Junction House
Reno, Washoe County, Nevada
Marker Inscription
Junction House. One of the busiest crossroads of pioneer Nevada converged at this point, serving many major toll roads of the area. The earliest emigrants from the east crossed through Truckee Meadows at this point, and by 1853, the intersection was known as Junction House, was the first permanent settlement in this valley and a stopping place for thousands. Junction House, later called Andersons, was a station for toll roads of the 1860s including the turnpike to Washoe City, the Myron Lake Road to Oregon, the Geiger Road to Virginia City and the important Henness Pass route to California.Governor Sparks bought the property in the late 1890s, and most recently it belonged to cattleman William Moffat.
Erected by Nevada State Historic Preservation Office
The Story
At this crossing of the Truckee Meadows, one of pioneer Nevada's busiest crossroads took shape. By 1853 Junction House had become the valley's first permanent settlement and a stopping place for thousands of emigrants. It anchored a web of toll roads in the 1860s — the turnpikes to Washoe City and Virginia City, the Myron Lake Road, and the important Henness Pass route to California. Governor John Sparks later owned the property.
Why it matters
Junction House illustrates how toll roads and waystations knit together the mining economy of early Nevada and seeded its first permanent communities.
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Related people
- · John Sparks
- · Myron Lake
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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