With the discovery of the Comstock Lode in nearby Virginia City, a budding entrepreneur decided to build a toll bridge across the Truckee River to capitalize on the would-be prospectors who were heading there. A small settlement developed around the bridge, but it wasn't until 1868 when the Central Pacific Railroad was built, that the town of Reno begin to grow.

When the mining boom slowed down in the early twentieth century, business and political activities started to shift towards Reno. When legalized gambling and liberal ... (more)