Knowing Nevada: The love locks of Lovelock

LOVELOCK, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — It's a tradition that goes back hundreds (possibly thousands) of years in both areas of Europe and East Asia. A symbol of two people's love on a padlock, hooked on a chain, forever. These locks can be found throughout London, France, near the Yellow Mountains in China and along Great Wall of China.

The history is foggy about the love-lock's origin. Europeans will claim the tradition is their's; as well as the Chinese.

This begs the question, are there love locks in the town of Lovelock, Nevada? It just happens they are and they attribute this ancient Chinese custom as their cognomen.

Lovelock, NV

Back February 14, 2006, the town of Lovelock dedicated an area just behind the Pershing County Courthouse to be named Lover's Lock Plaza. The plaza is a an area where lovers have filled chain-link ropes with thousands upon thousands of locks.

"The rule is to lock your love and then throw away the key," says Danielle Steele, a Lovelock resident.

A unique customary that pays homage to the large Chinese population that lived in the town during the 18th and 19th centuries. Most notably, many of them worked on the Central Pacific Railroads in the mines throughout the meadows of Pershing County.

The town of Lovelock was named after George Lovelock, a local towns-person who owned a popular store within the town center. It wasn't until recently that the idea of 'physically locking symbolic love' became its calling card.

If you pass by the town while driving on Interstate 80, you, and your lover, should consider stopping by to 'lock your hearts and throw away the key' at our nation's love-locking destination.

If you have already locked your love, or at least plan to do it someday in Lovelock, you can add you and your lovers' story to the registry by clicking here.

Knowing Nevada is a historical heritage series that highlights some of the interesting, unknown, and known, tales about the state of Nevada. This series is researched and put together by our own native Nevadan, Miles Buergin. If you have any suggestions for our next Knowing Nevada, please e-mail him at: mjbuergin@sbgtv.com

For more Knowing Nevada stories, click here.