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Nevada State Route 117

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Nevada State Route 117 is 6.91-mile highway located in the Fallon area of Churchill County.  Nevada State Route 117 originates at US Route 95 near downtown Fallon where it follows Sheckler Road and Sheckler Cutoff Road to US Route 50.  Functionally Nevada State Route 117 acts as a bypass of downtown Fallon for traffic on US Routes 50 and 95. 

What became Nevada State Route 117 was commissioned as Nevada State Route 61 in 1940.  Originally Nevada State Route 61 connected Fallon to the ghost town site of Saint Clair.  Saint Clair was a town which developed during the 1870s near a bridge at the Old Carson River.  Even after being renumbered to Nevada State Route 117 in 1976 the highway continued to serve Saint Clair.  The modern bypass alignment of Nevada State Route 117 was developed in the early 1990s. 




Part 1; the history of Nevada State Route 117

The predecessor designation to Nevada State Route 117 was Nevada State Route 61.  Nevada State Route 61 first appears on the 1941 Nevada Department of Highways map and was commissioned in 1940.  As originally configured Nevada State Route 61 branched west of US Route 95 (Schurz Highway) via Sheckler Road near Lahontan Field.  Nevada State Route 61 branched south for approximately 1 mile on Allen Road and approximately 2 miles west on Saint Clair Road to the former town site of Saint Clair on the South Branch of the Carson River.   


Saint Clair Station was opened at the Old Carson River in 1862 by James Saint Clair and J.J. McCellan.  The pair obtained a franchise from the state to construct a toll bridge in 1864.  The Saint Clair Station Post Office would operate from April 13, 1865, to November 30, 1869, at Saint Clair Station.  The station and toll bridge were sold Henry Theelan in 1873.

The town of Saint Clair would begin to develop near the bridge at Saint Clair Station.  The Saint Clair Post Office would on February 16, 1877, and would operate until February 15, 1903.  Saint Clair was located south of the Old Carson River whereas Saint Clair Station was located on the opposite bank.  Saint Clair can be seen on the 1882 Bancroft's map of Nevada.  The road east of Saint Clair followed a course similar to modern US Route 50 towards West Gate.


This photo is of the Big Adobe at Saint Clair in 1871 (Churchill County Museum & Archives photo).  This house was constructed at unknown point during the 1860s.


Following the plotting of Fallon in 1896 the community of Saint Clair would decline in importance.  The Saint Clair Post Office would operate for a second time between April 3, 1905, and November 30, 1907.  The community can be seen on the 1910 United States Geological Survey map of Carson Sink.  A new schoolhouse at Saint Clair opened in 1911 and would operate until 1956 when the district was consolidated with Fallon. 


The original alignment of Nevada State Route 61 can be seen in detail on the 1957 Nevada Department of Highways map of Churchill County.  The Sheckler Community Center can be seen at the western highway terminus where the St. Clair town site once stood on the South Branch Carson River. 


Nevada State Route 61 remained unaltered until the July 1976 State Highway Renumbering.  The corridor was redesignated at Nevada State Route 117 but had no alignment changes.  

Nevada State Route 117 was realigned and lengthened by the early 1990s.  The highway is shown on the 1993-1994 Nevada Department of Transportation map following Sheckler Road west of US Route 50 for approximately 6 miles and Sheckler Cutoff Road approximately 1 mile to US Route 50.  The current alignment of Nevada State Route 117 serves as a bypass of downtown Fallon for traffic traveling between US Routes 50 and 95. 




Part 2; a drive on Nevada State Route 117

Westbound Nevada State Route 117 branches from US Route 95 at the southern outskirts of downtown Fallon.  


Westbound Nevada State Route 117 passes by 3C Events Complex which was built over the site of Lahontan Field. 


Nevada State Route 117 intersects Nevada State Route 715 at McLean Road. 





Westbound Nevada State Route 117 follows Sheckler Road approximately six miles and makes a hard right turn onto Sheckler Cutoff Road.  



Nevada State Route 117 follows Sheckler Cutoff Road to a terminus at US Route 50. 




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