Elko, Nevada

On August 2, 1994, our local newspaper, the Elko Daily Free Press, published a walking tour of a portion of the historic part of Elko. It was written by Mike Antrobus, with Jan Petersen of the Northeastern Nevada Museum. The title of the article is "Walking tour provides introduction to Elko". Having a desire to learn more about my home, on November 4, 2001 my son, his friend, and I followed this tour. Nearly all to the text is from the referenced article. There are many beautiful spots, residential areas, schools and shopping facilities in Elko which are not shown here.

Howard Hickson has a wonderful article on how Elko began and it's first 100 years.

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Northeastern Nevada Museum

Constructed in 1967. The building was extensively remodeled and expanded in 1982. The Wanamaker Wildlife Wing was completed in 1999. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums and has been honored with several prestigious awards, including two national awards of merit.

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Pony Express Cabin

Directly in front of the museum is the location of one of the few remaining Pony Express Cabins. The cabin was used by riders between 1860 and 1861 when it was located in Ruby Valley. It was moved to the current site in the 1960's. The building is listed in the National Historic Register and was recently used as the model for a duplicate at the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, Mo.

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Chamber of Commerce

Sherman Station

The Chamber of Commerce was established in 1917. It was previously located in an old well building at the museum. In 1999 the chamber relocated to the Sherman Station. These five log structures were built around 1902 and relocated to Elko. The turn-of-the-century main house, the largest log cabin in Nevada, is now the headquarters for the Elko Chamber of Commerce. It is open to the public and offers guided tours and a self-guided historical pictorial tour. The living and dining room of the house has been converted into a gift shop with souvenirs, jewelry and Western keepsakes. The parlor holds a small museum of antiques and family artifacts.

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Elko City Park

The Elko City Park is one of Elko's treasures. The Museum and Chamber of Commerce are located within its boundaries. The city park is the former site of the China Ranch. After completion of the transcontinental railroad in May 1869, thousands of Chinese railroad employees were discharged and sought refuge in small western boom towns. In Elko, they planted vegetable gardens which came to be known as the China Ranch. Produce was sold to local businesses and area mines. The gardens were fed by two reservoirs in the hills north of the park near Elko Junior High School and the large American flag that presently flies over the city.

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Horizon Hospice Rose Garden

The Horizon Hospice rose garden contains a wonderful statue of a Basque shepherd by Lowell Swendseid, a garden of beautiful roses and many wonderful memories of people who have at one time called Elko home, if even for a short time.

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Elko Broadcasting Company

This is Elko's first radio station. Broadcasting began in 1948.

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Elko Convention Center

Across Country Club Drive from the city park sits the Elko Convention Center. Built in 1979 on the site of a former trap and skeet club, the center hosts events throughout the year, including the Cowboy Poetry Gathering and the worldwide Mining Expo. The skeet club once entertained some of Elko's most famous citizens, including Bing Crosby.

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Elko City Hall

Beside the convention center, is Elko City Hall.

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Ernie Hall Field

Ernie Hall field is named for the gentleman who brought Little League Baseball to Elko in 1951. Ernie was born in 1925, came to Elko in 1950 and sadly left ahead of us on November 7, 2001. He was a local businessman, sports broadcaster for Elko Broadcasting, and served the town, county and State in many capacities from city councilman, county commissioner, Northern Nevada State Job Training Board, and many, many other capacities.

Ernie Hall Link is From the Elko Daily Free Press 11-9-2001

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Big Orv Park

In Honor of Orville R. Wilson

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Elko Municipal Swimming Pool

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Elko City Police Station

Located in the old Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

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Masonic Hall

In 1955 the new Masonic Lodge was completed, and the cornerstone laid and the building dedicated. This building is still used by the brethren of Elko today, and is located on the corner of College and 14^th Streets.

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Girl Scout House

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Gasper J. Salaz

V.F.W. Post 2350

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Old Elko General Hospital

At 13th and College sits the old Elko General Hospital. It was built in 1921. The original structure was demolished and a new one built in the 1950's. An addition was completed in the 1970's. The county hospital was sold to Province Healthcare on June 11, 1998. They have since constructed a new hospital at 2001 Errecart Dr. (off Lamoille Highway) which was renamed Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital. It opened on September 2001. 'This old hospital' was sold to the Elko County School District in 2001 for a token amount.

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Elko High School Old Gymnasium

At Ninth and College, where the old gym stands, was the site of the first University of Nevada. The building opened in October 1874. A year later, a dormitory was built one block south. The university remained in Elko until 1885, when it was moved to Reno. Authorities in the western part of the state convinced legislators Elko was past its prime. After the University moved, the building was used as the county hospital until it was demolished in 1929.

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Elko High School - Historic Portion

This building was constructed in 1918 at a cost of $106,000. The single story additions on each end of the main hall were added at a later date.

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George Russell Mausoleum

George Russell was born in Bangor County, Ireland, April 15, 1837. He came as a boy to America in 1852 sailing via Cape Horn to California. George Russell was candidate for Governor of Nevada in 1898, cattleman and businessman. George Russell died May 10, 1924. The mausoleum contains the remains of Mr. Russell and his family.

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L. R. "Broadhorns" Bradley

L. R. Bradley was born in Orange County, Virginia on February 15, 1805. He brought his family west to California in 1852 and to Nevada ten years later where he was engaged in the cattle business in Elko County. He served two terms as governor and was narrowly defeated for a third term in 1878. Ill health prevented him from re-entering politics and ranching. He died in Elko on March 21, 1879.

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Green Acre Apartments

Location of Grammar #1 and the dorm of the University of Nevada.

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Dr. Leslie Moren Home

777 Court Street

Dr. Moren was a wonderful doctor. He was good medicine and had a good heart. He lived in the same neighborhood as his patients.

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Dewar Home

At 745 Court Street is the Dewar home. It was built in 1869 shortly after the Central Pacific Railroad Company established Elko. The Dewar family was one of Elko's pioneering ranching families.

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McBride Home

705 Court St. Built about 1910, the present owners are Mr. and Mrs. William Wright. Click here for a close-up of the roses.

1917:

Elko incorporated as a city.

J.A. McBride was Elko's first mayor.

1919: Airport Constructed

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Elko County Library

The Elko County Library is located at 720 Court St. This was the site of Elko's first Catholic church. Library services began in 1919 when a group of Elko women started collecting books. The current building was opened in 1974.

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Lewis Lee Bradley Home

The turreted home at 643 Court Street was built in 1904 by Lewis Lee Bradley, son of John Rueben Bradley who was the son of Governor L. R. "Broadhorns" Bradley (site 20 above). Lewis was one-time owner of the Commercial Hotel and Bradley Opera House.

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Reinhart Home

627 Court St. Local merchant Edgar Reinhart and his wife Essie constructed this home in 1926. Their store location also still exists and can be seen in the photo at site 53, adjacent to the Silver Dollar Bar. This information was provided by Dr. Gallagher, the current resident of the home. Dr. Gallagher's dad was Dr. Harry Gallagher, for whom the Gallagher Fish Hatchery is named.

The following is a short story of Milton Reinhart - a rather interesting link.

Milton was the son of Edgar and Essie Reinhart.

Jones Vargas law firm
The firm�s Northern Nevada origins began in Elko, Nevada, a community known for mining and cattle ranching, where Milton Reinhart and Morley Griswold began to practice law as a firm in the 1920s. In 1928, Mr. Griswold was elected Lieutenant Governor of Nevada and opened the firm�s first office in Reno. He was re-elected in 1932 and became Governor of the State in 1934. That same year, George L. Vargas joined the firm as an associate attorney. During the 1940s Mr. Vargas became a partner, Mr. Reinhart retired, and the firm closed its Elko office.

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Keppler

Apartments

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First Baptist Church

This church had one of the original Elko cemeteries. The cemetery was relocated many years ago, but ... in the middle 1990's when there was a adjacent house fire, reclamation work turned up some more human remains. I suppose no one really knows who was left behind when the cemetery was moved. If I remember correctly Mr. and Mrs. Potts were buried here after they were hung at the Elko Courthouse in 1890. Their remains have been lost. Are they still here or in an unmarked grave in the Elko Cemetery?