City of Wells
Angel Lake, located near Wells, is a great place for all types of outdoor enthusiasts.
Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Nevada is a sprawling state with most of its people in two population centers. But beyond the reaches of Las Vegas and Reno is a land filled with attractions and history. Some of them, of course, might not be familiar to most Nevadans. The Sun has reached out to mayors and representatives of the Silver State’s 19 cities, giving them a platform in our pages to talk about their area’s history and attractions and to describe what makes them special and what challenges they face.
Today, we present a Q+A with Wells Mayor Gary Pollock.
Give us a history lesson. What makes your jurisdiction unique?
The area was traditionally inhabited by Native Americans from the Western Shoshone tribe. The area boasts plentiful water and wildlife resources that made the area an ideal place to call home. During the California gold rush of 1849, the California trail brought settlers through by the thousands. Wells was also ideal for the settlers due to the abundance of natural resources.
Wells was founded in 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad. Although originally known as Humboldt Wells, the name was shortened thanks to a hastily typed telegraph communication during a major fire in the city’s infancy. Wells was a watering station for the railroad, as the locomotives were steam powered back then. Wells was a bustling western frontier town that had quite a reputation for being somewhat wild.
Former heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey also briefly made Wells his home.
Today, Wells is a small community located at the intersection of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 93. We have a wonderful community with nice parks, nice people, and an old-fashioned small-town atmosphere.
What kind of attractions and events do you have that people may be interested in visiting?
Angel Lake is located on the East Humboldt range only 12 miles from Wells. The lake sits at an elevation of 8,500 feet and has a paved road that leads to it. It is a great place for outdoor enthusiasts of all types.
The Wells Fun Run Car Show and Cruise takes place at the end of July each year and boasts a car show, burnout competitions, drag races, a parade and more.
Metropolis is a ghost town located a few miles from Wells and is an interesting place to visit.
What new development opening in 2024 has you excited? Why?
Intermountain Health is opening a remote medical clinic. Prior to this development, our citizens had to travel a minimum of 50 miles for even basic health care.
What is the biggest challenge facing your jurisdiction?
Lack of affordable housing is top of the list.
What industry is most important to your town’s economy? What about diversifying?
Ranching and mining are two very important industries in our community. Diversification of industry would be an absolute game-changer for growing our town.
What opportunity does your community provide for public education? What challenges does it face?
We have a resource center that provides pre-K education as well as elementary and high schools.
What challenges do your residents face with health care availability and cost?
We do not currently have any available health care. That will be changing in the near future.
Nevadans have lived with historic drought for the past two decades. What initiatives are in place to save the valuable commodity of water?
Although we are situated at the headwaters of the Humboldt River, we have also dealt with the devastating effects of drought. Wildfire risk is the primary concern.
What issues are facing your community regarding roads and transportation?
Lack of funding is our biggest hurdle for municipal spending and roads.
How can public safety be enhanced in your community?
We are extremely fortunate to have a very low crime rate. Not to say that we don’t have our share of issues, but our local law enforcement agencies do an outstanding job of keeping Wells residents safe.
What is one thing you wish the rest of the state knew about your jurisdiction?
We have a large industrial park ready for development. Our location at the crossroads of I-80 and U.S. 93 makes us an ideal place for business to thrive.
