1948: Famous movie star and crooner Bing Crosby is named "Honorary Mayor of Elko." He held the post until his death in 1977.

Levi Straus Company in San Francisco was asked by the Stampede committee to make two Levi tuxedos - one for Crosby, the other for Elko Mayor Dave Dotta. Plans called for Elko to celebrate "Blue Serge Day" on June 30, 1951 during the Silver State Stampede. (Bing had been stopped from registering at a hotel in Canada while wearing his hunting clothes.)

Both Tuxes are supposed to be in the Northeastern Nevada Museum in Elko, but someone else claims to have one of them. That would be... three?

Last time I was in Elko and it's been some time, there were two competing museums of sorts.

One is in the Pioneer Hotel, (once a casino) a 19th century landmark, now refurbished in grand style to house the Western Folklife Center. The Center originated the Cowboy Poetry Gathering and other projects aimed at preserving and celebrating Western American traditions. An exhibition gallery is now open, showing ranch-fashioned items, from leather chaps to meticulously braided horsehair ropes, all so finely made they might be sculpture or jewelry. They also had many photos and it was a donation to come in and view.

The Northeastern Nevada Museum is located on Idaho St. Expanded now to several times its former size, the museum is a professionally managed and maintained archive and exhibiting regional history. I haven't been to the new remodeled museum. Adults - $5.00; Seniors (over 65) - $3.00, even though some sites will tell you it's free. However it is actually free on the last Sunday of the month, to all.

http://www.elkonevada.com/attractions.shtml

(much of the above is cut and pasted from various sites, for accuracy)

The 449er Bar is about a half a block up Railroad, the old stockyards section of town, between The Commercial and Stockmens. Also next to the newspaper offices. One of the "old timers" said it was owned by Vets who were in the same unit, supposedly the 449th during WWII. (not sure if this is true? The address is 449 Railroad St. so someone may have been pitching some bull.) It has video poker built into the bar and you get a free drink for buying a roll of quarters. Just like the big places. This was a very rustic, old local saloon, old decorations, and we loved to go there. I never stopped at the Tiki Hut next door.

There's the Horseshoe Club (does every town in Navada have one?) and the Silver Dollar (chips from here when it was Bill and Dan's) is right across from Stockmen's, all in the same downtown area.

http://www.notyourdomain.com/oldwest/nv/snaps/elkoci5.htm