Baxter today is but a sad shell of its once lively history.

The old wagon road that snaked across the Sierra Nevada was near this location from 1864 to 1932.  A trading post developed at this location.  It was run by the Baxter family.  In the 1920s, the new Highway 40 was rerouted and Baxter’s Trading Post was reoriented to face the highway.  Baxter featured a hotel, restaurant, and gasoline station.  In 1961, Interstate 80 was constructed in this area and Baxter was bypassed.  Baxter became a truck stop with little activity.  In 1997, the hotel and other buildings were destroyed by fire.