39.287500, -118.025000

From a nearby sign:

It was a this spot at Middlegate that in 1859 the Overland Stage & Freight Company built a station to serve the gold and silver mines near Tonopah and east to Ely. When the Pony Express began service on April 3, 1860 Middlegate Station served as a changing station on the route for 18 months until October 24, 1861 when the completion of the Pacific Telegraph line ended the need for it’s existence. Middlegate continued to serve as a stage and freight station until the early 1900s to deliver personnel and much needed supplies to the gold and silver mines in Eastern Nevada until the mines closed. Automobiles soon came into service and the Lincoln Highway replaced the long and uncomfortable stage routes. 
-Plaque Text, Snowshoe Thompson Chapter 1827 Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus

Well, we're not exactly sure this was the spot.

The site location for Middlegate Station is unknown. There are several possible locations along U.S. Highway 50 near the modern Middlegate bar and restaurant that could have been the site of the original Pony Express station. I could find no trace of any Pony Express Station at Middlegate when I visited there several times when working on highway construction projects.
- Dennis Cassinelli: Pony Express Stations, Part 13: Middlegate and Cold Springs

Regardless, they needed stage stations at regular intervals and Middlegate Station-- wherever it was-- was one of them.


OK, so, here's a crazy idea.

St. Louis papers inform us of a meeting recently held in that city for the purpose of organizing an "Overland Daily Stage and Transportation Line between Missouri and California." It is proposed to erect stations along the entire line, say thirty miles apart, at which an adequate number of men will be posted for the protection of the property, and to secure efficiency to the service. It is estimated that the first outlay will amount to half a million, and that the proceeds for transportation of mails, passengers, and gold dust, will annually amount to from half a million to eight hundred thousand dollars-- and that the trip can and will be made in twelve days!
-Kansas Herald of Freedom, January 27, 1855

First thing, they had to send someone out there to check it out and plan a route. Middlegate was one of Simpson's camping spots in 1859, and later became a stage stop on the Overland route.

Named by James Simpson in 1850, commissioned by the government to define the route west, he identified the cuts in the mountains as "gates." The Gold Rush increased traffic across the great desert, and in 1859 the Overland Stage built Middlegate Station to service the stage and freight lines traveling across the country. The Pony Express used Middlegate Station as a changing station during their short eighteen month history. At the end of the Gold Rush, Middlegate fell into disuse and the ranchers and miners carried off many of the zeolite blocks used in the original construction. In 1942, Ida Ferguson bought the station at a BLM land auction and started restoration. Ten years later, she opened a bar and cafe, and enjoyed a bustling business on the historic Lincoln Highway, the first Transcontinental highway across America. But in 1962 the state re-routed the highway and business suffered. Lacking the funds to complete her dreams of restoration, Ida sold Middlegate and retired. The business changed hands several times. There were no phones, still no electricity, and fifty miles to town- a pretty rugged existence for most people. Then in 1984 the Stevenson's purchased the property and with the help of the Churchill County Museum, restoration again resumed. It is still a work in progress. The artifacts were all found in the area, but nothing is for sale. Enjoy your visit!
-https://middlegatestation.webs.com/history

145. MIDDLE GATE STATION Several sources, including the mail contract of 1861, list Middle Gate as a station. The exact location of Middle Gate or Middlegate remains unknown, but a station in this area would serve as a logical place to divide the thirty-five mile stretch between Sand Springs and Cold Springs. Richard Burton mentions Middle Gate as a stopping place during his journey.
-National Park Service


Simpson was so close to that Monster Burger.

June 3, 1859
June 3, Camp No. 28, Gibraltar Creek.
Raised camp at 6.15, and continued down
Gibraltar Canon [Road Canyon]. For about a mile
it continued rough from isolated rocks; after this
no difficulty. Creek sinks 1.7 miles below camp.
Five and a half miles farther strike a small creek and a spring, which might be called an extension or re-appearance of Gibraltar Creek. Half a mile farther pass through a gap or gate between some stupendous rocks of a dark-gray and brown porphyritic character. This defile from the canon to the valley I call The Gate of Gibraltar [Eastgate].
It is about 50 yards wide, and of champaign character. From this gate, following the course of Gibraltar Creek [Eastgate Creek] (very small), in a southwest direction, we cross in 7.2 miles a valley or plain, and arrive at a second gate or gap [Middlegate] in a low range, running north and south, where, at 4 P.M., we encamp near the sink
of Gibraltar Creek.
-Petersen, J. G. (2008). A route for the overland stage: James H. Simpson's 1859 trail across the Great
Basin. Logan: Utah State University Press

But the rodents were plentiful.

Their mode of starting a fire is certainly very primitive, and is described in Captain Simpson's journal of June 3d, as follows: "On reaching our camping-place, which I call the Middle Gate, I saw a naked Indian stretched out on the rocks on an inclination of about twenty degrees. He was so much the color of the rocks, that he escaped our notice till we were right upon him. On being aroused, he looked a little astonished to see so many armed white men about him, but soon felt assured of his safety by our kind treatment. He seemed particularly pleased when he saw the long string of white topped wagons coming in, and laughed outright for joy. I counted twenty-seven rats and one lizard lying about him, which he had killed for food. He had with him his appliances for making fire. They consisted simply of a piece of hard "grease-wood" ( so called ) about two feet long, and of the size or smaller than one's little finger, in cross -section, rounded at the butt. Then a second flat piece of the same kind of wood, six inches long by one broad and one-half thick. This second piece had a number of semispherical cavities on one face of it. With this laid on the ground, the cavities uppermost, he placed the other stick between the palms of his hands, and with one end of the latter in the cavity, and holding the stick in a vertical position, he would roll it rapidly forward and back till the friction would cause the tinder, which he had placed against the foot of the stick in the cavity, to ignite. In this way I saw him produce fire in a few seconds. "
-The Shortest Route to California, J.H. Simpson, 1869

OK folks, here are some directions. Let's get those wagons hitched!

THE NEW WAGON ROUTE FROM GENOA TO CAMP FLOYD
We find in the Valley Tan, published at Salt Lake, the following Itinerary of Captain Simpson's Topographical Engineers, from Genoa, in Carson Valley, to Camp Floyd, Utah Territory, between the 24th of June and 5th of August, 1859:
Distance from Genoa to Carson City, 13 3/4 miles; water and grass.
From Carson City to China Town, 11 1/2 miles-25 1/2 miles; sage.
From China Town to Ford of Carson river, 1/2 mile-26 miles; wood, water and grass.
Road keeps in valley of Carson river, with slight deviations for 25 miles-51 miles ; wood, water and grass can be found at convenient points.
From thence to south shore of South Carson lake, 23 1/4 miles-74 1/4 miles; water and grass. Fuel should be brought.
From thence to junction with Captain Simpson's outward road, 7 3/4 miles-82 miles.
East shore of Carson lake. Fuel should be brought.
Leave Carson lake and outward route ; take right hand road, 4 1/2 miles- 86 1/2 miles ; water and rushes.
To very small warm spring, 6 1/2 miles- 93 miles ; water; very little grass in vicinity.
Sulphur spring, 2 1/2 miles- 95 1/2 miles; water; very little or no grass in vicinity.
Junction with outward route, 7 3/4 miles-103 1/2 miles from Genoa
To Middle Gate, 23 1/2 miles-126 3/4 miles ; sage, water and grass ; at times, running water ; at others, got by digging.
Cross small branch and take left hand road, 1 3/4 miles-128 1/2 miles; water sometimes running; sometimes in holes.
Cold springs, 9 miles-137 1/2 mil. ; sage, water and grass.
Edward's creek, 11 1/4 miles; 148 3/4 miles, willow, water and grass.
-Sacramento Daily Union, September 23, 1859

The Pony Express and various freight and stage companies also used this route, building numerous stations along the way. Middle Gate was also an important telegraph station, where news arriving by stage or pony would be flashed westward to Carson City and California.

TELGRAPHIC NEWS IN DETAIL
By telegraph from St. Louis to Fort Kearny
Thence by Pony Express to Middle Gate
Station, thence by telegraph to Sacramento
MIDDLE GATE STATION
75 miles East of Fort Churchill
July 30th
-Sacramento Daily Union, July 31, 1861

Richard Burton had no comments on Middle Gate Station itself, only on Middle Gate. If Simpson's Road was "to the south," perhaps he never came to it?

Simpson's Road lay to our south; we could, however, sight about two miles distant from the station, the easternmost formation, which he calls Gibraltar Gate. For the first three miles our way was exceedingly rough; it gradually improved into a plain cut with nullahs, and overgrown with chaparral, which concealed a few "burrowing hares." The animals are rare; during the snow they are said to tread in one another's trails after Indian fashion, yet the huntsman easily follows them. After eight miles we passed a spring, and two miles beyond it came to Middle Gate, where we halted from noon til 5:15 P.M. Water was found in the bed of a river which fills like a mill-dam after a rain, and a plentiful supply of bunch grass..."
-The City of the Saints, and Across The Rocky Mountains To California by Richard F. Burton, 1862

When the transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, telegraph lines were moved to follow the railroad.

The telegraph and the railroad were natural partners in commerce. The telegraph needed the right of way that the railroads provided and the railroads needed the telegraph to coordinate the arrival and departure of trains. The telegraph line immediately made the Pony Express obsolete, which officially ceased operations two days later. The overland telegraph line was operated until 1869, when it was replaced by a multi-line telegraph that had been constructed alongside the route of the First transcontinental railroad.
- History of the U.S. Telegraph Industry, Economic History Association

It was most likely during this time period that Middle Gate ceased to become a telegraph station. It was also around this time that George and Sarah Gregg either established or took over an "eating and resting station" at Middle Gate.

Middle Gate dates back to the time of the Pony Express and stagecoaches. It was also used by early prospectors and miners, until mining interest in the area declined. The precise location of the original site of Middlegate Station for the Pony Express is only known to Mother Nature, as she reclaimed the site long ago when most of the evidence of its existence was carried off. From horse trails to wagon roads, from the first transcontinental highway to highway 50, the name has been kept alive. Then, back in 1942, Ida Ferguson bought the land at a BLM auction and envisioned building a roadside restaurant and saloon on the site. However, it wouldn't be until after World War II that she would realize her dream of opening a bar and cafe on the property. As she struggled to keep her dream alive, it became even more difficult in 1962, when the alignment of US 50 was moved north. As business dropped off, so did the revenue needed to expand and maintain the establishment. Her dream broken, Ida put Middlegate up for sale. Without telephone service or an outside electricity supply, it was a tough sell, but she did manage to make the sale, and would go into retirement. During the next few years, the property changed hands a number of times. Russell and Fredda Stevenson purchased Middlegate in 1984.
-Nevada's Teamsters, Truckers, and Truck Stops, Jerry Aaron

You wouldn't think relocating the highway a mere 300 or so yards further north would have that much effect on the business, but apparently it was enough to discourage poor Ida.

There may have been more people involved in establishing and running the various incarnations of Middlegate, but here are a couple of them.

Covered Wagon Pioneer Dies in Home at Fallon
FALLON, March 24—Mrs. Laura Shirley [nee Gregg- FN], resident of Nevada 69 years, died at her home in Fallon Monday after a long illness.. She was born in Creighton, Cass county, Mo., May 1, 1864 and came with her family to Nevada in a covered wagon at the age of four years. The family established an eating and resting station at what is known as Middle Gate on the Lincoln highway, later moving to Glendale, near Reno. In 1888 she. was married to Robert Shirley. The Shirleys moved to Stillwater thence to Fallon where they have lived for many years. Mr. Shirley died in 1909. Surviving are four daughters: Mrs. R. J. Caney, Mrs. James Kone, Mrs. Dorothy. VreNon and Mrs. C. D. Mordent and three sons, Archie, Perry and Jerome Shirley, all of Fallon; a sister, Mrs. Mary Desmond of Kingman., Ariz., and fifteen grandchildren. Funeral services will take place at Roe & Kaiser chapel on Thursday.
-Nevada State Journal, March 25, 1937

Laura's parents were George and Sarah J. Thacker Gregg. Laura's husband was Churchill County Sheriff Robert Shirley, who unfortunately committed suicide after being accused of peculation.

Ida most likely built and started the Middlegate Station with which we are all familiar.


Ida Ferguson
Ida Louise Ferguson, 76, a lifetime Nevada resident died Friday at a local hospital. The Smith Creek native was owner and operator the Bar and Station in Middle Gate, a Pony Express stop, for many years. She resided in Sun Valley for the past three years.
-Reno Gazette Journal, July 7, 1975

The present structure [bar & restaurant] at Middlegate was either built or extensively remodeled in the early 1940's when the land was purchased. It's certainly quite possible that it was either done on the site of the original station, or used components of the original station. Or, the original station could be somewhere else in the vicinity. I'm guessing the latter. I'm waiting to hear back from the Churchill County Museum on their opinion.

Another guess as to the actual location:

MIDDLEGATE STATION
Site unknown. There are two likely areas for this station. One is at White Rock Springs, a half mile south of US 50 and about 1.5 miles east of Middlegate Butte. Another would be anywhere along the four miles between Middlegate and Westgate along the arroyo that often has seeps or short lengths of running water. The meadows between Middlegate and Westgate also would attract an Overland station because of the native hay ripe after June each year.
-The Overland Stage - A History and Guidebook, John M. Townley

OK, we finally stopped here on our way back from Ellsworth. Frankly, I was just tired of cooking for Luis, he's such an ungrateful wretch. Middlegate Station is a welcome oasis in the desert- a little gas, some food, a place to stay if you need it, maybe even play a little pool and have a beer. The gal we talked to said they get a lot of business from Europeans bicycling through the area. The ceiling is covered with signed one dollar bills from all over the world- theory being that if you ever get back and you're outta cash, you'll at least have a buck for a beer, if you're sneaky.

While most likely not the original Middle Gate station, what's planted here at the junction of U.S. 50 and State Route 361 serves basically the same purpose. Except for one thing.

Middlegate Monster Burger Challenge

The human stomach is about the size of a clenched fist. However, it can stretch to hold about 4 liters of food and then return to its resting size. And while it's not the largest hamburger (an $8,000 1,794 pound cheeseburger from Mallie's Sports Grill & Bar in Detroit presently has that honor) it is a hamburger meal so large that Middlegate Station bets you cannot finish it. You can look up the pictures of the Monster Burger or even watch a video or two of people successfully finishing one,
we would guess more people fail to get their free T-shirt than not. You can always get one of their delicious Bacon Cheeseburgers and you will not be judged. If you want to practice before your arrival, here are some fast-food hamburgers just to give you an idea of what you'll be getting yourself into:

To add to your misery, they have introduced the Fire Monster, with "Ghost Pepper Cheese, Jalapenos, and Texas Reaper Sauce served with habanero seasoned fries."

Like all good stations, Middlegate offers a place to rest as well as eat. They have free camping, some pet-friendly motel rooms, a mini-mart, Gas and Diesel, outdoor picnic area, fire pits for your use, and a rock shop, where Carollynn offers some of her homemade jewelry.