The city of Sparks, Nevada, is named after John Sparks, the governor of Nevada between 1903 and 1908.
Located 3.5 miles (or 5.6 kilometers) east of Reno, Sparks grew around a rail switching yard established by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The settlement was renamed Sparks in 1904 after being variously called East Reno, Glendale, and Harriman, after E H Harriman, president of Southern Pacific.
The city of Sparks was incorporated on March 15, 1905.
