UPDATE 4/1/24:

UPDATE: A generous donor has offered a dollar for dollar match up to $2500 to help finish off the fundraiser. That’s right, the last $2500 will be matched 1-1 to help us reach our goal of $30,000!

To sweeten the pot, we are lowering the level of donation to receive one of our limited print posters. For just $100 we will send you a thank you card and this beautifully designed print of the cottage.

But that's not all! We have lowered the cost of the N-C-O Facilities Tour to just $500. The private tour is scheduled for SUNDAY, MAY 19TH. Make your donation and join us for this wonderful opportunity to see firsthand the importance the railway played in our region's history. All contributors at this level will also receive a limited edition print of the cottage.

If you haven’t already, please consider making a donation today and help us reach our goal! Click the contribute button to the right, or mail a check to N-C-O Ry., P.O. Box 1583, Alturas, CA 96101.

THE LAST REMAINING COTTAGE

OF THE

NEVADA-CALIFORNIA-OREGON RAILWAY

Image of the cottage (left) shortly after completion in 1917. 

Photograph taken by Jervie Eastman, titled, “N. C. O. Office” Alturas, Cal.

Courtesy of University of California, Davis. General Library. Dept. of Special Collections.

The Nevada-California-Oregon Railway historical society has been presented with an amazing opportunity to purchase the last of the five original employee cottages built by the Railway in 1917. Located on Main Street in downtown Alturas, the cottage remains well preserved and little has changed over the years. Thanks to a generous loan for the down payment by some of our members, the historical society has successfully removed the cottage off the real estate market and has now closed escrow. The cottage is ours!

Here is where we need your help. We are asking for donations to help us pay off our loan of $30,000 as quickly as possible so we may continue moving forward with the development of the property. As one of the newest railroad historical societies in the western states, we’ve already accomplished so much thanks to our members. Now we need to reach out further into our community by asking for your support through a financial donation. We have big plans for the property, but we can’t do it without you!

Share far and wide!  After you’ve contributed to our campaign, please take the opportunity to share our fundraiser on social media with family and friends. Let them know the important work we are doing to save local history and how they can help. Own a local business? We are a 501©3 nonprofit, and your donation may be tax-exempt.

 Image of the two main employee cottages and administration building of the N-C-O Railway.

Photograph taken by Jervie Eastman, titled, “NCO Office Building”.

Courtesy of the Modoc County Historical Society.

Back in 1917…

the Nevada-California-Oregon Railway sold the southern portion of its system to the Western Pacific Railroad, including their facilities in Reno, NV. Knowing the Railway needed a new home, the city of Alturas offered land, water rights, electrical generation, and $10,000 to the N-C-O to ensure their relocation to Modoc County. Management for the Railway wasted no time bringing in labor and supplies to erect new facilities in town. Renowned Reno architect. Frederick DeLongchamps was hired to design each structure to be erected on the new grounds, including the two main cottages on Main Street next to the administration building. The stonework for the home used locally sourced field stones. The wood used for the construction was milled locally and harvested from the nearby Warner Mountains. The cottage was provided as a home for one of the managers of the Railway, but details of who specifically occupied the cottage are unknown at this time. The cottage remained in use until the eventual sale of the N-C-O in 1926 to the Southern Pacific Railroad. SP would continue to use the cottage for employees until the eventual sale of the property. Over the years, the cottage would exchange owners until the eventual sale of the property to Ed and Lynn Wistos, who used the cottage to sell antiques.

 Image from the original blueprints for the employee cottage showing little change in how the cottage stands today.

Drawn by architect, Frederick DeLongchamps of Reno, NV.

Courtesy of the University of Nevada, Reno. Special Collections Department.

Today we see…

the cottage remains in remarkably good condition thanks to the efforts of previous owners to keep as much of the original interior as possible. With access to the original blueprints, we see little has changed structurally except for an addition added to the back of the house that includes a small bathroom, dressing room, and a built-in refrigerator box. This addition is believed to have been done during SP’s ownership. The kitchen has been updated at some time, as seen by the unique countertops and sink installed in a most favorable color pallet. The kitchen's expansion included removing the original back porch and side entry.  The exterior of the cottage has seen the removal of the original shake shingle roof and replaced by a modern metal roof that has done well in protecting the cottage beneath it. Siding has seen the addition of plywood boards, replacing the original shake shingle siding though all the window and door trim appears to be the original.

As you walk into the cottage, one is welcomed by the original wood paneling and trim throughout the front of the house. The original doors still wear their glass knobbed handles. The original fireplace stands ready to provide heat, and the hutch in the dining room remains untouched after so many years.

It all takes time, but the future is looking bright for preserving the legacy of the Nevada-California-Oregon Railway. We hope you’ll join us in donating to help save this unique piece of railway and Modoc history! To learn more about our historical society and some of the great work we’ve already accomplished, head to our website, NCORy.org or visit us at Facebook.com/NCORy.org to see progress on the interior restoration.

Members of the N-C-O Railway historical society after completing a tour of the cottage at our May gathering.

Image courtesy of Peter Dubois.

Thank you for all your support!

Shane Starr          Eugene Vicknair          Andrew Brandon          Laura Snell

President                Vice President                   Secretary                   Treasurer

Elizabeth Cavasso   Kevin Schindler   Sam McGrath   Gus Paoli  Matt Starman

       Director                  Director               Director          Director          Director