Jump to content
American Road Magazine
Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

National Treasure Lost On U S 40 Yesterday At Wells, Nv


Recommended Posts

I’m adding this new thread here because I’m not sure everyone here realizes what we lost in the Northeast Nevada earthquake yesterday. See Roadhound’s excellent post in the US40 forum here as well.

 

Here is a terrific set of photos of the devastation.

 

I fear all old road fans lost a national treasure yesterday, not to fire, nor to vandals, but to a freak earthquake. The walls in Wells, NV came tumbling down in yesterday’s 6.0 earthquake that struck northeastern Nevada.

 

ARwellsPaper.jpg

Associated Press Photo

 

ARWells2.jpg

Approximately same view (2003) before earthquake

 

ARWells1.jpg

 

Here is a terrific set of photos of the devastation.

 

The town that formed at Humboldt Wells and flourished when the Transcontinental Railroad was built, the town that served early travelers on the Victor Highway and on old US40, has finally succumbed to the forces of nature.

 

Humboldt Wells began as a station on the Union Pacific Railroad in 1869, and the town itself grew on one side of the railroad tracks. The Victory Highway and US40 passed these buildings, and many a tourist wet his whistle at one of the bars. By the 1940’s old US40 had moved a block south, along the route now lined with vintage motels, and the old historic town was left to its inevitable fate.

 

S. Quilici and Sons closed in 1991 and the once boisterous Bullhead Bar with its upstairs dance hall, the last of 13 bars that once lined the street, was closed when I went through in 2003.

 

ARWellsPano720.jpg

 

ARWellsHydrant.jpg

 

Like a lot of small towns along the better known Route 66, Wells showed its railroad heritage, reminding me of Gallup, NM, orWilliams AZ, or Loardsburg, NM on the Old Spanish Trail. The businesses were along the railroad, because that was how you came to or left those communities before the automobile became king. And later it was natural that the main road be routed the same way.

 

What made Wells both fascinating and sad was that it wasn’t recreated, restored, or even preserved. Old town was quiet. I took a photo of an old time fire hydrant, and wondered of it still provided water. It wasn’t a restoration.

 

I recall in 2003 thinking that the town needed to dress a few volunteers up in 1890’s outfits, rip out the ugly modern light posts and create a real western town right out of the 1800’s.

 

I wish old town Wells well, but I fear it is not only dead, it will now disappear. The falling walls and exposed framework are too great a liability to insure, and too costly to repair. I’m guessing that before the year is out, it will be mostly a field of weeds and a few foundations, with perhaps a couple of surviving structures. I hope not, but that is the fate I expect. If no one was willing to invest before, who will now?

 

And so, I guess this is goodbye to another American Road treasure.

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I fear all old road fans lost a national treasure yesterday, not to fire, nor to vandals, but to a freak earthquake. The walls in Wells, NV came tumbling down in yesterday’s 6.0 earthquake that struck northeastern Nevada.

 

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

 

This is truly a loss.

 

I feel lucky to have passed through their twice in the last 3 1/2 years. On our first pass through my family walked down the street looking through the storefronts, many of which still had the cash registers, shopping carts, and meat coolers still inside. It looked like somebody walked away 50 years ago. Each of the store fronts had a write up on the history of that particular store, many with a picture showing how it looked back in the day. The Bargain Barn was the only store open and we bought some refreshments to take along as we continued on towards Twin Falls.

 

Last year my father son and I walked briefly through the old part of town and it truly was a ghost town with nobody there on a Sunday morning. A freight train rolled through town but didn't stop. Trains bypassed Wells long ago.

 

The town of Wells and the people that call it home will survive and rebuild. Unfortunately I have to agree with Dave that this little piece of American history, a national treasure, has been lost.

 

Rick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...