Dear HRPS Members,
Thanks to Webmaster and longtime HRPS volunteer, Rosie Cevasco, prior issues of our monthly digital newsletter are now available on our website, so if you missed an issue or if there's an article you wanted to go back to, you can now find it online. Likewise, you can also go back to past issues of FootPrints or listen to a speaker program you might have missed or would like to hear again. These links can also be shared with others. Thank you, Rosie, for your constant work behind the scenes!
We have a great program for you this month, and hope you'll join us on February 8 for "Saints, Sinners, and Sovereign Citizens", with John Smith. Neal Cobb will be hosting a presentation on Baby Face Nelson on Feb. 17, and you might want to take in a performance by the Retro Radio Dolls at the Twentieth Century Club's luncheon on Feb. 25. Scroll down for registration details on these and other programs.
February is Black History Month. If you missed the Nevada Humanities discussion on Black Springs on January 20, we've included a link to the video and also to an interview session with Black Springs residents. Below that you'll find additional stories on how Black History Month came to be, and ways to participate. As we now realize, so much history of African Americans was ignored and overlooked through the centuries, leaving a big hole in the true history of many communities. Our Story, Inc is a great resource for local African American history, and we encourage your support. Don't forget to visit our Instagram page for a local Langston Hughes connection.
February is also about Valentine's Day and love. Share your love for HRPS by renewing your membership when it comes due, encouraging your friends to join, and attending our events. Our board members are passionate about preservation, and through their efforts, and the stories we present in this newsletter and our quarterly FootPrints publication, we hope you'll feel inspired to spread the word about the legacy of our historic buildings and the people who helped shape this community.
We would all prefer to be gathering in person and it is my hope that later this spring we'll be able to do just that. Until then, we'll see you online! |
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"Saints, Sinners and Sovereign Citizens" Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 5:30pm via Zoom |
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John Smith discusses his new book, "Saints, Sinners, and Sovereign Citizens", about the grazing rights battle between Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and the federal government that resulted in a tense, armed standoff between Bundy's supporters and federal law enforcement officers. It places the Bundy conflict into the larger context of the Sagebrush Rebellion and the long struggle of the use of public lands in the American West. While examining the complex history of federal public land policies, Smith exposes both sides of this story. |
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John Smith is a longtime journalist and the author of more than a dozen books on some of the most significant characters in Las Vegas history.
In 2016, Smith was named to the Nevada Newspaper Hall of Fame and was part of a group of reporters to receive the Ancil Payne Award for Ethics from the University of Oregon, the Society of Professional Journalists award for Ethics, and the James Foley Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism from Northwestern University,
Program is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. |
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High Noon with Neal Cobb
"Baby Face Nelson in Nevada"
Thursday, February 17, 2022, 12 Noon via Zoom |
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Lester Gillis aka Baby Face Nelson had a short and violent life. To my knowledge, he is the only most wanted criminal in America who lived in Nevada during the period when he was most wanted. Who and what brought him here and how many times was he in the state? We will learn about what he did during his time in Nevada and how he is connected to one of the most famous disappearances in Nevada history!
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Program is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. |
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Presenter Dr. Michael Fischer brings many years of private sector cultural affairs management. He has served several terms on the Board of Directors of the Western Folklife Center.
As a life member, he serves on the board of the Douglas County Historical Society. He is currently on the boards of the Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society and the Nevada Agricultural Foundation.
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Twentieth Century Club presents "The Retro Radio Dolls" |
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Thursday, February 10, 11:30am - 1:00pm Featuring a performance by the "Retro Radio Dolls" Atlantis Hotel Casino - $30 - Includes lunch and presentation - Guests are welcome. |
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This "Galentines Day" presentation is a fun way to honor the strong, amazing women in our lives, so bring your friends and come out and enjoy this special luncheon. The Twentieth Century Club was founded in 1894 and is the oldest continuous women's organization in Nevada. Early members included some of the most prominent women in Reno. |
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Visit the Marjorie Russell Textile Museum with the Nevada Women's History Project |
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The Nevada Women's History Project is hosting a program at the Marjorie Russell Textile Museum in Carson City, NV
Friday, February 25, 2022, 10am-11am
Cost: $15 NWHP members
$20 Guests
To register, please contact Sue Davis at shdavis4364@att.net
The Textile Museum is part of the Nevada State Museum and not normally open to the public. The Research Center includes The Marilyn J. Horn fashion library and large collection area, which includes nineteenth, twentieth century and twenty first century garments, quilts, flags, and accessories. The group is limited to 22 participants, so don't miss this opportunity! |
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February is Black History Month
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The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
That September, the Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent. |
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Black History Month, which is celebrated each year during February, is a chance for Americans to learn details of their nation’s history that, unfortunately, are far too often neglected and pushed to the wayside.
As the saying goes, black history is
American history — and it’s a varied and rich history. A wise nation honors and learns from its past. It refuses to let the most important facts about our shared and collective memory disappear into the depths of forgotten history.
Read more about Black History Month in National Today
HOW TO OBSERVE BLACK HISTORY MONTH
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Visit a museum
History comes alive in a nation's museums, and many of these institutions have events, conferences, and celebrations surrounding Black History Month. Get out there and see first-hand the American nation's collective historical treasures.
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Contact an elected official
One of the best ways to get the ball rolling toward a better society is by contacting members of Congress. Ask them what they have planned for Black History Month and what specific legislative actions they plan to take to ensure that your community never backtracks in its pledge to provide opportunities for each and every person.
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Read, read, and read some more
Libraries and bookstores — not to mention online repositories and booksellers — are positively overflowing with amazing works of Black literature, history, and biography. Find a book about a piece of Black history that you were previously unaware of and get educated. |
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Remembering Black Springs, NV - A Study in Black Perseverance
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Photo courtesy of Nevada Black History Project, UNR Special Collections, and University Archives, University of Nevada, Reno |
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Late last October Kenneth & Demetrice Dalton of Our Story, Inc. had an opportunity to sit down and talk with the some of the residents of Black Springs. They met in their community center with Thurman & Mae Carthen, Matthew Moore, Roy & Shelley Moore, and Carrie Fitz. Read a transcription of the conversation.
Were you able to attend the Nevada Humanities presentation on Black Springs with moderator, Alicia Barber, on January 20? If not, you can read about the panelists and listen to the recording here. Note, the sound doesn't start until almost 5 minutes in, so you may want to advance the recording when you begin the YouTube video. |
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Explore Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Legacy
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Similar to our own Reno Historical map, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has created a map with locations of 10 places that shaped the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - places that continue to educate, challenge, and inspire us today. View map and locations here |
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Downtown Reno Postcard, circa 1947 |
Reno's history is relatively brief compared to older cities east of the Mississippi, but few cities embody the unique and varied circumstances that caused Reno to be founded and flourish. From the first explorers in the 1840's and 1850's, to the earliest Mormon settlers, to the Comstock bonanza, the trans-continental railroad, the establishment of the state's first University, the divorce trade, legalized gambling, entertainment, etc. Reno was and is quite the place! Read a brief summary of events in Reno ONE. |
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Susan Sorrells, the Queen of the Desert
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Susan Sorrells is the chief custodian of Shoshone; the seventy-four-year-old owns the village and a thousand acres of land around it. Sorrells transformed this Death Valley mining village into a model of ecologically conscious tourism. Shoshone has a population of 31, according to the 2010 census. Palm and mesquite trees signal the presence of an oasis. You might be surprised to learn about the history of this quirky settlement, and even more surprised to learn about a sleek, modernist Neutra house that Sorrells lives in. New Yorker Magazine recently published Sorrells' fascinating story. |
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New Stories Added Monthly |
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Download the Reno Historical app or go to the Reno Historical website for an instant mini-history of old buildings and neighborhoods right from your phone! Each historical vignette contains a photo of an old building and a story about its history. Introduce yourself to our city a little at a time and you'll be amazed at how quickly you feel like an old timer! |
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Encourage Your Friends to Join HRPS! |
The Reno landscape is changing every day, new buildings going up, and sadly, some old ones coming down. HRPS is "Dedicated to Preserving and Promoting Historic Resources in the Truckee Meadows through Education, Advocacy and Leadership" HRPS has nearly 500 members, and your membership is a vote for historic preservation.
Do you have friends, neighbors, or family members who share an interest in our mission? If so, 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 e-mail 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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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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