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Research Projects Retracing the Past: The Austin and Reese River Transportation Company Toll Road PI: Ted Hartwell Project Period: October 2000 - September 2002 Funded by: DRI Lander Endowment Right: Traces of the toll road remain visible today. |
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Keywords: historical archaeology, toll road, Austin, Battle Mountain, Argenta Project Description Prior to the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad in the mid-1860's the town of Austin, located in Lander County, served as the major supply center for early central and northern Nevada mining camps. Hundreds of wagons a month traveled eastward along the Central Overland Trail bringing supplies from California, which would then be distributed out of Austin. As construction of the Central Pacific Railroad approached Nevada, it became clear that the tracks were going to bypass the community well to the north. The citizens of Austin, realizing that the town's role as a major supply hub was threatened, organized the Austin and Reese River Transportation Company in order to raise funds to construct and operate a toll road that would connect with the railroad. Once completed, the toll road remained in use for approximately 12 years before being replaced by the Nevada Central Railroad. In the summer of 2001, the Desert Research Institute (DRI) of the University and Community College System of Nevada, in collaboration with the Trail of the '49ers Interpretive Center, mounted a one-week field expedition to try and determine whether or not portions of the toll road or the associated stage stations remained intact. The expedition consisted of Chuck and Ginger Barrett of the Trail of the '49ers Interpretive Center and Ted Hartwell and Sue Edwards, archaeologists at the DRI. Project results are available below in a downloadable PDF file.
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Retracing the Past: The Austin and Reese River Transportation Company Toll Road
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