Wadsworth semi-weekly dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1900-07-04
Town History.


Wadsworth, at an elevation OF 4o77
feet above the level Of the sea. is situa-
ted in the southeastern part Of the
county, where the Central Pacific Rail
road crosses the Truckee river. The
Big Bend, or Lower Crossing. Of the
Truckee River IS familiar to our
pioneers and to all overland emigrants
who came by this route. as being the
place where they obtained the cold
mountain water. more precious than
gold; the fresh river trout beyond price;
where their oxen cropped the first green
grass for many days; and where wearied
Body, eyes and soul found relief from
the fatigue Of the pelting sun and
scorching sand OF the desert.
1t was here that Fremont left the
river. TO journey south in 1874, and
here that the tired party OF emigrants
guided to water in the same year by
the faithful Indian. Truckee. as a re-
ward for a well KEEP promise gave his
name to the beautiful stream. Here
the river runs to the north to find re-
pose in the bosom of Pyramid and
Winnemucca Lakes, and here many a
wornout traveller bent his knees to
praise an all merciful God for rich gifts
In 1854 Bill Gregory established a
trading post. and he was followed in
later years by others, who cut grass and
peddled it and water to emigrants on
the desert. Not only this they secured
the plain in search OF stock which had
faAen by the wayslde overcome by work
and left to die. When found they were
given grass and water and then driven
to Wadsworth where they were fattened
and sold again to other emigrants.
Hitler in 1861 came T. G, Herman,
Joseph FellnagIe, George Alt and Jas.
Morrow, to find homes and settle. Tom
Herman and Joe Fellnagle formed a
partnership and took up land which now
fronis part Of the Herman ranch. Alt
and Morrow took up land adjoining on
the south, and here the four lived to-
gether until Alt and Morrow determined
to 90 back to the Truckee Meadows
and disposed Of their property to Tom
and Joe. In 1862 and for some sue
cseding years Belleville, Grantsville,
Columbus, Ellsworth and other places
we're in their prime, and the roads were
dotted with freight teams engaged in
transporting merchandise, machinery,
lumber etc, at two and one-half cents
per pound, to the booming camps.
Quite a town sprang up across from the
present site OF Wadsworth, named Dry
town. The hotel man. the blacksmith
he harness-maker, the saloon man
the keepers of feed %corrals, the barber,
the wagon-maker, and the storekeeper,
all fl~ourished. Contemporaneous with
and succeeding 1862. times were live
ly and money plentiful. Seventy-five
freight teams, prairie schooners, with
crews OF teamsters and their swampers,
sailed the high seas Of the desert. rne
earliest business men were: joan hal
loway, Tom and Joe, Dan mcClaine
Hugh Knox, William Nichols, Z. Oh
inghouse, William Paterson. Andy
Russell, George Frazer, q Nc 0onald,
E. Fowler, D. M. Geieer, John Lee,
Lem Savage. James Ferguson. Dave
Ehler, William Donaldson. N. Gilbert
Nj. Raphael, and as ranc.lers. Tom ano
Joe, Hank Miller, John Newman, vii
Gates and ]. 0. Gregory. Many o.
these came with the Central Pacific
Railroad in 1869. Bill Nichols. es-
tablished Stockton station on the deser
Nov. 10, 1868, and a we'll was SUM
395 feet before water was found. The
old town Of Wadsworth, named afteI
General Wadsworth, was given birth By
" @.i r9--lf.. D..i-zaz C1na-an,