Truckee River – West
Truckee River – West Overview
Native Americans settled for thousands of years in the Truckee Valley. Their camps were on flats near the river.
In 1864, the ill-fated Donner party rested in the Truckee Meadows. Despite the Donner tragedy, many emigrant trains to California traversed the Truckee route.
In 1868, the Central Pacific Railroad followed Truckee’s course.
Category
- California Emigrant Trail
- Donner
- Event
- Native American
- Railroad
Marker Type
Blue marker
Nevada Historical Marker Number
Truckee River – West is Nevada Historical Marker #62.
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County
GPS Coordinates
39.509465, -119.936945
Nevada Historical Marker Transcription
Native Americans settled for thousands of years in the Truckee Valley. Their camps were on these flats near the river. They used fish blinds near here and left petroglyphs on boulders in the area.
The Truckee River runs from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake, and was first discovered by Captain John C. Frémont in January 1844.
The Stephens-Murphy-Townsend party in 1844 also followed the Truckee River into the Sierra, and crossed the mountains via Donner Pass. Two years later, the ill-fated Donner party rested in the Truckee Meadows, at present Reno, but they tarried too long and were caught by the Sierra snows. Despite the Donner tragedy, many emigrant trains to California, particularly from 1849 until 1852, traversed the Truckee route.
In 1868, the Central Pacific Railroad followed the Truckee’s course. From the 1920s to the 1950s, the surrounding meadows echoed with the heavy exhausts of the giant Southern Pacific, cab-ahead, articulated, steam locomotives. During the same period, the Emigrant Trail, and the early toll roads, were developed into the Lincoln and Victory highways, and then into U.S. 40 and 1-80, today’s freeway.
STATE HISTORICAL MARKER No. 62
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
NEVADA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT