As World War II raged in Europe in 1941, the British government found itself short of magnesium alloy. The metal—a third lighter than aluminum—was an important component in effective aircraft and weapons construction. One American company, Basic Refractories, Inc. (BRI), of Cleveland Ohio, felt it was in a position to help. BRI was already exploiting raw components of magnesium in Brucite, a small mining camp in northwestern Nye County, Nevada.

The city of Fernley owes its existence to the Newlands Project, which began irrigating a small number of farms in an arid region of western Nevada in 1905. The project, which diverted water from the Truckee River, was the first of its kind to be federally funded. The overall success of the endeavor is debatable to this day, but there is no doubt that it gave birth to the town of Fernley.

Soon after its founding in 1868, Elko became a critical distribution point for the Central Pacific Railroad in northeastern Nevada, and quickly established itself as the central business hub for desolate Elko County. By February 1869, the budding town supported a rough and rowdy population with over sixty canvas tents. Later that year, Elko was selected as the seat of the county that bears its name. The town grew over time, with shipping, livestock, gaming, and mining as central to its economy. These remain important industries in Elko today.

The town of Carlin emerged soon after the Central Pacific Railroad established the eastern terminus of its Humboldt Division in 1868. Even before the town was platted, a small group of Chinese railroad workers occupied the area on what is now the western border of Elko County.