Truckee was inhabited by the Washoe Indians prior to the coming of the white man, and it is very appropriate that it should be named after an Indian.

In 1844 the Stephens Townsend-Murphy Party was making its way west, hoping to cross the summit into California before the winter snow set in. T h e i r g u i d e w a s C a l e b Greenwood, an elderly man who had never crossed the summit before, but who depended on his keen sense of direction gained in his fur trapping days to guide the party across. At the Humboldt River, a Paiute Indian presented himself in a most friendly manner and o ffe red to gu ide them to California. The party was anxious for the services of a guide acquainted with the country but were also fearful of being led into a trap, so they questioned him closely. His name sounded like “OK” or “Trokay,” but to the Americans he become known as “Truckee.” He was employed, and after they found the statements he made about the rout to be true, Truckee became a great favorite among the party. When they reached the lower crossing of a river, near what is now Wadsworth, they named the beautiful stream the “Truckee River,” and the delicious trout “Truckee Trout” in honor of their faithful guide, who was in fact an Indian Chief. Donner Lake was discovered by Captain Stephens of the party, and although they named it Mountain Lake at that time, it was known as Truckee’s Lake in 1846 when the tragic segment of the Donner Party camped there. Comprised of a group of Midwestern farmers ignorant of frontier life, the Donner Party was convinced to deviate from the established emigrant trail to reduce distance. In fact, the diversion delayed the party as they hacked their way through the mountains and wandered across waterless deserts. The Donner Party reached this area in October 1846, already starving and facing an early and extremely vicious winter. Heavy snows made it impossible for the majority to cross the Sierras. As 41 of the 89 members of the party died of starvation under a 22-foot snowpack, the survivors were forced to resort to cannibalism to make it to the Spring. the tragic fate of the Donner Party, combined with its tenacious pioneer spirit, is commemorated at the campsite at what is now Donner State Park. In 1863, Joseph Gray built a log cabin at what is now Truckee, and operated a toll station for teams traveling back and forth to the Washoe mines. It was then known as Grey’s Toll Station. The cabin is still standing and can be seen on Church Street with its commemorative plaque. In 1865, the area became known as Coburn’s Station after another local entrepreneur. The town changed forever in 1868 when the Central Pacific Railroad was built over the mountains as part of the Transcontinental railroad, the line remains a vital part of the town today. Officials of the Central Pacific named Coburn’s Station “Truckee” when the railroad was finished through here. By then Truckee was a civilized, yet rowdy, collection of 300 homes and businesses, including 14 lumber mills. It became infamous for its

many saloons and the red-light district of Jibboom Street. The old Truckee jail was built in 1875 and was used from then until 1964. One of the oldest jails in California, the stone building still stands

on Jibboom Street, and is now operated as a museum by the Truckee-Donner Historical Society. The building of the railroad also created what was then known as the “second-largest Chinatown” on the Pacific Coast. Although essential to the ra i l road construct ion, the Chinese were never assimilated into the town, and Chinatown was burned at least four times. In 189, after the last burning, tensions were near the breaking point and the Chinese began to arm themselves. They were prevented from rebuilding on their previous site and were forcefully “persuaded” to build

across the south side of the river. Tensions then eased until the 1880’s when the Chinese, who had played such a key role in railroad construction, threatened to monopolize the local logging industry. In early 1866, the white citizens of Truckee eventually banded together to rid the town of them. Within nine weeks, the industrious Chinese had been completely driven from the community, so thoroughly that for generations no Chinese would be found in or near Truckee. Overzealous logging stripped the hills of trees – today’s timber is mostly second growth – and Truckee residents turned to harvesting ice from the river and nearby lakes. Using insulated boxcars, Truckee once supplied ice from Texas to Oregon, but electric refrigeration eventually killed the business and the town’s future turned bleak again. In 1894, publisher Charles F. McGlashan hit on an idea to tempt tourists off the train. While his neighbors scratched their heads, McGlashan built a 60-foot high chicken-wire tower and sprayed it with water on freezing nights. Soon, arriving train passengers were awed by the sparkling sight of McGlashan’s giant icicle. this led to an “Ice Palace,” complete with skating rink, orchestra, a 75-foot high toboggan ride, a ski jump, and winter carnivals offering sled dog races and sleigh rides. Before he was done, McGlashan had persuaded the railroad to offer “Snowball Specials” – weekend trains that brought residents up to frolic in his winter wonderland. The town kept its frontier character into the 1920’s. Sled dog races were held on Front Street (Commercial Row), and the Italian railroad workers and Irish lumberjacks jammed the saloons. Eventually, though, the winter recreation trade moved to the higher elevation resorts. After Interstate 80 bypassed the old downtown in the mid 1960’s – taking motorists with it – the town all but died. In the early 1970’s, a handful of modern McGlashans began turning Truckee around by renovation turn-of-the-century buildings into trendy attractions and it snowballed from there. By the early 1980’s we had three neighborhood shopping centers away from the downtown area, including Crossroad Center that houses Save Mart and Long’s, a second Post Office, two banks and several eating establishments and retail stores.

Truckee HISTORY

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