A New Dam Beginning

by Scott Elliott --  Near the end of the 19^th century a settlement began to form at a dusty intersection of wagon roads, which is now Williams and Maine. Jim Richards opened a store there in 1894 to supply local ranches and Native Americans with a variety of merchandise. Since this was the sole commercial business in the emerging farming community, the local Paiutes called it “Jim’s Town”, or sometimes “Jimtown.” Two years later Mike Fallon established his ranch just to the west. A post office was located on his ranch at what is now Williams and Ada. Envisioning an increase in commercial interest to the site, Fallon began to subdivide parts of his ranch into prospective town lots. This sounds like a fine start, but there was one problem. Water! Unless you were situated along the Carson River you could not prosper in the surrounding arid desert. For a few years a scant village of a few buildings struggled to exist, but could not compete with older settlements like St. Claire, which was situated on the river. Luckily, a new beginning was not far off. Senator Francis G. Newlands of Nevada had proposed and pushed through legislation for a reclamation project. Also called the Newlands Project, it called for a series of dams and waterways to be constructed in 13 western states for the purpose of attracting more settlers west and making more development possible.  The act passed in June of 1902. Key to the Fallon area was the Carson River Diversion Dam, in which construction began in 1903. Designed to divert water from the Carson River, it would infiltrate the desert around Fallon through a network of canals and ditches, turning the desert into farmlands. Even before construction was complete, Fallon got a jump start. Senator Warren Williams bought Mike Fallon’s ranch and began to further plat and promote the town. He also pushed for the Churchill County Seat to be moved from Stillwater to Fallon. When the courthouse was completed at Williams and Maine in 1904, it was just the sixth commercial building in the new town. The others were Richards Store, two saloons, a restaurant and The Fallon Hotel. However, by the end of that year, the town had quadrupled in size. Houses began to sprout up in all directions as 200 newcomers took up residence. Many Stillwater residents would follow the county seat to Fallon, bringing their businesses with them. The Diversion Dam was completed in 1905 and the life blood of the new town turned desert tracts into fertile fields and Fallon lived happily ever after. Not so fast! There were issues.  As early as 1908, irrigation draining problems were causing a lack of water late in the season and many farmers were not meeting their obligations. Lawsuits ensued against the government causing debates for additional legislation. The farmers themselves would come to their own rescue. They went to work in the canals and ditches creating extensive and lasting drainage systems, in effect, forming their own irrigation districts. The Carson River Diversion Dam, at 21 feet tall and 241 feet long, consists of a low concrete gate structure. 21 double leaf slide 5 by 10 ft spillway sections divert water from the river into two project canals; The V-Line and the T-line. The completion of Lahontan Dam ten years later further increased control of the water and were both instrumental in providing water to 73,000 acres of new farmland.  It wouldn’t be long before the Fallon area could boast of world-renowned melons and Alfalfa. Since then Fallon has survived floods, fires, the depression, droughts, earthquakes and the Shoal Project. Abundant farms, happy cows and a hardy population has withstood everything that could be thrown in the way for over a century. Furthermore, the continuation of The Newlands Project will ensure Fallon’s success for many decades to come. From the humblest of beginnings, a barely discernable settlement grappled to exist at a crossroads. Tempered by lean times, the settlers held out until a new beginning arrived. Fallon has been productive ever since. The Carson River Diversion Dam was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.       Never miss a meeting or community event – keep an eye on the community calendar at https://www.thefallonpost.org/events/ If you like what we’re doing, please support our effort to provide local, independent news and contribute to The Fallon Post, your online news source for all things Fallon.