Wells
When the Central Pacific Railroad was being built in 1869, the site of Humboldt Wells was established as a station. Among the earliest businesses were Wells Fargo, a log shanty saloon, and a boxcar station office. By 1872, stores and hotels were built along the road paralleling the railroad tracks. Stagecoaches ran south to White Pine County three times a week. Three fires slowed development.
Since the early 1900s, Wells has grown away from the railroad tracks. When the Victory Highway was run through town in the 1940s, the business center moved from Seventh Street (along the railroad tracks) to Sixth Street (one block south). In the 1980s, Wells made one final stretch to Interstate 80.
On February 21, 2008, a 6.0 earthquake shook Wells, and toppled much of its historic downtown. Since then, most of it has been leveled.
