In 1866, as the Central Pacific Railroad pushed east over the Sierra Nevada, it established Construction Camp 17 just downstream from here at the confluence of the Truckee River and the Little Truckee River, and the camp quickly became known as Boca, Spanish for mouth. The railroad needed wood for ties, telegraph poles, snow sheds, and fuel, so in 1868, because this part of the Sierra Nevada had large timber stands, a sawmill was established. The first Boca Dam was built that year to create the mill's log pond. When the log pond froze over in winter, the company began harvesting natural ice in 1869. The combination of the railroad and ice made Boca an ideal location for a brewery, and in 1876 a brewery was established that became famous for its award winning lager beer.