Conversations My Perspective on Expressions That Span Millennia

By Roseanne Palmer, Native American of Navajo Ancestry

“Donner Summit Petroglyphs of Martis Culture which occupied in summers from about 2,000 B.C. to 500 A.D. Petroglyphs are found in many places and all are of the same style with repeated designs. No one knows their significance. Perhaps they had religious or mystical meaning. Perhaps they were hopes for the future or perhaps they were records of the past. Whatever the case they must have had great significance because granite, onto which they are carved, is one of hardest rocks on the planet and the petroglyphs must have taken a lot of time and energy to create.”

Donner Summit Historical Society

For years, I’ve been going up to Truckee to explore the tunnels. I have always loved seeing and feeling the connections between the train tunnels and the amazing petroglyphs on the massive granite surfaces just below.

When I think about the tunnels and the beautiful art, one might say, “It’s graffiti.” As you walk through the tunnels, you see messages; you see art; you see expressions of a passing thought. You undoubtedly see items spray-painted on these tunnel walls that you may find offensive. So why would someone paint something on a wall that makes no sense?

The truth is, it makes sense to the artist.

I always giggle when I go inside the tunnels and then exit only to enter another, and right below me is an expression of art or message from my ancestors left thousands of years ago.

Thinking about my native ancestors, I wonder what their reasoning was in creating this vast display of symbols. No one knows why these petroglyphs are there. There’s speculation that they may be religious rituals or notes to family members or other tribes passing by.

The truth is, no one knows for sure.

On a recent visit, I looked at the tunnel walls just a few hundred feet away from the petroglyphs and thought, “these are identical art and expressions.” So, in modern-day terms, could the petroglyphs be called “native” graffiti?

Challenging my own thinking and imagination, I wondered, “could this be a similar expression?” Could it be a right of passage to go and spray paint on a tunnel wall or chisel a message on granite for the passerby to see? The only difference is; one message is present day, and one was put there hundreds of years ago.

Society today doesn’t like graffiti. I don’t justify graffiti; it defaces property. What an artist might seem to think is an appropriate place to put a message, or artistic expression is really an inappropriate canvas. But, as I said, my ancestors put petroglyphs on these beautiful granite stones. I wonder, “were they teenagers, or were they adults rebelliously carving a message to leave behind?” Would these images have been considered rude and inappropriate by an adult chief or elder???

I don’t know the answer to this; I’m not an archaeologist, art historian, or given to studying cultural geographics. But regardless of the intent of the expressions, I love meandering through the tunnels and exploring the petroglyphs below, letting my imagination and thoughts meander creatively through both cultural landscapes in which these two forms of expression reside nearby: wall painting and stone carvings.

In my option, they reflect the same spirit of art and a personal message.

If you haven’t explored the Truckee Train Tunnels and viewed the Donner Pass Petroglyphs, Sacred Symbols from Ancient Times, I encourage you to do so, and perhaps, in conclusion, your perspective will mirror mine.

By Steve Cottrell, Nevada County Historian

The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad was built from the Central Pacific Railroad depot in Colfax to Grass Valley and Nevada City. Traveling the roads by horseback or stagecoach could take the better part of a day and importing the heavy timber and mining equipment for the local mines was hard enough when the weather was good, but the dirt roads were near impassable in the winter. Construction was begun on February 11, 1875, and the last spike was driven on May 20, 1876.

The route of the 1869 transcontinental railroad included several miles of track along the southern portion of Nevada County, but a route that would have gone through Grass Valley and Nevada City, crossing the Sierra Nevada range at Henness Pass, had been considered earlier.

Theodore Judah, a civil engineer, and early proponent of a railroad to link the Atlantic and Pacific, came to Nevada County in the summer of 1860 at the request of his friend Charles Marsh, also an engineer, and the two men trekked to Henness Pass to evaluate a possible route over the mountains and into what was then the Utah Territory.

Although it was not as high as Donner Pass, imposing ridges and grades convinced Judah that Henness Pass route was inferior to the route that took the Central Pacific Railroad from Sacramento by way of Dutch Flat and Donner Pass to the Truckee River.

As a result, the route of the transcontinental railroad bypassed Grass Valley and Nevada City. Instead, it worked its way up the western slope of the Sierra Nevada through present-day Colfax, crossed the Sierra Nevada and dropped down from Donner Pass in the east to a small settlement that initially served as an advance camp for railroad crews then grew to become the town of Truckee.

The “iron road” was only twenty or so miles from Grass Valley and Nevada City, and the key to connecting our two towns with the Central Pacific Railroad was to construct a line to Colfax in adjoining Placer County. Those discussions began in earnest in 1873.

Since it would be a meandering, twisting line of about twenty miles, a narrow-gauge track with smaller rail width was needed. Narrow gauge trains handled tight turns better than a standard gauge railroad, like the Central Pacific, and, with less steel, the rails were cheaper to manufacture and ship from St. Louis.

For financial speculators, however, cost vs. income for such a line didn’t seem promising. But local leaders — primarily bankers and mine owners — were convinced that freight rates and passenger fares would reward bondholders with a favorable return, so they began soliciting investors. The nascent railroad company’s board of directors initially estimated that a line from Nevada City/Grass Valley to Colfax would cost about $300,000 (more than $900 million in current relative project worth). Being cautious, directors announced that they would not break ground until at least $250,000 had been pledged.

Although they failed by about $30,000 to reach the desired $250,000 threshold, the board of directors believed more money would be invested once construction was underway. And on August 12, 1874, the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad project went out to bid.

In November, when bids were due to be opened, there was only one proposal to consider, and it was for $500,000 — half to be paid in gold, the other half in bonds of the company. It wasn’t exactly what railroad directors were hoping for, but it was time to build the line to Colfax.

Construction began in early 1875, and the following January the first engine and cars from Colfax arrived in Grass Valley. It was a construction train, absent passengers, but the link had been made and all that remained was to lay a five-mile track to Nevada City.

The Grass Valley Union suggested that a party be held a few days following the Last Spike ceremony, and that it should double as a reunion of former county residents who, following the gold rush, had scattered to the four winds. Shortly after the newspaper offered the suggestion, a group calling itself the Old Settlers Committee organized and set May 26 as the date for a reunion picnic.

First, however, came the NCNGRR Last Spike ceremony on May 20 — a day described by the Nevada City Transcript as snowy and bitterly cold, but with gaiety that included “the firing of guns, ringing of bells, salutes from military, brass band music, blowing whistles, and the shouts of a thousand or more people.”

Then, once the ceremonial Last Spike had been driven, Judge Niles Searls stood on the cowcatcher of the engine that had just pulled in from Grass Valley and told the shivering crowd, “Our railroad is an accomplished fact. The last rail is laid in your presence. The connection is made that unites Nevada (City), the queen city of the mineral land, with her sisters of the civilized world.”

Judge Searls, who in 1887 became Chief Justice of the California State Supreme Court, said the new rail line would help advance the economic and cultural interests of the county, and promised that “the ‘old settlers’ who are soon to visit us will again see and feel and realize the same chivalric love of locality which animated us in the olden times, when they were among us and of us.”

Six days later, an estimated 7,000 local citizens and visiting pioneers — more than 600 of whom had taken the narrow-gauge railroad from Colfax to either Grass Valley or Nevada City — cheered the presence of an engine steaming on the edge of the picnic grounds, its whistle blown at intervals for the crowd’s enjoyment.

In 1877, John Kidder, who engineered the NCNGRR construction, became the company’s general superintendent and, in 1884, its president. Prior to his death in April 1901, Kidder signed over to his wife Sarah more than 1,800 shares of company stock, which made her the majority stockholder. A month later, she was elected president of the Nevada County

Narrow Gauge Railroad, securing all but 157 voting shares out of more than 2,500 shares cast. Sarah Kidder, who became the first woman in the United States to hold such a position, later retired to San Francisco, where she lived until her death in 1933.

The line operated until 1942, but its legacy lives on at the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, #5 Kidder Court in Nevada City — a free museum, suitable for kids and adults alike.

Directions and more information can be found at ncngrrmuseum.org

Intrepid pioneers, relentless lawmen, and crookedbut-captivating outlaws. With a history rooted in the best of the Old West and access to some of the best recreation west (or east) of the Mississippi, Truckee, California, is the quintessential mountain town. The gold prospectors came during the mid1800s, and then the Central Pacific Railroad made its push into the area in the 1860s. With all that activity, the town instantly became a bustling lumber center. Truckee sure was dusty, gritty, sinful, and downright dangerous in its heyday.

Nowadays, Truckee has managed to become a major year-round tourist destination while simultaneously retaining the pioneering spirit that fueled it from the beginning.

The Wild Legends of Truckee excerpt courtesy of biglife magazine

Words by John Caldwell

By Cassie Hebel, Executive Director, Truckee Downtown Merchants Association

“Step into any of the stores, bars, and cafes along Truckee’s Donner Pass Road (also known as the main drag) and you’re likely to see a few black-and-white photos hanging on the walls. They’re images of Truckee’s days gone by, a history that locals still cherish, even as their town has grown from being a railway stop to becoming a destination that has graced the pages of magazines touting its connections to skiing, shopping, dining, and life itself.

In fact, the Wall Street Journal recently featured Truckee in an article about, “The Coolest, Under-the-Radar Ski Towns in the American West.” The Matador Network ratcheted up the praise when it named Truckee its “#1 Coolest Ski Town In North America” for 2018. Whether they welcome the plug or not, most locals would proudly nod their heads in agreement.

Truckee has grown up.” Scott

Mortimore, Truckee

Talk of the Town

In “normal” years doing business in Truckee means you are prepared for ups and downs. Big weather events, forest fires, and shoulder seasons in Spring and Fall are challenging for businesses to navigate. Yet, they do, and they do it well.

COVID-19 heightened our need for the private and public sectors to convene in order to provide the financial resources needed to ensure our business community would survive. And it did!

Chambers and Downtown Business Associations throughout Nevada County came together like no other time in our history, ensuring the voice of business was heard loud and clear. To best assist the needs of our business community, the Town of Truckee, Nevada County, Sierra Business Council, the Tahoe Community Foundation, Truckee Arts Alliance, Nevada County Arts Council, and private entities banded together to provide comprehensive resources and financial support.

A common question in business was will you be a “have or have not?” Will you survive?

Business models changed to meet the needs of COVID-19 restrictions. Brick-and-mortar-only businesses created an online presence that continues to support their bottom line today. Social Media became a staple for retail shops that historically did not need such avenues. Virtual Foot Traffic increased.

2022-Post COVID-19 crisis, yet still, the effect of the pandemic lingers as it has changed the soul of our community.

As the gateway to the Sierras, Truckee was perfectly poised to endure the effects of COVID-19 and make a quick recovery. From its inception, Truckee’s business community has provided service that supports industry: Railroad, Lumber, Ice Harvesting, and Tourism. A hardy stock of humans, our Truckee community, survives and grows.

“Historic Downtown Truckee is one of the only places in the world where you can find such beautiful scenery along with friendly people, incredible restaurants, and one-of-a-kind shops. This is a town that visitors keep coming back to and others end up moving to in order to experience Historic Downtown Truckee and this exceptional community.”

Truckee Chamber of Commerce

Lights, camera action!

COVID-19 allowed us to look at business in Truckee with a new lens, pivoting as needed. Closed, partially open, curbside, outside only, and OPEN! Store hours changed, staffing dwindled, and a need to become more efficient with time and money became mandatory. Small businesses run by local humans were required to take inventory of time, space, and the effects of living one’s best life.

Take it slow to assess what is most important, and ensure that the bottom line is our well-being, not just the dollar.

Some businesses scaled back while others expanded. For example, Cabona’s reduced their square footage to provide an open storefront for Bespoke and Atelier to condense their two locations into one. Cornerstone Bakery expanded its square footage by adding a sister business, Cornerstone Kitchen. Mountain Freak Boutique and Mountain Living Home Consignment each added a second location at Truckee’s Pioneer Center.

An influx of new businesses joined the Historic Downtown Truckee community: Fuddism restaurant, RMU Outdoors retail, restaurant, and bar, Drink Coffee Do Stuff coffee house, Tahoe Mountain Life retail, Wild & Ruff retail, Trout Creek Outfitters retail, Arbor Boardhouse retail, Grizzly Menswear retail, Adele’s Attic retail, Juniper Boutique retail, Alpenglow Gallery art, Piper J Art Gallery, Tahoe Mountain Realty, COMPASS Real Estate, and Liberty Bell Smart Home.

Creating its 2022 summer comeback, Truckee Downtown Merchants Association’s (TDMA) Truckee Thursdays Summer Street Fair increased the events’ footprint, vendor participation, and attendance, hosting over 70 thousand attendees.

TDMA’s and Truckee Rotary Club’s Downtown Holiday Festival & Bud Fish Tree Lighting Ceremony successfully celebrated the start of the 2022 Holiday season with over 4000 residents. An inspiring Holiday Lighting event that uplifts our spirits.

The Town of Truckee implemented the Truckee TART Connect during the summer of 2022, running through September 5, 2022. The TART Connect 3-month pilot program evaluated the community’s acceptance and utilization of TART Connect in a fiscally responsible manner and determined the long-term demand and viability of this type of on-demand transit service.

The Town of Truckee is exploring this type of unique transit service as an investment in critical infrastructure and community connectivity for our town as a long-term mobility solution.

The Pilot Program exceeded expectations, carrying just under 20,000 passengers in the ten and a half weeks of service. TART Connect, as an addition to our currently offered fixed route and Dial-a-Ride services, increased ridership by over 230 percent! In addition, surveys showed that riders were pleased with the service, reporting a 4.9/5 average trip rating, with 90% of passengers picked up in 15 minutes or less.

Given the success of the summer pilot, the Town Council and partners at Visit Truckee-Tahoe, Tahoe Donner Association, Glenshire/Devonshire Residents Association, Tahoe Forest Hospital, and Truckee Tahoe Airport District all expressed their support to launch a winter pilot to start on December 15 through the winter months.

Visit Truckee-Tahoe introduced its Sustainable Tourism Campaign, ensuring our mountain trails and businesses are supported. Through the Shop Local with Sustainable Truckee Gift Card, visitors and residents alike may purchase Truckee Gift Cards redeemable at over 45 Truckee small businesses.

The foundation of our community is built on adapting to the ever-changing “new” normal. Historically, we’ve pivoted as needed to endure the many changes throughout time. And while the 2020 Pandemic tested our foundation…our community persevered!