Truckee Means 'It Will Be All Right'

The word Truckee means “It will be all right,” and comes from 1844, when the first US settlers crossed the Sierra here near Tahoe. They encountered a Native in Northern Nevada who said to them a word that sounded like, “Truckee, truckee.” He then drew lines in the earth, telling them there is a river on the other side of the mountains, full of fish,  Then he'd say Truckee, Truckee, and the travelers knew it meant, “It will be all right,”  The Native then guided the Stephens Party across the mountains and when they got to the river, they named it the Truckee. So Truckee, California, which is the town just up the road from here, is named for a word that means, “It will be all right.” A nice sensitivity for me to find as I learn about the place where I've moved. (Source: Sierra Stories by Mark McLaughlin)