Isaac and Catherine Woolverton and their family settled in this area in 1868. Fifty people called it home by 1881. A post office named Arthur opened in 1881. It was either named for the first postmaster, Arthur Gedney, or President Chester A. Arthur.
Nine children attended a single-room schoolhouse. In 1884, a new school was established to meet the needs of the growing population. Within two years, Arthur needed a larger school. The building was also used for dances and community events.
Arthur was primarily a ranching community. It also served on the Ruby Valley Stage Line. By 1941, the population had decreased to only 12. The post office closed in 1951.
Arthur was a town I added to my wish list only a few weeks ago. Amazingly, the next day, I was talking to someone in my history group. He mentioned traveling to Arthur for information about a person who grew up there. He was a little surprised I knew about Arthur. When I was planning the route from Ely to Elko and saw that Arthur was along one of the routes, that made my decision on which way to go.
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