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The name of the town derives from a friendly Paiute Indian guide whom, in 1844, assisted thousands of emigrants migrating west across the Humboldt Sink. The Indian's name sounded like "Trokay" to the white men, who dubbed him "Truckee." He became a favorite of the white settlers who found him to be honest and helpful. Chief Truckee fought bravely alongside Col. John C. Fremont in the Mexican War and was the father of Chief Winnemucca. In 1846 the Donner Party, consisting of 89 men, women and children, followed a branch of the Emigrant Trail known as the California Trail to the Truckee area in order to attempt a crossing of Donner Pass.
They arrived in late October but the heavy snows had already begun, making it impossible to continue. Their fascinating story may be learned by visiting the Donner Memorial State Park, west of Truckee on Donner Pass Road, near the east end of Donner Lake. With the discovery of gold at Coloma in 1848 and silver in Virginia City in 1859, a road connecting the towns became imperative. The Dutch Flat-Donner Lake Wagon Road was built during this time and ran from present-day Sacramento over Donner Summit and into Nevada. It became the primary route for freight wagons and passenger coaches headed for the mines in Virginia City. An early settlement rose along the trail at the west end of Donner Lake by a man named J.D. Pollard who built a hotel that served as a rest stop for weary travelers; however, the hotel burned to the ground in 1860. In 1863, an enterprising Englishman by the name of Joseph Gray came from Sacramento and built a log cabin at the corner of today's Bridge and Jibboom Streets. Gray's Toll Station, as it was called at the time, offered provisions for travelers along the Dutch Flat-Donner Lake Wagon Road.
A year later, a man named S.S. Coburn purchased land two blocks west of Gray's Station which served as a stopping-off place for the teamsters and advance crews for the Central Pacific Railroad. This settlement grew into a small town called Coburn's Station. In 1868, the Central Pacific Railroad was built through the Truckee basin as part of the Transcontinental Railroad. The line remains a vital part of the town today. Logging was a key industry in Truckee over the past century. In 1866, Joseph Gray and George Schaffer built and operated the first lumber mill, which was located on the opposite side of the river from town. Schaffer later purchased Gray's interest and in 1871, built a larger mill in Martis Valley, three miles south of Truckee. He also constructed a huge millpond in Martis Valley that now forms part of the lake next to the golf course in the Lahontan residential development. Schaffer's mill supplied lumber to the mines of Virginia City as well as to the growing cities of Sacramento and San Francisco.
Shaffer later moved his mill a third time to a location farther south where he built a home for himself and his workers near the bottom of today's Northstar-at- Tahoe ski area on Highway 267. As demand for lumber decreased, many mills were forced to close, including Schaffer's operation in Martis Valley. However, there were two other industries that were quite large at one time. Before the invention of artificial refrigeration, large amounts of ice were needed in cities from San Francisco and Los Angeles, to as far away as New Orleans. Tons of ice blocks were cut from ice ponds on Donner Lake and Boca.
These ice blocks were then packed in sawdust or hay to keep them from melting and shipped by rail. Boca, now a reservoir located at the east end of town, also had a lumber mill operation in 1866, but became known worldwide in 1883 when a brewery was constructed next to the Truckee River. The clear, pure water of Boca that created such a demand for ice also lent itself to brewing beer with mountain water long before Coors was fashionable. Many thousands of barrels of ice cold Boca Beer were shipped throughout the United States, and the product gained worldwide recognition. By 1915, Truckee became a favorite area for winter sports, featuring a huge ice palace for ice-skating and dancing, a toboggan slide and ski jump. The Truckee Ski Club was formed and its members participated in many competitions.
Special excursion trains brought thousands of visitors to the area to enjoy the fresh air and to frolic in the snow. The movie industry brought crews to the area to film winter scenes. Famous movie actors became a familiar site on the streets of Truckee. After the 1920s, Truckee began a 40- year period of little growth and development, particularly during and after World War ll. Finally, in 1960, the Winter Olympics were held 10 miles to the south at Squaw Valley, putting the Truckee-Tahoe area on the map as a major destination resort for year-round recreation. US Highway 40 dedicated Today, tourism has become the area's lead industry, but as the town continues to grow, it is also diversifying.
In recent years, Truckee's tourism promotions have helped make Truckee a well known destination. New golf courses are either in the works or under construction. And many of the world famous ski resorts that dot the Truckee landscape are undergoing massive renovations and expansions. Since Truckee residents voted for incorporation in 1993, the town has been able to make land-use decisions about residential, commercial and recreational development, that were once made by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors. Several incorporation attempts were made during the twentieth century, but none succeeded until the effort 12 years ago. Since incorporation, the full-time population has grown faster than the state average, adding approximately 5,000 residents in 10 years. Truckee's population is expected to hit 25,000 in 20 years, but with the current rate of growth, that figure could be met by 2015.
Officials expect the population to grow due to a number of factors including development and second homeowners moving into their Truckee homes full-time. The resort atmosphere that defines today's Truckee sometimes overshadows the history of its courageous founding pioneers.
They arrived in late October but the heavy snows had already begun, making it impossible to continue. Their fascinating story may be learned by visiting the Donner Memorial State Park, west of Truckee on Donner Pass Road, near the east end of Donner Lake. With the discovery of gold at Coloma in 1848 and silver in Virginia City in 1859, a road connecting the towns became imperative. The Dutch Flat-Donner Lake Wagon Road was built during this time and ran from present-day Sacramento over Donner Summit and into Nevada. It became the primary route for freight wagons and passenger coaches headed for the mines in Virginia City. An early settlement rose along the trail at the west end of Donner Lake by a man named J.D. Pollard who built a hotel that served as a rest stop for weary travelers; however, the hotel burned to the ground in 1860. In 1863, an enterprising Englishman by the name of Joseph Gray came from Sacramento and built a log cabin at the corner of today's Bridge and Jibboom Streets. Gray's Toll Station, as it was called at the time, offered provisions for travelers along the Dutch Flat-Donner Lake Wagon Road.
A year later, a man named S.S. Coburn purchased land two blocks west of Gray's Station which served as a stopping-off place for the teamsters and advance crews for the Central Pacific Railroad. This settlement grew into a small town called Coburn's Station. In 1868, the Central Pacific Railroad was built through the Truckee basin as part of the Transcontinental Railroad. The line remains a vital part of the town today. Logging was a key industry in Truckee over the past century. In 1866, Joseph Gray and George Schaffer built and operated the first lumber mill, which was located on the opposite side of the river from town. Schaffer later purchased Gray's interest and in 1871, built a larger mill in Martis Valley, three miles south of Truckee. He also constructed a huge millpond in Martis Valley that now forms part of the lake next to the golf course in the Lahontan residential development. Schaffer's mill supplied lumber to the mines of Virginia City as well as to the growing cities of Sacramento and San Francisco.
Shaffer later moved his mill a third time to a location farther south where he built a home for himself and his workers near the bottom of today's Northstar-at- Tahoe ski area on Highway 267. As demand for lumber decreased, many mills were forced to close, including Schaffer's operation in Martis Valley. However, there were two other industries that were quite large at one time. Before the invention of artificial refrigeration, large amounts of ice were needed in cities from San Francisco and Los Angeles, to as far away as New Orleans. Tons of ice blocks were cut from ice ponds on Donner Lake and Boca.
These ice blocks were then packed in sawdust or hay to keep them from melting and shipped by rail. Boca, now a reservoir located at the east end of town, also had a lumber mill operation in 1866, but became known worldwide in 1883 when a brewery was constructed next to the Truckee River. The clear, pure water of Boca that created such a demand for ice also lent itself to brewing beer with mountain water long before Coors was fashionable. Many thousands of barrels of ice cold Boca Beer were shipped throughout the United States, and the product gained worldwide recognition. By 1915, Truckee became a favorite area for winter sports, featuring a huge ice palace for ice-skating and dancing, a toboggan slide and ski jump. The Truckee Ski Club was formed and its members participated in many competitions.
Special excursion trains brought thousands of visitors to the area to enjoy the fresh air and to frolic in the snow. The movie industry brought crews to the area to film winter scenes. Famous movie actors became a familiar site on the streets of Truckee. After the 1920s, Truckee began a 40- year period of little growth and development, particularly during and after World War ll. Finally, in 1960, the Winter Olympics were held 10 miles to the south at Squaw Valley, putting the Truckee-Tahoe area on the map as a major destination resort for year-round recreation. US Highway 40 dedicated Today, tourism has become the area's lead industry, but as the town continues to grow, it is also diversifying.
In recent years, Truckee's tourism promotions have helped make Truckee a well known destination. New golf courses are either in the works or under construction. And many of the world famous ski resorts that dot the Truckee landscape are undergoing massive renovations and expansions. Since Truckee residents voted for incorporation in 1993, the town has been able to make land-use decisions about residential, commercial and recreational development, that were once made by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors. Several incorporation attempts were made during the twentieth century, but none succeeded until the effort 12 years ago. Since incorporation, the full-time population has grown faster than the state average, adding approximately 5,000 residents in 10 years. Truckee's population is expected to hit 25,000 in 20 years, but with the current rate of growth, that figure could be met by 2015.
Officials expect the population to grow due to a number of factors including development and second homeowners moving into their Truckee homes full-time. The resort atmosphere that defines today's Truckee sometimes overshadows the history of its courageous founding pioneers.
Historical Timeline
1844 Where Truckee got it’s nameStephens Party
1846 Donner Party
1846-1848 Emigrant Trail
1863-1865 Dutch Flat –Donner Lake
Wagon Road
Gray’s Station
Pollards Station
Coburn’s Station
1866 First Lumber Mill
1867-1868 Railroad Construction
Coburn’s Station becomes
Truckee
Reno to Sacramento rail
completed
Ice Harvesting begun
1871 Schaffer’s Mill
1875 Beer brings fame to Boca
1890-1920 Truckee Winter Carnivals
1910 Motion Picture Industry
discovers Truckee
1915-1926 Lincoln Highway built
1927 Refrigerated train cars
destroy ice industry
1935 Truckee Motion Picture
Association formed
1952 Snowstorm maroons train
with 226 passengers for 3
days on summit
1960 Squaw Valley Olympic
Games
1964 Interstate 80 completed
1970 Major subdivisions
developed
1972 Northstar development
begun
1993 Town incorporates
