Historical Markers of Washoe County & Reno
Location: Sparks Directions: Located in Deer Park, corner of Prater Way and Rock Blvd.
Date Conquered: 8/23/07 Quick Description: A marker noting Sparks and its roots in Nevada Railroads. Signed: No -- Historically, this marker was signed. (No signs exist today.) What a lovely swimming pool view. Of all the places the SHPO could've placed this marker, this is one of the worst in the entire system! NOTES: For any non-Renoite, finding Deer Park is a piece of cake. Access Interstate 80 and exit "Rock Blvd." Make a left, heading north until you reach Prater Way. Deer Park is located at the northwest corner of this intersection, an approximate 1/4 of a mile from the freeway. The marker is located at the west end of the park right in front of the swimming pool. Why this location? Your guess is as good as mine. Full Description: Exact description as reads ... Sparks sprang into existence in 1903 as a new division point on the Southern Pacific Railroad. Engaged in straightening and realigning the old Central Pacific trackage across Nevada, the Southern Pacific Company moved its shops and headquarters bodily from Wadsworth to this location. Employees were assigned lots and their houses were freighted to the new town. Sparks, orinally known as Harriman, came into official existence in April 1904. Later, in 1905, the city was incorporated by the state legislature and named in honor of John Sparks, rancher and governor of the state of Nevada. Sparks boasted one of the largest roundhouses in the world during the steam era. It was the western Nevada base for a vast stable of steam locomotives, particularly the famous cab-in-front articulated type (mallets). These huge steamers hauled both freight and passengers over the steep grades of the Sierra between Roseville, California and Sparks. I can think of a number of great places in Sparks to place this marker. I'll admit, Deer Park is nice and very cozy, but it just doesn't quite fit the marker's text and the legacy of Sparks. Moreover, we didn't travel all over this beautiful state just to have to stop in an urban park. Very disappointing!
NOTES: For any non-Renoite, finding Deer Park is a piece of cake. Access Interstate 80 and exit "Rock Blvd." Make a left, heading north until you reach Prater Way. Deer Park is located at the northwest corner of this intersection, an approximate 1/4 of a mile from the freeway. The marker is located at the west end of the park right in front of the swimming pool. Why this location? Your guess is as good as mine. Full Description: Exact description as reads ... Sparks sprang into existence in 1903 as a new division point on the Southern Pacific Railroad. Engaged in straightening and realigning the old Central Pacific trackage across Nevada, the Southern Pacific Company moved its shops and headquarters bodily from Wadsworth to this location. Employees were assigned lots and their houses were freighted to the new town. Sparks, orinally known as Harriman, came into official existence in April 1904. Later, in 1905, the city was incorporated by the state legislature and named in honor of John Sparks, rancher and governor of the state of Nevada. Sparks boasted one of the largest roundhouses in the world during the steam era. It was the western Nevada base for a vast stable of steam locomotives, particularly the famous cab-in-front articulated type (mallets). These huge steamers hauled both freight and passengers over the steep grades of the Sierra between Roseville, California and Sparks. I can think of a number of great places in Sparks to place this marker. I'll admit, Deer Park is nice and very cozy, but it just doesn't quite fit the marker's text and the legacy of Sparks. Moreover, we didn't travel all over this beautiful state just to have to stop in an urban park. Very disappointing!
Full Description: Exact description as reads ... Sparks sprang into existence in 1903 as a new division point on the Southern Pacific Railroad. Engaged in straightening and realigning the old Central Pacific trackage across Nevada, the Southern Pacific Company moved its shops and headquarters bodily from Wadsworth to this location. Employees were assigned lots and their houses were freighted to the new town. Sparks, orinally known as Harriman, came into official existence in April 1904. Later, in 1905, the city was incorporated by the state legislature and named in honor of John Sparks, rancher and governor of the state of Nevada. Sparks boasted one of the largest roundhouses in the world during the steam era. It was the western Nevada base for a vast stable of steam locomotives, particularly the famous cab-in-front articulated type (mallets). These huge steamers hauled both freight and passengers over the steep grades of the Sierra between Roseville, California and Sparks. I can think of a number of great places in Sparks to place this marker. I'll admit, Deer Park is nice and very cozy, but it just doesn't quite fit the marker's text and the legacy of Sparks. Moreover, we didn't travel all over this beautiful state just to have to stop in an urban park. Very disappointing!
Sparks sprang into existence in 1903 as a new division point on the Southern Pacific Railroad. Engaged in straightening and realigning the old Central Pacific trackage across Nevada, the Southern Pacific Company moved its shops and headquarters bodily from Wadsworth to this location. Employees were assigned lots and their houses were freighted to the new town. Sparks, orinally known as Harriman, came into official existence in April 1904. Later, in 1905, the city was incorporated by the state legislature and named in honor of John Sparks, rancher and governor of the state of Nevada. Sparks boasted one of the largest roundhouses in the world during the steam era. It was the western Nevada base for a vast stable of steam locomotives, particularly the famous cab-in-front articulated type (mallets). These huge steamers hauled both freight and passengers over the steep grades of the Sierra between Roseville, California and Sparks. I can think of a number of great places in Sparks to place this marker. I'll admit, Deer Park is nice and very cozy, but it just doesn't quite fit the marker's text and the legacy of Sparks. Moreover, we didn't travel all over this beautiful state just to have to stop in an urban park. Very disappointing!
Engaged in straightening and realigning the old Central Pacific trackage across Nevada, the Southern Pacific Company moved its shops and headquarters bodily from Wadsworth to this location. Employees were assigned lots and their houses were freighted to the new town. Sparks, orinally known as Harriman, came into official existence in April 1904. Later, in 1905, the city was incorporated by the state legislature and named in honor of John Sparks, rancher and governor of the state of Nevada. Sparks boasted one of the largest roundhouses in the world during the steam era. It was the western Nevada base for a vast stable of steam locomotives, particularly the famous cab-in-front articulated type (mallets). These huge steamers hauled both freight and passengers over the steep grades of the Sierra between Roseville, California and Sparks. I can think of a number of great places in Sparks to place this marker. I'll admit, Deer Park is nice and very cozy, but it just doesn't quite fit the marker's text and the legacy of Sparks. Moreover, we didn't travel all over this beautiful state just to have to stop in an urban park. Very disappointing!
Sparks boasted one of the largest roundhouses in the world during the steam era. It was the western Nevada base for a vast stable of steam locomotives, particularly the famous cab-in-front articulated type (mallets). These huge steamers hauled both freight and passengers over the steep grades of the Sierra between Roseville, California and Sparks. I can think of a number of great places in Sparks to place this marker. I'll admit, Deer Park is nice and very cozy, but it just doesn't quite fit the marker's text and the legacy of Sparks. Moreover, we didn't travel all over this beautiful state just to have to stop in an urban park. Very disappointing!
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