When William Fuller arrived in the Truckee Meadows in 1859 he knew that the area he was laying claim to had enormous financial potential - although the area was nondescript and indistinguishable from any place else in the region, it was directly in the path of a heavily used route between northern California and Virginia. Fuller built a bridge and hotel near the south bank of the Truckee River and renamed the area 'Fuller's crossing'. Word spread of his development and soon enough, a businessman named Myron C. Lake came calling - he purchased the hotel and bridge from Fuller and renamed the development 'Lake's crossing'. Lake began charging a toll for the bridge almost immediately.
After purchasing the hotel and bridge, Lake was the sole property owner in the area. He maintained complete autonomy until 1868 when the Central Pacific Railroad (which would later become the Union Railroad) crossed the Sierra Nevada and set their sights on Truckee Meadows. Charles Fuller's initial speculation was right, the area was directly in the path of the railroad and they were now willing to pay for the land. Lake had all the leverage in the situation and took full advantage; an agreement between himself and CPR would see a new outpost built and land rights divided between the two. The town was named 'Reno' in honor of Union Army general, Jesse Lee Reno (a man who had been killed in the Civil War), and the city has grown quickly over the years.
In 1872 the Truckee & Virginia Railroad began to expand and the town of Reno became a crucial transfer point for the vast amount of wealth coming from the Comstock Lode. By the onset of the twentieth century Reno was establishing a new reputation as a place that people could get divorced easily, due in part to the lenient laws of Nevada. The press was quick to note the number of celebrities that suddenly sought to divorce in Reno - soon, the reputation was that Reno was the "divorce capital" of the country. Gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931 and Reno began to fill up with gambling houses soon afterward. The 'divorce capital' reputation, in addition to the gambling legalization became the foundation of a tourist industry that continues to flourish today.
Reno is a very important stopoff in the western United States for transportation, and its situation has helped it to developed a strong economy even as it prospers as a gambling hub. City leaders and industry and politics have ushered in expansion efforts, the key of which is (in a move echoing the area's origins) a railroad meant to increase travel to the area. A reinvigorated downtown sector is also playing a major part in the expanding the tourist traffic beyond those seeking the hotels and gambling, as is the close proximity to the mountains and numerous luxury resorts in the area.
A perfect combination of incentives - warm weather, a multitude of outdoor activities and first class accommodations - now an important aspect of the city's continued success. The initial decisions and efforts of both Fuller and Lake were based on keen speculation; while both men were wildly ambitious it is doubtful either of them could have envisioned their efforts having the far reaching impact they ultimately did.
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