Lovelock Played an Important Role in the Settling of Nevada

 

The famed Round Courthouse in Lovelock, Nevada

   Sometimes it’s easy to overlook a place like Lovelock. It’s about halfway between Winnemucca and Reno, so many travelers on Interstate 80 pass by it on their way to somewhere else.

   But Lovelock is a community filled with rich history that deserves to be explored. Located about 90 miles east of Reno, the town traces its roots to the 1840s, when travelers on the Humboldt Trail (or Emigrant Trail) began stopping in the area for water and grass.

   Because of the great abundance of the latter, the region became known as Big Meadows and was an essential stop for travelers who needed to recharge before continuing south through the treacherous 40-Mile Desert.

   Additionally, in the 1850s and 60s, several significant mining discoveries were made in the area, including at Unionville and Rochester.

   In the 1860s, Englishman George Lovelock established a large ranching operation in the valley. In 1868, he gave 85 acres to the Central Pacific Railroad for a townsite, which was named in his honor. Originally called “Lovelock’s,” in the 1920s the name was shortened to simply, Lovelock.

  As mining dwindled, agriculture and ranching became more important. At the turn of the century, Lovelock was the location of the ranch of John G. Taylor, owner of one of the west’s great cattle empires. At one time, Taylor owned 60,000 head of sheep, 8,000 cattle, 130,000 acres of land and leased another half million acres.

  Additionally, the meadows proved ideal for growing crops such as barley, wheat, oats and alfalfa. The latter continues to be an important crop for local farmers.

   Wandering around the streets of Lovelock, which, sadly, contains many vacant lots and empty building, you’ll find a number of structures with history, including:

   • The Lovelock Depot, on the corner of Main Street and West Broadway Avenue, was constructed in 1880 by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The building is the only remaining example of a series of residential #2-style two-story depots erected through Nevada by the railroad. The building has been restored and is now owned by the city of Lovelock, which leases out space to commercial businesses.

   • The First National Bank Building (1905) in the former heart of Lovelock’s commercial district. It was originally the home of the First National Bank and the Lovelock Tribune newspaper.

   • The Lovelock Post Office on Dartmouth Avenue was built in 1937 and is considered a prime example of the Moderne architectural style. Inside, it boasts a large mural that the Smithsonian Institute has called one of the best representations of early Western art. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

   • The Pershing County Courthouse at the intersection of Main Street, Western Avenue and Central Avenue was constructed between 1919 and 1920. It has an unusual round design (one of only a handful of round courthouses ever built). Designed by famed Nevada architect Frederic DeLongchamps, it incorporates a Classical Revival style of architecture and was patterned after the Pantheon in Rome.

   • The Marzen House Museum, located west of the downtown off Cornell Avenue, was built in 1874 and is one of the area’s oldest homes. It was constructed by Colonel Joseph Marzen, owner of the Big Meadow Ranch, one of the region’s largest cattle operations. Restored in the 1980s, it now houses a fine local museum containing displays that tell the history of Lovelock. (For more info, go to: pershingcounty.net/community/marzen_house_museum/index.php)

   An excellent source of information about Lovelock and its history is the History of Lovelock (& Pershing County) Facebook group. It is a public group but you must request permission to join. To access it, go to: www.facebook.com/groups/lovelocknevada.