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History · Montello

Montello’s history is mostly unwritten

The public archives hold just one old photo of Montello. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.

1old photo or paper
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From Montello’s archive · credits on each photo

What stands out about Montello’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Montello’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Montello’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old view1940 Census Enumeration District Descri…: stand where they stood+15 Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
The story

How Montello came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Montello.

Read it all →

The first permanent settlement at Montello was made in 1869. The town of Montello was established in 1904 as a "division point" (operations base) for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Montello's development was prompted by the construction of the Lucin Cutoff across the Great Salt Lake in Utah, a line that bypassed the area's former division point town of Terrace, Utah. Many of the original houses in Montello were moved there from Terrace and nearby Kelton, Utah. Montello was originally named "Bauvard", and received its current name in 1912. The word Montello is Italian for "little mountain" and was probably given by one of the early Italian settlers.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Montello, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1850s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1850s1 item
1940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - Nevada - Elko County - ED 4-13, ED 4-14, ED 4-15, ED 4-1618501940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - Nevad…
Today5 recent
2014-06-11 17 09 24 Buildings along Nevada State Route 233 (Montello Road) in20142014-06-11 17 09 24 Buildings along Nevada State Rout… 2014-06-11 17 08 37 View north along Nevada State Route 233 (Montello Road) 22.8 miles north of the southern terminus in20142014-06-11 17 08 37 View north along Nevada State Rou… 2014-06-11 17 08 00 View north along Nevada State Route 233 (Montello Road) 22.4 miles north of the southern terminus n…20142014-06-11 17 08 00 View north along Nevada State Rou… Northernmost of the Jackson Mines, Looking SE, Elko Co., NV2009Northernmost of the Jackson Mines, Looking SE, Elko C… Jackson Mines, Pilot Peak on the left, Looking S-SE, Elko Co., NV2009Jackson Mines, Pilot Peak on the left, Looking S-SE, …
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

1940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - Nevada - Elko County - ED 4-13, ED 4-14, ED 4-15, ED 4-16
Retake this view1940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - Nevada - Elko County - ED 4-13, ED 4-14, ED 4-15, ED 4-16, 1850

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Montello’s page.

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Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

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From Wikimedia Commons (6) and Wikipedia. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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