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Author :Victor K. Ray in Education

I am visiting Winnemucca Nevada and I thought I would mention some must see places here. First, Winnemucca is halfway between Salt Lake City and San Francisco, about 500 miles in each direction on I-80.

Interestingly, it is the only city in America that is named after a native Indian, Chief Winnemucca. He was a chief of the Paiute Indians.


First must see is the Humboldt Museum. Just above the site of the Humboldt Museum is where thousands of wagon trains forded the Humboldt River on the long trek to California, sits the Humboldt Museum. The modern brick building mirrors its historic predecessor, a church turned museum. Also, on site is the Greinstein Building-- an 1880's store, and the Richardson-Saunders House-- an 1899 Eastlake style home. Together, the buildings house the story of the community.

Remains from the Ice Age of 13,000 years ago, wonderful beaded and quilled regalia from an American Indian collection, vintage automobiles, keepsakes from Winnemucca's "art Nouveau" period, and an early soda manufacturing scene are just some of the displays awaiting your visit.

A second must see is the Martin Hotel. Winnemucca had the largest number of Basque immigrants in the country.

The Martin Hotel is located on the corner of Railroad and Melarkey Streets in Winnemucca. Established in 1898, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, its dining rooms served heavy passenger and commercial traffic generated by the adjacent Southern Pacific Railroad. As a rooming house it was once a favorite place for area cattle ranchers and sheep men to stay on their infrequent trips to town.

The Martin’s family style Basque dining room, bar, and meeting rooms are still a favorite gathering place for area ranchers, townsfolk, and travelers alike. With its unique stucco exterior, familiar veranda, and hitching posts, and its interiors covered with an amazing variety of pressed tin walls and ceilings, the Martin Hotel offers a truly wonderful setting to experience an authentic family style Basque American meal.


Finally, Winnemucca is known for the bank holdup by Butch Cassidy and his gang. On September 19, 1900, the story goes, Butch Cassidy rode into Winnemucca and robbed the local bank. Butch and the boys got clean away, galloping out of town in a hail of bullets with $32,000 in gold. Later, the story tells us, he added insult to injury by sending the bank a photograph of himself and the boys in fancy new suits, stiff collars, and derby hats.


Pre-1907 Bridge Street in Winnemucca. The First National Bank is the building on the left side of the street visible to the right of the tree.

Although the bank was indeed robbed, it probably was not Butch Cassidy as the historic lore has been invented. Click on the link below for a different story.

https://nevadagram.com/butch-cassidy-and-the-great-winnemucca-bank-robbery

Several Casinos in town have rooms for rent as do hotels and motels. For campers, check out Winnemucca RV Park or Silver State RV Park.