Reno
Reno, the county-seat of Washoe County, as a town was first
known as "End of the Track." It was later christened Reno by
Central Pacific Railroad Company, in honor of General Jesse
Reno, who was a personal friend of Mr. Mills of the CPRR Co.
Mr. Samuel A. Green, of the Massachusetts Historical Society
in Boston, who knew General Reno personally, writes the
following concerning him: "General Reno was one of the
three brigade commanders under General Burnside, who
commanded the Burnside Expedition that sailed from Anna-
polis for North Carolina in January, 1862. ....I remember
well how he looked. He was a West Pointer, served in the
Mexican War. he wore a full beard and had the military
bearing of a trained soldier. My acquaintance with him
began at a dinner given by the field and staff of my
regiment (the 24th Massachusetts) on Christmas Day, 1861.
He was a fine type of regular army officer."
(footnote: Mr. J. W. Redington, Reno, states that Gen.
Reno had a son, Jesse W. Reno, who war born at Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas in 1861, who became quite a cele-
brated electrical engineer and expert. He invented the
moving sidewalk. He now resides in New York, where he is
connected with large electrical companies.)
Sparks
Sparks is a division point on the Southern Pacific Rail-
way, three miles east of Reno. Early in 1903 the railroad
company decided to locate its shops on the Marlin ranch,
east of Reno. In May, 1903, work was begun and the shops
were later moved from Wadsworth. A town sprang up like
magic, and competition over the naming of the new place
followed. Some thought of calling it East Reno. The
discussion was settled by instituting a postoffice under
the name of Harriman, but popular sentiment was in favor
of Sparks, so called for John Sparks, who was Governor
of the State at that time.
Verdi
Verdi, which is situated on the Southern Pacific Railway
and the Truckee River, near the western boundary of Washoe
County, was named by the SPR Company. The place takes its
name from Verdi, the music composer, and was chosen on account
of its brevity and dissimilarity to the names of other
stations near by.
Webster
Mention of the town Webster has been found but once, and
there the statement was made that parties interested in the
Peavine District, had laid out a town in the vicinity of
the mines, which they had dubbed Webster after Daniel Webster.
Wadsworth
Wadsworth is a small town situated on the Southern Pacific
Railway and at the big bend of the Truckee River, at what
was known as the Lower Emigrant Crossing. The place was
named by the SPRR Company for General Wadsworth.
(footnote: James Samuel Wadsworth was born at Geneseo, NY,
on October 30, 1907. He was a member of the Peace Conference
in 1861, and in the same year served in the first battle
of Bull Run, distinguished as a division commander at
Fredricksburg and Gettysburg, and was sent on a special
service in the South and West in 1864. He was mortally
wounded at the battle of the Wilderness on May 6, 1864,
dying near Chancellorsville, VA on May 8, 1864.)
Joan