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Elko, Nevada 1943 - 1958 In late September, 2001, I was working on a web-page about the terrace east of the Ruby View golf course in Elko, Nevada. The page was written because of a wooden cross I had seen on this terrace while I was golfing (some call it that) at the adjacent course. My boy and I visited the terrace, on a following Sunday, took a few pictures of some of the old cars, the cross and the golf course. While researching the subject, I typed "Elko Nevada Golf Course" into the Google search engine. All of the expected 'stuff' came up and one treasure. It was an article written by Mr. Ray A. March (http://www.golfreader.com) about Mr. Bing Crosby, entitled Bing Crosby: Riding The Parallel Tracks of Golf & The Cowboy.
On October 1, I received the following e-mail from Mr. March: "Dan: I see you tapped into my web site,
golfreader.com. I have no On January 18, 1943, Mr. Crosby arranged "to buy a 3,500 acre ranch east of Elko, Nevada on Humboldt River (the old Jube Wright ranch, the 7J Livestock Co.)" In 1947, Crosby sells ranch at Independence Valley and buys the Newt Crumley ranch, 60 miles north of Elko. It contains 25,000 acres and an unknown expanse of National Forest. The ranch is at an elevation of 6,400 feet. Bing runs 3,500 head of cattle there. On February 6, 1948, "Bing and Dixie arrive in Elko in a raging blizzard to find 350 people standing in line for tickets for a banquet installing Bing as honorary mayor. Bing buys the tickets and distributes them to the crowd." On February 7, 1948, Bing Crosby was named "Honorary Mayor of Elko." He held the post until his death in 1977. In July 1950, Bing Crosby also became a member of the Western Shoshone-Paiute tribe at Owyhee, near Elko. His Indian name was 'Sond-Hoo-Vi-A-Gund' (the man of many songs). On June 30, 1951, "at Elko, Bing takes part in Elko Blue-Serge Day and is presented with special tuxedo made by Levi Strauss so that he is not turned away by a hotel again." About the Levi Tuxedos discussed in Mr. March's article - On July 29, 1951, Bing is in Elko for the world premiere there of "Here Comes the Groom" on July 30. The movie premiered at the Hunter Theater. Which is now the Commercial Casino parking lot. On July
31, 1951, on the radio program 'The Elko Show'. The various events in Elko
over the three day period raise $10,000 for the hospital building fund.
Crosby sold his ranches in Elko on November 18, 1958, but during this 15-year period Mr. Crosby did many wonderful things for Elko. He relaxed, ranched, raised money, took part in and brought his friends to Elko. He treated the town well. The town loved him, not the actor, but Mr. Crosby - the man. On November
25, 1958, it is "disclosed that Bing has agreed to buy the 1350 acre
Rising River Ranch, in north eastern Shasta County, Northern California."
And with this the Elko years came to a close. Mr. Crosby, to my knowledge, never played the Ruby View Golf
Course. The course was built in 1968.
It replaced the 9-hole course that was in the way when the I-80 freeway was
constructed through Elko. When Bing Crosby was in Elko this area was
just sage and rabbitbrush.
~ Click on photos to enlarge ~
Addendum
Here is something neat that Anthony e-mailed me:
There is, of course, a great deal more to write about on this subject than touched here. This winter, as time permits, I hope to add to this page. Especially of interest would be going to the Museum's archive section and reading the old Elko Daily Free Press and Elko Independent newspaper articles written while Crosby ranched in the Elko area. But you've got to start somewhere.
Additional Information: Northeastern Nevada Museum
Recent Photos by Dan Turner
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