Nostalgia & History > Mr. Harriman wasn't impressed

In 1904 Edward H. Harriman had launched the modernization program of Union Pacific which included the straightening of the Central Pacific line in western Nevada.  As a result the original Central Pacific division point at Wadsworth was by-passed.  The railroad looked for land closer to the Sierras to build a new terminal with roundhouse and back shop.  They first looked at Reno but property there was too expensive so they looked three miles east of Reno and purchased a swampy ranch prone to flooding.   There initially wasn't a name for the terminal and it was at first called "East Reno", "New Reno", then Harriman.   Mr. Harriman visited the site and let it be know he preferred it be named for someone else.  The site was then named Sparks after the sitting governor of Nevada at the time, John T. Sparks.

The site had to be filled before construction could begin and it took 334 rail cars and crews working two shifts a day for six months dumping dirt and gravel to raise the site an average elevation of 18 inches.  In 1903-04 they built a 40-stall completely circular roundhouse, the largest roundhouse in the world for its time and also the largest building west of the Mississippi River.  They also build a massive shop building.  They moved the depot from Wadsworth to Sparks where it is still in use today as the yard office.   You can see it in this circa 1973 photo in the background between the rear of the SD45 and the SP boxcar.

Moving day was July 1, 1904 and houses in Wadsworth were dismantled and put on flat cars for movement.  Even trees were dug up and moved to the new terminal.  Land was made available to Wadsworth employees in Sparks and sold for about $1 a lot.  I well remember the roundhouse and the company houses along B Street when my family first drove through Sparks in 1954. The roundhouse was torn down in 1956.  The shop building now houses private businesses.

Sparks has been transformed from a railroad town to gambler's Mecca, thanks in large part to the Sparks Nugget which has swallowed much of the original railroad property.    Sparks has spread out over the years nearly eliminating the Truckee Meadows (which is still flood prone) with warehouses and businesses. Its population in 2006 was estimated to be 83,000 people.  Since I left area in 1977 Sparks has changed so much I had to ask directions to find my sister's house on a vacation trip to California several years ago.

JB - Omaha



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/20 16:15 by Copy19.

---

Bricks from the roundhouse found themselves inside the steak house at the Nugget

Great photo, and history. I enjoyed getting off the Zephyr and snagging some photos of the rotaries in Sparks back in the SP days. Still need to stay in a track view room at the Nugget - some day.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone