Nashmead began as a railroad stop with a store, hotel, and a few vacation cabins.[4] For a time, Nashmead was a transfer point for mail being shipped by rail on the Northwestern Pacific.[5] Nashmead was the site of a suspension bridge across the Eel River for foot traffic, unique for having only a single tower to support the cables.[6] The bridge was constructed in 1939 and was the only means for residents of the nearby Round Valley Indian Reservation to obtain supplies shipped by rail.[7]
A post office operated at Nashmead from 1915 to 1960.[3] The name honors J. Nash, its first postmaster.[3] The name Nashmead was formed from "Nash's Meadows".[3]
^DeLorme California Atlas & Gazetteer (2008) Yarmouth, Maine p.47 ISBN0-89933-383-4
^ abcdDurham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 112. ISBN1-884995-14-4.