Dear HRPS Members and Friends,
Thanksgiving dishes are cleared, holiday party invitations are coming in, and decisions are being made as to whether raking leaves or putting up holiday decorations gets first attention.
I've been browsing old editions - 1924, specifically - of the Reno Evening Gazette (thank you, Newspapers.com!), to bring you a bit of Reno history through local holiday ads. Those who imbibe in historical research (it is intoxicating, isn't it?) know how lost you can get in reading adjacent articles that catch your eye as you browse for the thing you are looking for.
As you browse, a picture begins to form about who and what was important at that time and how people conducted their lives. Anyone who has lived in the area for even a little while is bound to stumble across the name of someone who now perhaps resides only on a street sign. But in that moment a brief connection is made, and history becomes relevant. "Aha!" you say.
If we don't occasionally go back and expose ourselves to our own history as a community, we risk losing how and why we got here, what's worth saving and savoring.
HRPS' monthly programs, summer walking tours, and fall Harvest of Homes tour, along with our brilliant FootPrints quarterly publication, are how we endeavor to make history come alive for you.
For many, your membership dues will renew in January, with first notices going out in December. We thank you for your ongoing support and hope that you share what you learn with others.
An additional way to support local history is to become a member of the Nevada Historical Society. NHS will be closing January 1 until June 2026 for seismic retrofitting, lighting and electrical upgrades, and more. Regular programs will be moved off-site, and we have more information on that below.
Another gem in our community is the Sparks Heritage Museum. Their exhibits and programs aren't limited to just Sparks. If you haven't been there recently, it's worth a visit!
The Nevada Women's History Project's mission is "Writing women back into history." Their website contains a searchable compendium of biographies and oral histories of notable and ordinary Nevada Women.
Think about giving a gift of membership for yourself or someone else to any or all of these institutions. (Yes, I am a member of all three!)
The more of us who support our local historic preservation organizations, the stronger our community will be.
