As a railroad station for the Eureka and Palisade Railroad, the settlement of Alpha did better and longer than most. The northern terminus of the railroad was Palisade and the line was extended south to Alpha in 1874. Developers hoped that Alpha would be the southern terminus, which would be a huge boost for the town. But that did not happen as the line was extended south to Eureka during the fall of 1875 that ruined any chance of permanency. But during 1874 and 1875, Alpha grew to include a 75-guest hotel, saloons, stores, and all of the railroad’s shops and buildings. All of these moved to Eureka when the line was extended and Alpha became a ghost town. Only rubble and sunken cellars mark the site today. .

Submitted by: Shawn Hall from his book Romancing Nevada's Past: Ghost Towns And Historic Sites Of Eureka, Lander, And White Pine Counties Click here to purchase his book!