Huck Salt Company was started in 1938 by Elmer Huckaby, with just a shovel and wheelbarrow, Elmer harvested salt. It took him two days to shovel six ton of salt and then took it town and sold it to IMP Creamery in Fallon. It took one day to unload by hand for $7 per ton. After selling the salt he decided that a person can make a good living doing this.
Eventually, Elmer decided that he needed to increase production and on a scrap piece of butcher paper designed a harvester. He took that drawing to Leslie Salt and requested a $2,000 loan, to buy the needed items. His loan was approved, to be payable at $.50 per ton that was sold. With his loan money he bought World War I Garford truck frame and scrap parts from a cement company and within six weeks the Harvester was built. frame and built a harvester. The harvester picks up one ton of salt per minute and still is functional to this day (see below).
John Huckaby, Elmer’s son who has been around the business since 5 years old, officially joined him in the business when he was 16 years old. In 1990, John took over the business after the passing of his father Elmer. Soon after that John’s three sons joined him at Huck Salt; Tracy, Troy and Tron. Tracy was lost to an unfortunate accident out at the salt flat in 1996. Troy and Tron still work alongside their father and now the grand kids are starting to join the family business. Four of Tron’s sons, Kovey, Conner, Kandon and Tanner are now employees at Huck Salt and are learning the ins and outs of the salt business.
