Fallon has been the seat of Churchill County since 1904 and during the automotive era has been part of numerous historic highways. Fallon was first designated as part of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and was part of three distinct alignment generations of the trans-continental corridor. By November 1926 the last generation of the Lincoln Highway in Fallon was repurposed as part of US Route 50. By 1939 US Route 95 was aligned through Fallon when the corridor was extended through Nevada to Blythe, California.
The current alignments of US Routes 50 and 95 began to evolve during the 1950s and would be in place by 1959. Numerous older segments of US Route 50 since 1976 have been repurposed as Nevada State Routes 115 and 119. This blog serves as an examination of the alignment history of the US Routes and the Lincoln Highway within the Fallon area.
Early US Route 50 and Nevada State Route 1A (later US Route 95) can be seen passing through Fallon the 1937 Nevada Department of Highways map of Churchill County.
Part 1; the history of US Routes 50 and 95 in Fallon
On July 24, 1896, the Fallon town site and post office were founded at the ranch of Michael and Eliza Fallon. Jim Richards would open a store close to the Fallon Post Office during 1896. Fallon began to thrive as the commercial center of Churchill County as it was far more accessible than Stillwater.
On New Year's Day 1904 the Churchill County seat would relocate from Stillwater to Fallon following an act by Nevada state legislature. The Southern Pacific Railroad would begin construction of a spur line to Fallon beginning during May 1906. The spur line to Fallon was complete by December 1906 and the first train would arrive on January 10, 1907. Fallon would later incorporate as the only city in Churchill County during 1908.
The Fallon city plot can be seen on the 1908 United States Geological Survey map. The Fallon city plot was based around the north/south oriented Maine Street.
Maine Street in downtown Fallon can be seen below in January 1913 (University of Nevada, Reno photo).
During 1912 Indiana Businessman Carl G. Fisher conceptualized the Lincoln Highway as a major transcontinental Auto Trail. The Lincoln Highway was formally dedicated on October 31, 1913, and would pass through Fallon. The Lincoln Highway initially used the following alignment heading westbound in Fallon:
- Berney Road
- Perimeter Road
- A no longer existing east/west road through Naval Air Station Fallon
- Union Lane
- Testolin Road
- Drumm Lane
- Harrigan Road
- Stillwater Avenue
- East Street
- Center Street
- Maine Street
- Williams Avenue
- Auction Road towards a no longer existing bridge at the Carson River
The initial alignment of the Lincoln Highway through Fallon can be seen as a blue line on the official Lincoln Highway Association map.
The Nevada Department of Highways was commissioned on March 23, 1917. The department would adopt numerous major highway corridors to be improved as modern automotive roadways. Much of the existing Lincoln Highway corridor including Fallon would become part of Nevada State Route 2.
Planned Nevada State Route 2 can be seen on the 1917-1918 Nevada Department of Highways Biennial. The planned state highway corridor through Fallon was shown to be proposed to follow much of the original routing of the Lincoln Highway.
The Lincoln Highway would be shifted onto an alignment through Stillwater via used to the Stillwater Mountains to avoid the flood prone Fallon Sink. West of Stillwater the second-generation Lincoln Highway followed Stillwater Road and entered downtown Fallon on Stillwater Avenue. The Stillwater alignment of the Lincoln Highway was intended to be temporary, and was addressed in the 1917-1918 Nevada Department of Highways Biennial.
A new concrete bridge carrying the Lincoln Highway over the Carson River west of downtown Fallon was featured in the 1919-1920 Nevada Department of Highways Biennial. This then new crossing shifted the highway to the south as an extension of Williams Avenue. The previous span had been located along Auction Road and was in danger of collapse.
The second generation of the Lincoln Highway in the Fallon area was short lived and would be replaced during the early 1920s. The Lincoln Highway Association contributed funding to the Nevada Department of Highways to construct 17.3 miles of new roadway over the Fallon Sink between Sand Springs and Grimes Ranch (1919-1920 Nevada Department of Highways Biennial).
The 1919-1920 Nevada Department of Highways Biennial referenced the Fallon Sink as being infamously known as the most haggard segment of the Lincoln Highway.
The 1923-1924 Nevade Department of Highways Biennial reported approximately 6.22 miles of the Lincoln Highway was surfaced during recent contracts. The paving included 1.22 miles of Portland Cement in downtown Fallon.
The third generation of the Lincoln Highway heading westbound was shifted onto an alignment which used Berney Road and Harrigan Road towards Stillwater Avenue in Fallon. When the US Route System was finalized by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) on November 11, 1926, the corridor US Route 50 would follow the third generation Lincoln Highway through Fallon.
Early US Route 50 in the Fallon area can be seen on the 1927 National Map Company Highway Map of California.
The first over reference to Nevada State Route 1A first appears in the 1927-1928 Nevada Department of Highways Biennial. The corridor was referenced as part of a survey ordered between Schurz and a point 7.5 miles north of Fallon. Nevada State Route 2A originated as Nevada State Route 3 in Schurz and spanned north via Fallon to US Route 40 at Fanning siding.
Nevada State Route 1A can be seen in detail on the 1929 Nevada Department of Highways map.
The 1929-1930 Nevada Department of Highways Biennial reported that much of Nevada State Route 1A between Schurz and Fallon had been constructed biennium period. The project was part of a general program intended to improve highway access north of Hawthorne along Walker Lake.
The same biennial featured a photo of US Route 50 at the Fallon Sink near Four Mile and Eight Mile Flats.
The 1930-1932 Nevada Department of Highways Biennial announced that Nevada State Route 1A had been constructed to state standards south of Fallon to the Mineral County line. The improvements were funded by 1931 legislative allocations. Nevada State Route 1A south of US Route 50 in downtown Fallon initially used Maine Street and Schurz Highway.
Early US Route 50 and Nevada State Route 1A can be seen passing through Fallon the 1937 Nevada Department of Highways map of Churchill County. Westbound US Route 50 can be seen using Harrigan Road, Stillwater Avenue, East Street, Center Street, Maine Street and Williams Avenue to pass through Fallon. Nevada State Route 1A can be seen using Maine Street and Schurz Highway through Fallon.
The AASHO Executive Secretary advised the Highway Engineers of; California, Nevada, Oregon and Idaho in a letter dated July 7, 1939, that Executive Committee approved the extension of US Route 95 to Blythe, California. The extension of US Route 95 into California was contingent upon the completion of the Idaho-Oregon-Nevada Highway #456 in Oregon. The extension of US Route 95 to California brought it through Fernley via multiplex of US Route 40 where the former split east towards Fallon via Main Street.
US Route 95 was intended to branch from US Route 40 via Nevada State Route 1A towards Fallon. A June 10, 1939, letter by the Nevada Highway Engineer notes the condition of Nevada State Route 1A north of Fallon was poor. A temporary alignment of US Route 95 via multiplex of US Route 40 to Fernley is cited as being recommended until Nevada State Route 1A was brought to higher standards. The Nevada Highway Engineer expressed desire to have US Route 95 aligned through Yerington temporarily instead of backtracking eastward to Fallon.
US Routes 50 and 95 can be seen multiplexing from Fernley to Fallon on the 1940 Official Road Map of Nevada. Within Fallon US Route 95 branched south to Schurz via Nevada State Route 1A.
US Route 95A can be seen for the first time originating at Fernley on the 1941 Nevada Department of Highways Map.
In 1955 the Nevada Department of Highways rerouted the mainline of US Route 50 in Fallon. The mainline highway followed US Route 95 through downtown along Maine Street and Schurz Highway to Berney Road. The department created a US Route 50A which followed the original alignment east of Maine Street via Center Street, East Street, Stillwater Avenue and Harrigan Road. The realignment of US Route 50 and creation of US Route 50A were both made without a formal request to the AASHO Executive Committee. The changes in Fallon appear first appear on the 1956 Nevada Department of Highways map and Shell Highway of Nevada.
The alignments of US Routes 50, 50A and 95 in Fallon can be seen in detail on the 1957 Nevada Department of Highways map of Churchill County.
The 1957-1958 Nevada Department of Highways Biennial reported as having conducted a study and contracted to realign US Route 50 north of Naval Auxiliary Air Station Fallon. The purpose of the realignment was to permit runway expansion over Berney Road. The project was requested and fully funded by the Navy.
The new then new alignment of US Route 50 bypassing Naval Auxiliary Air Station Fallon was completed in 1959. The new realignment followed Williams Avenue east from Maine Street in downtown Fallon and bypassed the air station to the north. US Route 50 consolidated back in with the existing Austin Highway near Grimes Point east of the air station.
On June 11, 1959, mainline US Route 95 was approved by the AASHO Executive Committee to be relocated onto Nevada State Route 1A directly to Fallon after it had been modernized. The AASHO also approved a request by the State of Nevada to maintain alternative alignment of US Route 95A via multiplex of US Route 40 to Fernley onwards towards Yerington.
The then new alignment of US Route 50 east of Fallon bypassing Naval Auxiliary Air Station can be seen on the 1960 Nevada Department of Highways map. A portion of Nevada State Route 42 east of downtown Fallon was repurposed as part of the realignment US Route 50 east of downtown Fallon. US Routes 50 and 95 were both realigned off Maine Street and onto Taylor Street which provided more streamlined continuity with Schurz Highway. US Route 50A was eliminated as Berney Road no longer was continuous through military property. US Route 95 can be seen aligned directly north of downtown Fallon to US Route 40 near Fanning siding via a newly surfaced Nevada State Route 1A.
Harrigan Road and Berney Road were both initially retained as unnumbered State Highways. As part of the wider 1976 Nevada State Highway Renumbering Berney Road was assigned as Nevada State Route 119 whereas Harrigan Road was assigned as Nevada State Route 115. Nevada State Route 119 begins at US Route 95 and follows Berney Road 4.137 miles east to the Beach Road gate to Naval Air Station Fallon. Nevada State Route 115 originates at Berney Road and follows Harrigan Road 4.822 miles north to Stillwater Avenue in Fallon.
Part 2; a drive on modern US Route 50 in Fallon
Eastbound US Route 50 meets US Route 50A near the site of Leetville siding. US Route 50A connects to Fernley and was requested by the Nevada Department of Highways during July 1940. AASHO originally denied the request for the designation for US Route 50A, but the Nevada Department of Highways signed it anyway. The Nevada Department of Transportation would request for the designation to be formalized by AASHTO during April 1997 which was ultimately approved.
US Route 50 enters Fallon on Williams Avenue and intersects US Route 95 at Taylor Street.
US Route 50 eastbound and US Route 95 northbound multiplex on Williams Avenue in downtown Fallon to Maine Street. US Route 95 branches north on Maine Street towards Interstate 80 whereas US Route 50 continues east towards Grimes Point and Austin. The Churchill County Courthouse is located at the northwest intersection of Williams Avenue and Maine Street. The current courthouse was constructed in 1903 during the transition of the Churchill County seat from Stillwater to Fallon.
Part 3; a drive on Berney Road (former US Route 50 and current Nevada State Route 119)
Westbound Nevada State Route 50 begins at the Beach Road gate for Naval Air Station Fallon. As noted in Part 1 Berney Road was part of US Route 50 until 1959 when the runway facility at the air station expanded.
Westbound Nevada State Route 119 intersects southbound Nevada State Route 120 at Pasture Road.
Westbound Nevada State Route 119 intersects northbound Nevada State Route 115 at Harrigan Road. Harrigan Road between 1926-1955 carried mainline US Route 50 and US Route 50A from 1956-1959. The 1956-1959 alignment of mainline US Route 50 continued west on Berney Road to US Route 95.
Westbound Nevada State Route 119 terminates at US Route 95.
Part 4; a drive on Harrigan Road (former US Route 50 and current Nevada State Route 115)
Nevada State Route 115 begins via a northward jog from Berney Road onto Harrigan Road.
Nevada State Route 115 intersects Nevada State Route 720 at Union Lane.
Northbound Nevada State Route 115 intersects Nevada State Route 118 at Wildes Road.
Northbound Nevada State Route 115 follows Harrigan Road and enters the city of Fallon. Nevada State Route 115 terminates at the intersection of Harrigan Road and Stillwater Avenue. Prior to 1959 eastbound Nevada State Route 42 branched right on Stillwater Avenue towards Stillwater. The 1926-1955 alignment of westbound US Route 50 and 1956-1959 alignment of US Route 50A turned left on Stillwater Avenue towards downtown Fallon.
The original alignment of US Route 50 followed Stillwater Avenue westward and made a right-hand turn on East Street.
The original alignment of westbound US Route 50 turned from East Street via a left-hand turn onto Center Street.
The original alignment of US Route 50 followed Maine Street to Williams Avenue where it consolidates with the modern highway. Most of the buildings along Maine Street in downtown Fallon were reconstructed following an earthquake in 1954. The repairs often included slipcovers atop the original facade and awnings over the entrances. Maine Street was added to the National Register of Historical Places on June 27, 2019.
Part 5; the original alignment of US Route 95 on Maine Street
Between 1939 and 1955 US Route 95 was aligned on Maine Street between Schurz Highway and Williams Avenue. The Maine Street corridor begins south of downtown Fallon via a soft transition from Schurz Highway near Wildes Road.
Northbound US Route 95 originally intersected US Route 50 along Maine Street at Center Street. US Routes 95 and 50 both originally followed Maine Street through downtown Fallon and turned left at Williams Avenue. Prior to 1959 Maine Street north of Williams Avenue was a standalone sub-standard Nevada State Route 1A.
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