*Nomination, pending review

Forged from the hard labor of mill workers, ice harvesters, and railroad crews, historic Downtown Truckee serves as a symbol of opportunity and true pioneer spirit. When Joseph Gray constructed his modest log cabin and stage stop near present-day Downtown Truckee in 1863, he did so with the prospect of the transcontinental railroad passing through. Not long after, he was joined by a blacksmith named S.S. Coburn and the Town of Truckee received its first recognized name of Coburn’s Station. The name Coburn Station lasted only long enough for Gray and George Shaffer, lumber mill purveyors, and others to harness the abundant water power and rich timberlands for railroad construction. By the time the Central Pacific Railroad line was complete in late 1868, railroad officials renamed the settlement “Truckee” and this humble high Sierra Nevada boomtown was on its way to becoming a regional hub.

As entrepreneurs and prospectors flocked to the Sierra Nevada in search of the American Dream around the late 1860s, several industries boomed in Downtown Truckee. Due to its unique location approximately 12 miles north of Lake Tahoe, 30 miles west of Reno, Nevada, and 100 miles northeast of Sacramento, Truckee slowly became a place where fortunes could be made for those with a vision. One of the luxuries harvested in and sold from Truckee was ice. The demand for ice came when San Franciscans and others became willing to pay high prices for this special commodity. From 1868 through the 1920s, ice harvesting was one of the primary money-making industries. If you walk behind Truckee’s main street to Jibboom Street, you can view Trout Creek, one of the many water bodies ponded and etched for ice production.

Beyond timber harvesting, lumber milling, and ice production, Downtown Truckee was home to many self-made businesses, the buildings of which still stand today. In fact, the quality of these resources is so good that historic Downtown Truckee was listed as a National Register District in 2009 by the National Parks Service. Truckee’s “Commercial Row/Brickelltown Historic District” has over 30 nationally designated historic resources and over 200 locally significant historic resources. When you come to Downtown Truckee be sure to sit at the Truckee Train Depot (c. 1900s) and watch the locomotives and freight cars rumble by on the first transcontinental rail line. Discover Truckee’s lawless Boomtown years with a tour of the Old Jail Museum (c. 1875) located on Jibboom Street which housed famous criminals like Baby-Face Nelson and Juanita “Ma” Spinelli. Explore the modest blue collar residential neighborhoods peppered throughout the historic district or visit one of the many essential historic residential resources such as the Kruger-White House (1873) located along Donner Pass Road.

Whether you come to re-live the railroad days, or ponder the life in an early workingman’s town, Truckee conveys the same spirit of opportunity and pioneer determination as it did in 1863 when Joseph Gray settled. With a permanent population of about 16,000 people, Truckee’s heart is in the historic Downtown and the early community founders.

Truckee is a historic railroad Town located along the first transcontinental rail line. The hard work of its early settlers and builders is present throughout the historic Downtown's architecture and setting. National Register District status was obtained in 2009 with over 30 unique nationally recognized historic resources.

Time Period Represented: 1870 to 1930

Seasons Open: Year round

Price Style for this Establishment: There is something for everyone