History of Elko, NV

The first record of people in the Elko area comes from 1827 when fur trappers, led by Peter Skene Ogden, occupied the area. In 1841 Elko began to see an influx of pioneers passing through the area while traveling west along the Humboldt River. Among those making the long trek were the famed '49ers and the infamous Donner party.

Nevada saw the birth of the town of Elko in 1868 due to the Central Pacific railroad moving to the east. It is widely believed that the railroad's superintendent, Charles Crocker, gave Elko its name simply by adding the letter "o" to the word "Elk." It was rumored that Mr. Crocker liked to name railhead towns after animals.

The town saw a rapid beginning in 1869 as the rumors of gold quickly spread. In just two weeks time Elko went from having a few tents in the area to having plots of land being sold for $300 to $500 each. Elko quickly became the primary freight center for the mines in the region.

On March 5 1869, Elko County was created out of Lander County with the town of Elko as the county seat. To this day mining remains as a major industry in Elko, responsible for millions of ounces of Gold each year.

Another long time industry that has made its mark on Elko and Nevada is the ranching industry. Cattle barons wielded great power in Nevada. In fact 2 such men from Elko went on to be elected Governor of Nevada. Lewis Rice Bradley served as Nevada's 3rd Governor from 1871 - 1878. John Sparks served as Nevada's 11th Governor from 1903 - 1908.

Elko Fun Facts:

• Elko was selected as the first home of the University of Nevada in 1874.
• The first church in Elko was Presbyterian.
• The Elko Free Press began its publication on January 5, 1883.
• Gambling was legalized in Elko in 1932.
• The Commercial Hotel started the idea of big name entertainment to go along with gambling in hotels when Ted Lewis and his Orchestra performed there in 1941.

For more on the history of Elko visit the following websites:

• http://www.elkonevada.com/history.shtml
• http://www.rabbitbrush.com/hickson/elkohist.html