Elko (Nevada)
Elko County
32-22500
Elko is a city in Elko County in the U.S. state of Nevada and as the administrative seat of Orange County, which gave the city its name. It was founded in 1869 when the Central Pacific Railroad started to make its in the area of the Humboldt River, in Elko is today.
In 2000, Elko had 16 708 inhabitants to 37.5 km ². The population density of 445.2 / km ². The city owns the Elko Municipal - J.C. Harris Field own small regional airport with connections to Reno and Salt Lake City (mainly so-called " Casino Aviator " and business flights of regional mine operators ).
Similar to the Las Vegas about 650 kms to the south Elko was initially only a transit point for machinery and supplies that were used in the surrounding gold mines north of Nevada (among the goldmine of Tuscarora, about 90 km north-west of Elko ). With the legalization of gambling in all of Nevada in 1931, the first casinos, gambling halls and hotels were built in the city that still shape the image of the city by attracting High Street, Idaho Street.
In addition to the logistic function for the mining industry Elko is also a center of the local farmer and Rancherwirtschaft. This is evidenced, inter alia, the " Elko Cowboy Poetry Festival ", which takes place every year in the last week of January and both amateurs and professionals of Country & Western scene from across the country and their fans attracts.
Elko was established in 1993 in a book on U.S. small towns of less than 20,000 inhabitants referred to as "the best American small town " ("The Best Small Town in America for the highest quality of life" ) and uses this " award" since for self-promotion. The city is home to the " Northeastern Nevada Museum " with exhibits from the native culture of the area around Elko, the Western Shoshone Indians, but also from the early days of white settlement and in the area of the gold and silver mining. The former " Pioneer Hotel " in downtown capacitors has now been converted into a museum -like "Western American Folk Art" center.
Elko is also the birthplace of Morley Griswold, a politician and from 1934 to 1935 governor of Nevada.
Elko was the scene of the published 2005 film Do not Come Knocking by Wim Wenders.