Dear HRPS Members,
Spring has sprung and with it a renewed ability to spend more time outdoors, whether that's walking the neighborhood, starting your garden, firing up the barbeque or dining al fresco at one of our many fine restaurants with outdoor seating. As you begin to move around, I hope you'll take note of your surroundings and take in the mix of old and new. Too often we take for granted that vacant lots will remain undisturbed, that old buildings will always stand. Such is the case with a parcel in the Powning District (see related story below), and the Lear Theater, for which development proposals are still pending.
We're still monitoring COVID regulations, especially those concerning social distancing, and will let you know just as soon as in-person programs and walking tours can resume.
Meanwhile, please join us via Zoom for our April program, where your wanderlust may be stoked by Betsy Morse's tales of early local settlements. We also present our latest book recommendation, an article from a rare Reno newspaper publication, and a little news in the world of preservation outside of Reno. And when you step outside, don't forget to take a look at Reno Historical, the ready made app for just wandering around, or some light historical reading over a cup of coffee. You might find yourself staying for a second cup!
Each spring we also hold our annual meeting, so mark your calendars for Tuesday, May 4, where we'll introduce our newest board members and ask you to approve updated bylaws.
Enjoy the sunshine! |
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April Program - April 6, 2021, 5:30 pm "Early Communities in the Truckee Meadows" |
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Program is free and conducted via Zoom, but advance registration is required.
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Early settlers in the Truckee Meadows knew nothing of Reno or Sparks. Instead, they lived in communities like Eastman Mill and Brown's Crossing -- villages whose names no longer appear on modern maps. The Truckee Meadows between 1855 - 1868 was dotted with small settlements. Most of these briefly boomed and just as quickly died. Some never boomed at all. Reno and Sparks simply beat the odds. This talk will look at a few of the early communities which today can only be found in historical archives. Galena, Glendale, Huffaker, and Lake’s Crossing are among the forgotten places to be discussed. |
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Old Huffaker School in the 1940s (courtesy of Nevada Department of Transportation) |
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Other Programs You Might Enjoy |
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Nevada Historical Society's High Noon with Neal Cobb presents: "The Origin and Evolution of the Basque Hotel", with Dr. Michael Fischer, Thursday, April 15, 2021, Noon-1pm.
Dr. Fischer retired from dentistry and is now an independent scholar whose interests include the history of Nevada cowboys and ranching, politics, gambling, bootlegging, and crime.
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Thought You Should Know... |
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A building permit was recently issued for a new 34-unit apartment building in the Powning District at Washington Street and Riverside Drive. This development is controversial for a couple of reasons, one being its proposed 4-story height, the other being the parcel's parameter which includes the abandonment of one block of Washington Street, as approved in 2006. You can read a comprehensive treatment of all the issues in Alicia Barber's "The Barber Brief" |
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Parcel 011-581-06 includes the parking lot site and its frontage, one block of Washington Street & part of Lundsford Park. Washoe Regional Mapping System
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Interested in knowing more about area history? Here's one of our recommendations.
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Excavation for the railroad trench that runs through downtown Reno began in 2004 and immediately yielded evidence of Reno's past. "The River and the Railroad - An Archeological History of Reno" by Mary Ringhof and Edward J. Stoner offers a fascinating look at past lives and influnces that shaped our city.
Mary Ringhoff is an archaeologist and historian with Western Cultural Resource Management, Inc., in Sparks, Nevada. She worked as a staff archaeologist/field supervisor on the ReTRAC construction project. Edward J. Stoner is an archaeologist and senior project manager/laboratory director of Western Cultural Resource Management, Inc., which supervised cultural resource issues on the ReTRAC project.
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For a 3-D view of the trench excavation and other sites around Nevada, visit the All Around Nevada website. Creator Howard Goldbaum says, "All Around Nevada contains a selection of photographic panoramas made during my travels around the state (and elsewhere). It functions as a appreciation of my home and an invitation to visitors to take a look around the Silver State in virtual reality. |
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The Cyclone Occasional was a short-lived Reno newspaper published by Louis Stevenson, who produced only one issue that we are aware of - May 23, 1891. The clipping at right provides a glimpse into the tone of the author and the times. The article, which extolls the scenic beauty and "unsurpassed climate" of Reno, goes on to rail against the nay-sayers who seem bent on thwarting any new innovative business idea that comes along. Some might hear echoes of modern times. You can read the full article here. |
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1891 Carson City Mint $20 gold piece Southgate Coins |
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Carol Coleman, President 2016-Present |
"Carol is amazing! I've never worked with anyone as organized and efficient as she is." - HRPS Board Member |
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If you want something done, ask an organizer! That affinity has led HRPS President, Carol Coleman, to lend her talents to all manner of projects and organizations, including ours.
Carol and her husband, Sam, retired and moved to Reno in January 1999. Carol soon dove into community life by joining the Newcomers Club in January 2000, and HRPS in the summer of 2000 at a Walking Tour. In 2002, she became a Docent with the Nevada Historical Society (NHS).
Not one to be a member in name only, Carol quickly joined committees, published newsletters, organized events, and served on boards. She wrote Arcadia’s Early Reno for NHS in 2011. Carol became the layout editor for our quarterly magazine, FootPrints, in 2002, taking over as editor in 2006. In 2016, Carol agreed to become President of HRPS.
With all this passion for history and community involvement, you might be surprised to learn Carol’s professional background is in mathematics, computer programming and management for a defense laboratory now called Lawrence Livermore National Security. Over a 27-year career, she developed extensive project planning, implementation, and integration skills, and maintained an extensive network of contacts at the Department of Energy, research labs, universities, and industry. Carol excelled at taking a new idea, selling it, and building a team to implement the idea, the same skills she now uses in her community volunteer work.
Carol and Sam have four children, thirteen grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Carol is a collector of primitive stuff – things used in daily life – irons, toasters, Fiesta ware, green ware, rolling pins, washing machines and more. Their home is decorated in “old.” She also collects Raggedy Anne’s and says she cannot pass up a thrift store.
HRPS is fortunate to be the beneficiary of Carol’s considerable talents! |
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Historic Reno Preservation Society Annual Meeting & Bylaws Vote Tuesday, May 4, 2021, 5:30 pm via Zoom |
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Your HRPS Board has completed a Bylaws review, with an eye to updating the HRPS Bylaws, last reviewed in 2015. Bylaws should be reflective of the way an organization operates and the proposed changes conform to how we are currently doing business as a non-profit. We have modernized many sections, allowing for virtual and other electronic forms of operation and management, and we have cleaned up language from the original Bylaws which were modeled on a for-profit corporation. Here are the key changes: - Previously, the membership approved the Board slate at a (physical) annual meeting. As you may be aware, we are often adding Board members at different times throughout the year, prompted by resignations and completed terms. We have adjusted the Bylaws to allow Board member approval by the Board of Directors at anytime during the year.
- The current Bylaws require a vote of the Membership at the Annual Meeting to approve changes. This requirement is a component of Bylaws geared toward a corporate environment where members are also shareholders. HRPS does not function that way and have modified the provision to require only Board approval for future updates.
Here are links to the 2015 current and 2021 proposed Bylaws. All members with email addresses will be sent the May newsletter on the first of May, with the link to the Zoom meeting included. |
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Preservation Dallas receives National Trust for Historic Preservation's 2020 Trustee's Award for Organizational Excellence
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Three Designers Who Helped Light the Way for Women in Architecture:
A look at the careers of Helen Liu Fong, Annie Graham Rockfellow, and Norma Merrick Sklarek |
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Courtesy of hemingwayhome.com |
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Do you know someone who might enjoy knowing more about Reno's history? All you have to do is forward a copy of this newsletter and encourage them to join HRPS! A single membership is just $25/year ($45 for a family membership) and you can now join and pay online! Members enjoy monthly newsletters, our information-packed quarterly FootPrints magazine, free admission to walking tours and certain other HRPS events, plus the knowledge you are helping support historic preservation in Reno! |
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Get Your Reno Mini-History Here |
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Did you know you can get Reno history in an App? Download the Reno Historical app or go to the Reno Historical website for an instant mini-history. Reno Historical is a great way to introduce friends to historic homes, buildings and neighborhoods, or educate yourself. The content is always being updated. |
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Historic Reno Preservation Society is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting historic resources in the Truckee Meadows through education, advocacy, and leadership. |
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Historic Reno Preservation Society | P.O. Box 14003, Reno, NV 89507 board@historicreno.org | 775-747-4478
Virginia Street Bridge photos courtesy of Nevada Historical Society
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