed the Humboldt River road. But here they faced their first big physical challenge along the route. If they stayed along the . . . — — Map (db m81204) HM
Near Interstate 80 at milepost 292, on the right when traveling west.
Whichever direction your travels take you, you're going to have a similar experience to what the California-bound emigrants had. You're going to see the same country, except for the towns and the ranch meadows. The big difference, though, is that . . . — — Map (db m67507) HM
On Idaho Street, 0.1 miles north of 14th Street, on the left when traveling north.
Whichever direction your travels take you, you're going to have a similar experience to what the California-bound emigrants had. You're going to see the same country, except for the towns and the ranch meadows. The big difference, though, is that . . . — — Map (db m146802) HM
Near Interstate 80 at milepost 292, on the right when traveling west.
About two miles southwest of this marker, the Greenhorn Cutoff ascended and wound through the hills for about twelve miles to avoid river crossings in Carlin Canyon. — — Map (db m70353) HM
On Railroad Street at 7th Street, on the right when traveling north on Railroad Street.
Northern Nevada has been inhabited
for nearly 10,000 years. The Newe or
Western Bands of the Western Shoshone
Nation called this area home. The Newe
had seasonal campsites throughout
northern Nevada. During the spring,
they dispersed from the . . . — — Map (db m142657) HM
On Railroad Street at 7th Street, on the right when traveling north on Railroad Street.
Elkoans have always made education a
priority. Higher education came to Elko
with the establishment of the University of
Nevada in 1874 at Ninth and College. The
University was moved to Reno in 1885 as citizens
of western Nevada complained, . . . — — Map (db m142662) HM
On Idaho Street, on the right when traveling west.
On December 29, 1868, representatives of the Central Pacific Railroad started laying out lots for the future town of Elko. By 1870, the thriving town had 5,000 people. There was an immense volume of freight and passenger traffic over the stageline . . . — — Map (db m1372) HM
On April 6, 1926, Varney Air Lines pilot Leon Cuddeback, carrying one bag of mail, landed his tiny Curtis Swallow bi-plane at Elko, Nevada, completing the first scheduled air mail run in the United States.
The single engine, 90-horsepower . . . — — Map (db m1371) HM
On Court Street, on the right when traveling west.
In 1895, Nevada established the County High School Act. Built in 1896, this was the first school building in Nevada to be constructed under this act. The structure served as the Elko County Library from 1917 to 1974, when the county offices located . . . — — Map (db m1345) HM
Approximately 200 feet east of this site is the early location of Elko's first newspaper. Founded June 19, 1869 by former miner Edward Davison Kelly, when Elko was just six months old. The Independent has been in continuous publication ever since. — — Map (db m89505) HM
On Commercial Street at 7th Street, on the right when traveling south on Commercial Street.
There were all sorts of games and vices in
progress and only two men were killed
the day I arrived,” reported a newcomer to Elko
in 1869. Legend has it, in the early days of Elko,
it was a rough and tumble cowboy town. There
were . . . — — Map (db m142678) HM
On Nevada Route 229, 0.2 miles south of Interstate 80, on the right when traveling south.
Established as Camp Halleck by Captain S.P. Smith, July 26, 1867, to protect the California Emigrant Tail and construction work on the Central Pacific Railroad. The camp was named for Major General Henry Wager Halleck, at that time commander, . . . — — Map (db m67526) HM
On Idaho Street, 0.1 miles north of 14th Street, on the left when traveling north.
Centuries of water runoff from mountain peaks cut channels through Nevada's mountain formations and deserts, creating river corridors that support a variety of wildlife and plants. One such river is the Humboldt, which flows across most of northern . . . — — Map (db m146801) HM
On Railroad Street at 7th Street, on the right when traveling north on Railroad Street.
Elko was named county seat when Elko
County was formed March 5, 1869.
The creation of a new county, carved out
of neighboring counties, was necessary
to handle the fast-growing mining
communities in northeastern Nevada. A
brick courthouse was . . . — — Map (db m142660) HM
Near Interstate 80 at milepost 292, on the right when traveling east.
This site is approximately 2½ miles from the Humboldt wagon trail. Hoppe-Lienhard traveled west with the Harlan-Young wagon train in 1847 to Fort Sutter. History reveals this party was part of the group which was responsible for the California . . . — — Map (db m67461) HM
Near Interstate 80 at milepost 292, on the right when traveling west.
California Trail ruts and swales wind across Northern Nevada some touched only by the forces of nature since they were made by emigrant wagon trains on their way west in the mid 1800s.
Many of these irreplaceable historic trail segments lie on . . . — — Map (db m67505) HM
On Commercial Street at 7th Street on Commercial Street.
During the 1800's this site was used as a bivouack-camp area for the "Sagebrush Clippers." These wagons served the mining districts of the area almost exclusively. The name of this colorful area was derived from the Missouri Mule, a cousin of the . . . — — Map (db m105208) HM
On West Idaho Street (Nevada Route 535) near Hot Springs Road, on the right when traveling east.
Directly south of this point and across the valley floor are the remains of a short-lived extraction plant, which reached the peak of its productive capacity in the early twenties. Driving of the main shaft began in 1916. Of several tries at . . . — — Map (db m76742) HM
One of Elko's oldest saloons first opened in a tent in December of 1868 at this location. The building was completed in 1913 costing $50,000. The saloon featured tiled floors, metal ceiling, mahogany furniture and a mirrored back bar. With the upper . . . — — Map (db m89424) HM
On Idaho Street, 0.2 miles north of 14th Street, on the left when traveling north.
The Pony Express was the first attempt to have fast mail service to California. This was done through the personal drive and bravery of very young men who were responsible for bringing the mail and other “Deliverables” to the western . . . — — Map (db m146800) HM
On College Avenue at Idaho Street, on the right when traveling east on College Avenue.
Right in the Heart of the Golden West, Home means Nevada to Me. Nevada State Song
About the Sculpture The Sculpture symbolizes the past, present, and the future of Nevada. The passage of time, growth, and history of the state are . . . — — Map (db m146799) HM
On Idaho Street, on the right when traveling west.
Constructed on Sherman Creek in Huntington Valley, 60 miles south of Elko, by rancher Valentine Walther. It took Walther, family and friends seven years to complete and was finished in 1903. The house served as a home, post office, stage stop and . . . — — Map (db m1431) HM
Near Interstate 80 at milepost 292, on the right when traveling west.
You are at the entrance to The National California Emigrant Trail Interpretive Center. The purpose of the center is to gather and display historical knowledge about the emigrants who made the trek to California in the 1840s, 1850s, and 1860s. . . . — — Map (db m67509) HM
Near Interstate 80 at milepost 292, on the right when traveling west.
Across the valley you can see the canyon of the South Fork River, a major tributary to the Humboldt River. This portal is also the western end of the infamous Hastings Cutoff, which rejoined the main California Trail not far from the California . . . — — Map (db m67506) HM
Near Interstate 80 at milepost 292, on the right when traveling west.
The California Emigrant Trail extended approximately 2,000 miles from the Missouri River to California. Today you are standing on a segment of the trail that followed the Humboldt River for about 280 miles across northern Nevada. It was the only . . . — — Map (db m67508) HM
On Commercial Street at 7th Street, on the right when traveling south on Commercial Street.
Elko was established by the Central
Pacific Railroad in late December
1868 with the tracks running through the
middle of Elko. In 1908, the Western Pacific
railroad was constructed with the tracks
located in the middle of Silver Street. . . . — — Map (db m142674) HM
Basque immigrant, Peter Juaregui had a dream to open a hotel and bar to provide his fellow countrymen with a familiar place to gather, share news of the old country and to live during the off season from their ranching jobs. On December . . . — — Map (db m89425) HM
Near Interstate 80 at milepost 292, on the right when traveling east.
Across the Humboldt Valley southward from this point a deeply incised canyon is seen opening into the valley. Through that canyon along the South Fork of the Humboldt ran the disaster-laden route called the Hastings Cutoff. It joined the . . . — — Map (db m67460) HM
Near Park Street at NF-062, on the right when traveling south.
Built after the town was removed from the U.S. Forest by a 1911 Presidential proclamation it replaced the constable's home or Forest Service cabin to restrain rowdy miners and hold suspects for arrival of a sheriff's deputy. A colorful story tells . . . — — Map (db m171835) HM
Near Un-named Dirt Road, 17 miles east of Interstate 80, on the right when traveling east.
Located about 500 feet south of this marker.
Established July 27, 1867 by Captain S.R. Smith, built by the 200 soldiers under his command and named in honor of General H.W. Halleck, commanding the Division of the Pacific. The first buildings were . . . — — Map (db m89506) HM
On Lamoille Highway (Nevada Route 227) east of Rosehip Court, on the left when traveling east.
Because heavy use denuded the grass from the main Fort Hall route of the California Emigrant Trail along the Humboldt River, many Emigrants left the river near Starr Valley. They skirted the East Humboldt Range and the Ruby Mountains along a . . . — — Map (db m89412) HM
On Lamoille Canyon Road (Forest Road 660) near Lamoille Highway (Nevada Route 227), on the right when traveling south.
The Army was seeking new routes west in 1854, so scouts set out to study the land in Central Nevada. The Huntingtons, Reese, and some teamsters had worked their way to Southern Elko County.
During a noon halt at the foot of the magnificent . . . — — Map (db m138452) HM
On Nevada Route 233 near 4th Street, on the right when traveling west.
Ten soldiers who died during the 1918 Influenza Epidemic are buried here, but their identities are a mystery. During and after World War I, troop trains regularly ran through Montello. Ill soldiers were unloaded and treated by a Southern Pacific . . . — — Map (db m81176) HM
On Nevada Route 226 just north of Nevada Route 18, on the right when traveling north.
This colorful historic camp originated with 1867 discovery of placer gold by John and Steve Beard. In 1871, W.O. Weed discovered the rich Mount Blitzen silver lodes, two miles northeast of the Beard Claims. The camp was named by C.M. Bensen, who had . . . — — Map (db m89411) HM
On Main Street, on the right when traveling north.
The building was moved from Cornicopia Nevada to its present site in 1877. In 1881 it was purchased by Elizabeth Zweifel.
Through the years it has served as a rooming house, post office, telephone office, justice court, law office and school . . . — — Map (db m89477) HM
"We had to descend a bad hill to get down to the creek, where we nooned near some well springs." -- Byron McKinstry, Aug 10, 1850
Guidebook available
Trails West Inc, P.O. Box 12045 Reno NV 89510 — — Map (db m138454) HM
On 7th Street at Lake Avenue, on the right when traveling east on 7th Street.
Originating about 1868, Wells, Nevada focused around the Central Pacific Railroad. Chinese, Irish, and Italian immigrants were very instrumental in building the railroad and still today have a heavy emphasis on the Nevada economy. You may note that . . . — — Map (db m81177) HM
On Old US 40 at Union Pacific Railroad Overpass, on the right when traveling west on Old US 40.
These springs, seen as marshy spots and small ponds of water in the meadows here, are the Humboldt Wells, a historic oasis on the California Emigrant Trail. Here, during the period 1845–1870, hundreds of covered wagons each year rested and . . . — — Map (db m1373) HM
On County Route 754, on the left when traveling west.
In memory of those valiant pioneers who settled and built a city here, giving so much to us all in their pursuit of happiness and security. Today, we enjoy the fruits of their efforts.
The first settlers came in 1910, followed by many others . . . — — Map (db m1266) HM
On Wendover Boulevard west of U.S. 93, on the right when traveling east.
“The Atomic bomb is too dangerous to be loose in a lawless world ... we pray that (God) may guide us to use it in His ways and for His purposes.” —President Harry S. Truman, August, 1945.
In Memory. This monument is dedicated to . . . — — Map (db m226386) HM
Near Wendover Boulevard west of North Gene L. Jones Way, on the right when traveling west.
Lake Bonneville was a large ancient Pleistocene-era lake that existed about 32,000 to 14,000 years ago. For thousands of years, Ancient Lake Bonneville was contained by mountains acting as natural dams, occupying the lowest closed depression in the . . . — — Map (db m131446) HM
On Pilot Road, 0.2 miles Interstate 80, on the right when traveling north.
Summer temperatures in this high desert can exceed 100 degrees; winter temperatures may fall below zero. Rain and snowfall total a mere six to eight inches per year. Only drought tolerant plants such as Indian ricegrass, shadscale, and greasewood . . . — — Map (db m67967) HM
Near Wendover Boulevard (Business Interstate 80) west of Aria Boulevard, on the right when traveling west.
On June 17, 1914 the First Transcontinental Telephone Line was completed at this point on the border of Nevada and Utah. Construction forces of the Bell Telephone Company of Nevada and the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company met here, . . . — — Map (db m131438) HM
Near Wendover Boulevard west of North Gene L. Jones Way, on the right when traveling west.
The history of the Wendover Field began when the United States Army designated the area near the town of Wendover as an additional bombing range. Though isolated, the area was well suited to fit the needs: the Western Pacific Railroad served the . . . — — Map (db m131451) HM
Near Wendover Boulevard west of North Gene L. Jones Way, on the right when traveling west.
In 1912, roads were dirt, bumpy and dusty in dry weather; impassable in wet weather. Asphalt and concrete roads were yet to come. To get from coast-to-coast, it was much easier to take the train. The Lincoln Highway Association conceived the first . . . — — Map (db m131448) HM
On Pilot Road north of Interstate 80, on the right when traveling north.
The high, symmetrically shaped mountain seen rising to the north is Pilot Peak. In the period 1845-1850, it was a famous landmark and symbol of hope and relief to the Reed-Donner party and all other wagon train pioneers who traveled the 70-odd . . . — — Map (db m67544) HM
On Wendover Boulevard (Business Route 80) 1 mile west of Alternate U.S. 93, on the right when traveling west.
In 1846, Lansford W. Hastings led a group of about 60 emigrant wagons on a route that diverged from the California Trail near Fort Bridger, Wyoming. After encountering almost impassable difficulties getting through the Wasatch Mountains via Weber . . . — — Map (db m226448) HM
Near Wendover Boulevard west of North Gene L. Jones Way, on the right when traveling west.
The Victory Highway monument is a representation of the earlier bronze eagle markers of the 1920s. Original eagle markers were to be located at each county line with a plaque dedicated to the sons and daughters who served their country in World War . . . — — Map (db m131450) HM
Near Pilot Road, 0.2 miles north of Interstate 80, on the right when traveling north.
The Bidwell-Bartleson wagon train was the first emigrant party to see Pilot Peak in 1841. Four years later, Captain John c. Fremont also saw this distinctive landmark, but from the Cedar Range in Utah - some 75 miles away. He wanted to establish a . . . — — Map (db m67545) HM
Near Wendover Boulevard west of North Gene L. Jones Way, on the right when traveling west.
On June 17, 1914, AT&T erected the last of some 130,000 poles at Wendover, and the wires were spliced, joining more than 3,400 miles of telephone line. This splice connected the first telephone line from the East Coast to the West Coast across the . . . — — Map (db m226390) HM
On Wendover Boulevard, 0.5 miles west of U.S. 93, in the median.
Wendover Will has been greeting travelers to Wendover since 1952. His name comes from the founder of the State Line Hotel & Casino, Mr. William “Bill” Smith, who started the State Line Service, a cobble stone service station, on the . . . — — Map (db m75211) HM
Near Wendover Boulevard west of North Gene L. Jones Way, on the right when traveling west.
The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad financed the Western Pacific Railroad (WP) from San Francisco to Salt Lake City to compete with the Southern Pacific route. The WP, incorporated March 6, 1903, provided a standard-gauge-track connection to . . . — — Map (db m131452) HM
On Pilot Road, 0.2 miles north of Interstate 80, on the right when traveling north.
Imagine Lake Bonneville some 10,000 years ago as a vast lake larger than the present Great Salt Lake. Its eastern boundary would be the Wasatch Mountains at Salt Lake City and its western boundary the Toano and Goshute Mountains to your left.
. . . — — Map (db m67968) HM
