Lamoille, Nevada
Encyclopedia
Lamoille is a rural unincorporated community
in Elko County
in the northeastern section of the state of Nevada
in the western United States
. It is located about 17 miles (27.4 km) east of Elko
at the base of the Ruby Mountains
at an elevation of 5889 feet (1,795 m) and is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area
.
The early history of the community and surrounding area is summarized in a nearby highway marker:
Lamoille is nestled off the western flanks of the Ruby Mountains
, and is the principal gateway to this range via the National Scenic Byway up Lamoille Canyon. In 1907 a small church was constructed on the east side of the community, and is still in use today.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Elko County
Elko County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 45,291 people, 15,638 households, and 11,493 families residing in the county. The population density was 3/sq mi . There were 18,456 housing units at an average density of 1/sq mi...
in the northeastern section of the state of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
in the western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
. It is located about 17 miles (27.4 km) east of Elko
Elko, Nevada
Elko is a city in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The population was 18,297 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Elko County. The city straddles the Humboldt River....
at the base of the Ruby Mountains
Ruby Mountains
The Ruby Mountains comprise one of the many mountain ranges of the Great Basin in the western United States. They are the predominant range in Elko County, in the northeastern section of the state of Nevada. To the north is Secret Pass and the East Humboldt Range, and from there the Rubies run...
at an elevation of 5889 feet (1,795 m) and is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area
Elko micropolitan area
The Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area is a two county Nevada statistical area of . The area includes portions of the Humboldt River Basin , the Snake River Basin , and the Central Nevada Desert Basins subregion ....
.
LAMOILLE VALLEY - Because heavy use denuded the grass from the main Fort Hall route of the California Emigrant Trail along the Humboldt River, many emigrants left the river near Starr Valley. They skirted the East Humboldt RangeEast Humboldt RangeThe East Humboldt Range is a line of mountains in northeastern Nevada in the Great Basin region of the western United States. It located in central Elko County in the upper watershed of the Humboldt River, which flows to the southwest from its source just north of the range.The East Humboldts run...
and the Ruby Mountains along a Shoshone Indian path, rested their livestock in Lamoille Valley, and returned to the Humboldt RiverHumboldt RiverThe Humboldt River runs through northern Nevada in the western United States. At approximately long it is the second longest river in the Great Basin, after the Bear River. It has no outlet to the ocean, but instead empties into the Humboldt Sink...
.
John Walker and Thomas Waterman first settled the area in 1865. Waterman named the valley after his native VermontVermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. In 1868, Walker erected the Cottonwood Hotel, store and blacksmith shop in the valley, and the settlement became known as "The Crossroads." Here wagons were repaired and food and supplies could be obtained. The original buildings and the more recent 20-bedroom Lamoille hotel, creamery, flour mill and dance hall are gone.
Lamoille is nestled off the western flanks of the Ruby Mountains
Ruby Mountains
The Ruby Mountains comprise one of the many mountain ranges of the Great Basin in the western United States. They are the predominant range in Elko County, in the northeastern section of the state of Nevada. To the north is Secret Pass and the East Humboldt Range, and from there the Rubies run...
, and is the principal gateway to this range via the National Scenic Byway up Lamoille Canyon. In 1907 a small church was constructed on the east side of the community, and is still in use today.