The Western Pacific Railroad was the last transcontinental line. Yet it was considered a major player in many of the towns it travelled through. Elko was one of those towns!
In 1903 the route was proposed. Troubles with the Southern Pacific held up the actual building for years. The first of the track was laid from Salt Lake City (Terminus of the Denver & Rio Grande) to Shafter, Nevada. At Shafter the Northern Nevada was unloading valuable ore from the Ely area. But the Southern Pacific had a head start and the connection to the flourishing mines was disappointing.
In 1908 the line started heading west from Shafter. It would arrive in Elko on December 23, 1908. Although the terminus would provide no immediate benefit to the people of Elko as there was no regular freight or passenger schedule, it was greeted with great excitement.
Articles in the local papers make this clear.
December 4: Here is an article expressing the hopes that the Western Pacific would get the railroad mail route as the Southern Pacific service was terrible. “...No. 2 fast train east has passed through the town leaving in its path dead bodies, mail scattered from one and of the town to the other and mail that apparently landed safely at the depot, so crushed and misused as to be absolutely worthless.”
December 6: “Get ready to give the Western Pacific a royal hearty greeting when it arrives.” Goes on to mention that the round house will be the first permanent railroad building in Elko.
December 14: The temporary Hooligan House is complete. The officer’s quarters should be finished in a couple of days.
December 16: Western Pacific officers say that the Elko shops will be the best in the state. Right now there will be temporary supply yards, repair facilities, etc. Elko will become a distribution point for all work to be done to the west. That means jobs - many jobs - for years to come. They mention that the officer in charge had trouble finding enough carpenters for the temporary buildings which he wanted to start immediately.
December 18: Elko will be the winter headquarters for the Western Pacific.
December 23: At noon on this day the WP track was laid a few feet west of the wool warehouse. Elko has been waiting anxiously for its arrival since Gould announced this new transcontinental line 2 or 3 years ago. The paper goes on to say that even if fares and freights remain the same [which they think obviously should go down] at least the people will now have a choice.
So 1909 started out expectantly. But it wasn’t until November 1 that the golden spike was driven. This was done a little over 100 miles west of Winnemucca at Keddie. (This would only be fitting since the man whose vision gave us this route was Arthur Keddie. It was also the site of the famous Keddie Wye and near the amazing Spring Garden Loop.)
So in November of 1909 - one year later - regular service was started. But it was only for freight! The people had to wait a little while longer. Ten months later
Regular passenger service wouldn’t begin until August of 1910. But it seems the worth was wait the while. From Salt Lake City to Oakland, California crowds welcomed the first passenger train.
Elko was no different. 500 people turned out to welcome the train. (Elko only had a population of 700.) This crowd was there despite a one day delay when their was a slight accident up the line. Elko was already contributing 80% of the freight traffic with its shipments of wool and cattle from points like Denio Valley, and Lamoille Valley.
At 5:30 the train pulled into the station. Edgar Allen Johnson of Tuscarora welcomed the officials of the railroad who in turn remarked that this was just the beginning and in the near future other points not accessible to a railroad would soon have their own tributary. That would increase the population and the financial opportunities of the state of Nevada.
The train, passengers and dignitaries could have lingered much longer, but Passenger Traffic Manager Lomax realized that all of the celebrations at stations along the route were putting the train behind schedule and there was already planned a grand reception in Winnemucca.
In 1903 the route was proposed. Troubles with the Southern Pacific held up the actual building for years. The first of the track was laid from Salt Lake City (Terminus of the Denver & Rio Grande) to Shafter, Nevada. At Shafter the Northern Nevada was unloading valuable ore from the Ely area. But the Southern Pacific had a head start and the connection to the flourishing mines was disappointing.
In 1908 the line started heading west from Shafter. It would arrive in Elko on December 23, 1908. Although the terminus would provide no immediate benefit to the people of Elko as there was no regular freight or passenger schedule, it was greeted with great excitement.
Articles in the local papers make this clear.
December 4: Here is an article expressing the hopes that the Western Pacific would get the railroad mail route as the Southern Pacific service was terrible. “...No. 2 fast train east has passed through the town leaving in its path dead bodies, mail scattered from one and of the town to the other and mail that apparently landed safely at the depot, so crushed and misused as to be absolutely worthless.”
December 6: “Get ready to give the Western Pacific a royal hearty greeting when it arrives.” Goes on to mention that the round house will be the first permanent railroad building in Elko.
December 14: The temporary Hooligan House is complete. The officer’s quarters should be finished in a couple of days.
December 16: Western Pacific officers say that the Elko shops will be the best in the state. Right now there will be temporary supply yards, repair facilities, etc. Elko will become a distribution point for all work to be done to the west. That means jobs - many jobs - for years to come. They mention that the officer in charge had trouble finding enough carpenters for the temporary buildings which he wanted to start immediately.
December 18: Elko will be the winter headquarters for the Western Pacific.
December 23: At noon on this day the WP track was laid a few feet west of the wool warehouse. Elko has been waiting anxiously for its arrival since Gould announced this new transcontinental line 2 or 3 years ago. The paper goes on to say that even if fares and freights remain the same [which they think obviously should go down] at least the people will now have a choice.
So 1909 started out expectantly. But it wasn’t until November 1 that the golden spike was driven. This was done a little over 100 miles west of Winnemucca at Keddie. (This would only be fitting since the man whose vision gave us this route was Arthur Keddie. It was also the site of the famous Keddie Wye and near the amazing Spring Garden Loop.)
So in November of 1909 - one year later - regular service was started. But it was only for freight! The people had to wait a little while longer. Ten months later
Regular passenger service wouldn’t begin until August of 1910. But it seems the worth was wait the while. From Salt Lake City to Oakland, California crowds welcomed the first passenger train.
Elko was no different. 500 people turned out to welcome the train. (Elko only had a population of 700.) This crowd was there despite a one day delay when their was a slight accident up the line. Elko was already contributing 80% of the freight traffic with its shipments of wool and cattle from points like Denio Valley, and Lamoille Valley.
At 5:30 the train pulled into the station. Edgar Allen Johnson of Tuscarora welcomed the officials of the railroad who in turn remarked that this was just the beginning and in the near future other points not accessible to a railroad would soon have their own tributary. That would increase the population and the financial opportunities of the state of Nevada.
The train, passengers and dignitaries could have lingered much longer, but Passenger Traffic Manager Lomax realized that all of the celebrations at stations along the route were putting the train behind schedule and there was already planned a grand reception in Winnemucca.