<p>Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. It was established in 1905 and is located just east of Reno. The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau population count was 90,264. It is the fifth most populous city in Nevada.
</p><p>Sparks is located within the Reno–Sparks metropolitan area.
</p>
<pre>Euro-American settlement of the area began in the early 1850s, and the population density in the area remained very low until 1904 when the Southern Pacific Railroad built a switch yard and maintenance sheds there. The city that sprung up around them was first called Harriman after E. H. Harriman, president of the Southern Pacific. The city was quickly renamed Sparks after John Sparks, the governor of Nevada at that time.
</pre>
<p>Sparks remained a small town until the 1950s, when economic growth in Reno triggered a housing boom north of the railroad in the area of Sparks. During the 1970s, the area south of the railroad started to fill up with warehouses and light industry. In 1984 the tower for John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort was finished, giving Sparks its first, and currently only, high-rise casino. In 1996, the redevelopment effort of the B Street business district across from the Nugget that started in the early 1980s took a step forward with the opening of a multi-screen movie complex and the construction of a plaza area. This area, now known as Victorian Square, is a pedestrian-friendly district that hosts many open-air events.
</p><p>Cultural events include the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off.
</p><p>Tourist attractions include the Great Basin Brewing Company, and John Ascuaga's Nugget Casino Resort.
</p><p>Sparks Marina Park was established on a naturally occurring aquifer in Sparks. Aquatic activities include windsurfing, sailing, swimming, scuba diving, fishing and boating. The surrounding park includes walking paths, a dog park, volleyball courts, playgrounds, picnic areas, showers, and a concession stand.
</p><p><a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparks,_Nevada">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparks,_Nevada</a>
</p>
<a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_3.0_Unported_License">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_...</a>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/75683070@N00">Ken Lund</a> from Reno, Nevada, USA
CC BY-SA 2.0
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenlund/20950529493/">Sparks, Nevada</a>