Far out on The Loneliest Road in America you’ll find Eureka, one of Nevada’s most picturesque 19th century silver mining towns and once the state’s second largest city. Steeped in Nevada’s colorful history, and possibly the best-preserved mining town, Eureka uses its relative isolation as an attraction. After Life magazine called U.S. 50 “The Loneliest Road in America,” Eureka, 242 miles east of Reno, began to call itself “The loneliest town on the loneliest road in America.”
Silver and lead were discovered in the Eureka area in 1864, but extracting the ore wasn¹t feasible until 1869 when smelters were constructed. Eureka produced considerable mineral wealth, and by 1878 had a population of 8,000. A building spree began, the fruits of which are still very much in evidence today. The large brick buildings included the Eureka Courthouse (1879), the Eureka Sentinel newspaper offices (1879), the Eureka Opera House (1879) and the Jackson House (1877).
The sturdy brick construction, somewhat unusual in 19th century mining towns, was the result of a disastrous fire in April 1879 that destroyed most of the wooden buildings. When Eureka was rebuilt, brick and fireproof iron shutters and doors were the preferred materials. It was a fortunate decision that now provides Eureka with historic centerpieces that serve as major visitor attractions, promoted by local and regional tourism entities and the Nevada Commission on Tourism.
The opera house, restored to 1870s splendor, is a theater, a community center and a magnet for writers and photographers. Next door is the quaint Jackson House Hotel, Saloon and Cafe, an interesting restaurant and rooming house with Old West ambiance. The Eureka Sentinel is a fine small museum that displays old newspaper equipment and other exhibits detailing the town¹s history. The two-story red brick Eureka County Courthouse on main street is one of Nevada’s best-preserved examples of late 19th century architecture.
In a more modern vein, comfortable lodging can be found at several motels, the largest of which is the Best Western Eureka Inn on Main Street. An informative historic walking brochure is available from the Eureka Chamber of Commerce, Box 14, Eureka, NV 89316 (Phone 800-237-5544).
The Loneliest Road
The Loneliest Road roughly parallels the trail blazed a century ago by Pony Express riders. Later, Highway 50 was part of the original Lincoln Highway, the nation’s first intercontinental road. Stretching the width of Nevada, U.S. 50 is a path through places seemingly untouched by man, providing an abundance of sights. Highway 50 crosses the massive region of the West known as the Great Basin, formed by a prehistoric inland sea.
Traveling west from Utah, the visitor first encounters impressive Wheeler Peak, the crown jewel of Great Basin National Park. Within the park are the intriguing Lehman Caves, an extensive series of fascinating limestone caverns, and groves of gnarled Bristlecone pines, some more than 3,000 years old. About an hour from the park is Ely, a historic copper mining town and home of the Nevada Northern Railway Museum, one of the best-preserved shortline railroads, with rides available. West of Eureka is Hickison Summit, site of rare Indian petroglyphs, or ancient rock writing. The next stop is Austin, a historic mining town with three of the loveliest frontier churches in the West, as well as Stokes Castle, an architectural oddity built in 1897 by an eccentric millionaire to resemble a three-story Roman Villa.
Further west is Sand Mountain, a 600-foot high, 2-mile long mountain created by wind-blown sand from the beaches of the prehistoric sea. About 15 minutes east of Fallon is another Indian petroglyph site at Grimes Point and the Hidden Cave, an archeological site that tells the story of Nevada’s earliest inhabitants.
Fallon is a charming agricultural region famous for its “Hearts of Gold” cantaloupes and the Churchill County Museum, one of the finest in the state, which offers exhibits that describe the trip across Nevada by covered wagon (Fallon was on the Emigrant Trail, at the end of the tortuous “40-Mile Desert.”) Lahontan Reservoir, which offers a full range of water sports, fishing, boating and camping, is part of the Newlands Irrigation Project, the nation’s first federal reclamation project.
Just south of the Loneliest Road, on U.S. 95, is historic Fort Churchill State Historic Park, built in 1861 as a garrison for federal troops during the Civil War and to protect the citizens from hostile Indian attacks. Lastly, the traveler arrives at Fernley, the western gateway to the Loneliest Road and a fast-growing community that offers plenty of services.
Traveling this famous stretch of Highway 50 offers time for peaceful introspection. Sometimes there is no other traffic as far as the eye can see in either direction, and that’s a long way when you’re on “The Loneliest Road in America.”
