Well, that's a long story. You can get a good overview at the timeline, here: http://burningman.org/timeline/
Or, you can dive right into the history of Black Rock City in the archives: http://burningman.org/culture/history/brc-history/
Or, you can dive right into the history of Black Rock City in the archives: http://burningman.org/culture/history/brc-history/