Do you know where Elko is? I discovered Elko, Nevada on my drive from Utah to California on Interstate 80. Quite honestly, there is not much between towns in Nevada except for wildlife bridges, mining areas, casinos and sage brush. However, we then entered Elko!
After a Mexican meal, recommended by a local, we walked some of downtown Elko. We learned the town’s name came from a guy who saw many elk in the area and then decided to add an “O”, thus Elko! The county courthouse is an obvious building along with the numerous painted murals around this town of 20k locals. One mural near the Western Folklife Center had info about the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, happening since 1985, and to be in Elko again in January 2026. Every July since 1963, Elko hosts the National Basque Festival since many people immigrated to this area since the 1890’s from the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain.
We walked by Elko Railroad Park where stand a historic locomotive and caboose. Central Pacific Railroad ran through the middle of Elko in 1868. As the years went by, there were 16 railroad crossings within 5.4 miles of tracks in this town! You could imagine the congestion and safety concerns … or maybe not, as I read, “it was not unheard of to wait an hour or more for one of the 50 daily trains to pass through town”. Yikes!
Near the locomotive and caboose we saw this tower and wondered who was Chilton. We discover Mark Chilton was the guiding force with Project Lifesaver. The river and train tracks were all re-aligned, as were other Elko infrastructure projects redesigned, for great improvement to the area. The ten year plan included 5 years of construction, 1979-1984, with many positive results. Now trains do not go through the center of town!
Step away from the town and you’re in Ruby Valley Recreation Area for all kinds of outdoor activities. So maybe you’ll stop in Elko for a few days as you drive across Nevada and discover what’s here in this town. Did you know you can get a custom horse saddle made here too? It’s really fun to spend time in small towns; check them out when you can.