Record Courier Staff Report
July 2, 2008

The town of Truckee, Calif., is rustic and steeped in history, but the real story of Truckee began before it was a town.

Truckee was named after the Washoe Indian guide who led the Murphy-Steven-Townsend Party in its quest to cross the Sierra Nevada before winter. The route directly west out of Truckee Meadows (Reno) became the Emigrant Trail and the most popular route to the California gold fields.

One group of emigrants, the Donner Party, is known throughout the world for the hardships it endured. Trapped in the Sierra Nevada by an early snowstorm in October 1846, rescuers couldn't reach members of the party until February of the following year. During the period, more than 22 feet of snow had amassed. Food was virtually nonexistent, and as people died of starvation, others had to resort to cannibalism. Only 47 of the 89 members of the party survived.

The Emigrant Trail Museum is located in Donner Memorial State Park at the eastern end of Donner Lake. The 353-acre park has 154 campsites and 50 picnic sites. Park rangers conduct nature walks. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Memorial Day when the hours change to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In 1863, Coburn's Station was built to cater to the emigrants traveling over the pass. The station became Truckee, a town developed to support the railway under construction through the Sierra Nevada. During the height of railroad construction, Truckee's Chinatown was the second largest in the West, superceded only by Chinatown in San Francisco.

At the turn of the century, the railroad, logging and ice-harvesting became Truckee's mainstay industries.

The Truckee-Donner Chamber of Commerce located at the train depot on Donner Pass Road is an excellent spot to begin a tour of the historic district. Gather up maps and information brochures and spend a few minutes planning. Don't overlook points of interest outside of the historic buildings on the main street.

The rocking stone, a 17-ton natural phenomenon located near High Street, is one of only 25 known in the world. Used by Native Americans as far back as 15,000 years ago, the stone was where they dried food and conducted ceremonies.

Truckee Books, located on the corner of West River Street and Highway 267, was built between 1898 and 1907 as a saloon. Perhaps not of the most elaborate historic architecture, the strong selection of historic books, plus new and used fiction and non-fiction, make it an essential stop for historic information and hours of browsing.

The oldest building in Truckee is Gary's Log Waystation, built in 1863 and moved in 1909 to the corner of Bridge and Jibboom streets. The old jail at Spring and Jibboom streets was in continuous use from 1875 until 1964.

Side trips to the cemetery on East Jibboom Street and interesting architecture throughout Truckee add depth to your understanding of the town.

If you are a shopper at heart, you'll discover specialty shops in the historic district, plus Truckee boasts its own factory outlet mall with more than a dozen stores, including Big Dog, Home Again and Bass.

Food and beverages are available in the historic district from at least 10 different vendors. Or you can pack a picnic lunch and relax under the towering pines at Donner Memorial State Park or the Truckee River Regional Park, with five separate picnic areas.

A scenic 90-minute drive from Gardnerville to Truckee winds through the Sierra Nevada. The day trip starts by taking any of the access roads to the Lake Tahoe Basin and exiting the basin on California Route 267.

The most scenic trip is Route 207 Kingsbury Grade, west on Highway 50 to Highway 28. Continue west, passing through Incline Village to California Route 267. Turn right on Route 267 and follow it to Truckee.

You enter Truckee on Bridge Street. Turn left on Donner Pass Road. The Chamber of Commerce is on your left.

Truckee combines scenic beauty, history and contemporary shops into an ideal place to spend the day. With recreation at Donner Lake and a history trail in downtown Truckee, there is a little bit of something for everyone on this day trip.