wɪððə dɪskˈʌvɚɹi ʌv dᵻpˈɑːzɪts ænd dɪvˈɛləpmənt ʌv sˈɪlvɚ ænd ɡˈoʊld mˈaɪnɪŋ ˈiːst ʌvðə siːˈɛɹə nᵻvˈædə ɪnðə bɪɡˈɪnɪŋ ʌvðə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti z, mˈɜːtʃənt ˈɪntɹɛsts ɪnðə kˈaʊntiz ˌɔn bˈoʊθ sˈaɪdz ʌvðə pˈæs pˈʊʃt fɔːɹ dɪvˈɛləpmənt əvɚ ɹˈoʊd ðæt wʊd ɛnˈeɪbəl ðˌɛm tʊ ɪmpɹˈuːv tɹænspoːɹtˈeɪʃən ænd tɹˈeɪd.
With the discovery of deposits and development of silver and gold mining east of the Sierra Nevada in the beginning of the 1860s, merchant interests in the counties on both sides of the pass pushed for development of a road that would enable them to improve transportation and trade.