Fallon

Images of America: Fallon by Michon Mackedon and Valerie J. SerpaFallon

In the mid- to late 19th century, nonnative populations first settled Fallon, Nevada, and the surrounding areas in Churchill County. Tracts of land were claimed from a desert floor, watered sporadically by the Carson River, which, in "good years," flows abundantly through the region. Fallon can be seen as a palimpsest, having once exclusively been home to Native Americans and then becoming an overland crossroads. In the mid-1890s, Jim Richards established a store at the crossing and Mike Fallon opened a small post office nearby. Lahontan Dam, completed in 1915, strengthened early agricultural roots and inspired rural dreams of verdant plenitude. Churchill County presently supports dairies and vineyards as well as farms and ranches. The City of Fallon has developed in significant ways, taking pride in its cultural life, schools, parks, businesses, and city-owned utility enterprises.

Authors Michon Mackedon and Valerie J. Serpa are lifelong residents of Fallon and intimately involved in the community's literary, artistic, and educational life. With generous assistance from the Churchill County Museum and Archives, they have designed a visual narrative of Fallon's story, creating a vibrant and ongoing memorial on the occasion of Nevada's sesquicentennial.

The Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all.