February 2024

HRPS News & Updates

Dear HRPS Members,

Get ready for an exciting event! We'll have details at a later date, but what I can tell you for now is that we're planning a gala celebration of HRPS' 25th anniversary on Thursday, April 4. It will include an evening at the National Automobile Museum with a retrospective of our first 25 years as an organization, a special appreciation for immediate past president, Carol Coleman, a silent auction of vintage items, and one very special auction item that everyone will want to bid on. Stay tuned for more details.

Last month, administrator Amy Burton and I, along with board members Bradley Carlson and Deb Hinman who were representing the Historical Resources Commission, attended a 2-part Commission Assistance & Mentoring Program (CAMP) put on by the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions, and organized by our newest board member, Melissa Hafey from the City of Reno.

About a dozen other people participated, including Councilwoman Naomi Duerr, who engaged very actively in the discussion. The more our public officials understand the importance of preservation, the more we can raise awareness in general.

Those who attended our January program were treated to a fantastic Chautauqua style presentation by Dr. Eliza Cook. Alicia Barber will be the presenter at our February program entitled, "New Research into Reno's Black History." We'll be at the South Valleys Library again and I hope you can join us.

Our Walking Tour committee has nearly finalized the walking tours for 2024. We'll be publishing them in our April newsletter and the Spring FootPrints edition. Signups for volunteers will begin in March.

The Home Tour committee held their first meeting this week and have started identifying potential homes for the Fall tour. If you have a home you'd consider having on the tour, or if you know someone with an historic (1970 or earlier) home who'd be willing to be on the tour, please contact Amy Burton at board@historicreno.org.

Longtime HRPS member and supporter, Ellen Fockler, lost her daughter, Christy, recently. Christy grew up in Reno and went on to earn a master's degree in historic preservation and made that her life's work. In lieu of flowers, Ellen asked those wanting to honor Christy's memory to make a donation to HRPS. To date we have received over $2,700 and are so touched by Ellen's thoughtfulness and people's generosity. A link to Christy's obituary may be found below.

Also in this issue, an expanded version of the postcard love story from our Winter edition of FootPrints, a story about the Museum of Neon Art, Peter Goin's new photography book on the evolution of Lake Tahoe, and in a sign of the times, the transformation of the Ely Times and Eureka Sentinel into digital-only publications.

Lastly, many of you have membership renewal dates in January. Each renewal is a vote for recording and preserving local history and passing it down to future generations. A big THANK YOU to all those who have renewed. Let's continue to spread the love for historic preservation.

Joy Orlich, President

joyorlich@sbcglobal.net

775-544-0686

Meet New Board Member, Melissa Hafey

Melissa Hafey began her term as HRPS' newest board member on January 1. She is a Management Assistant with the City of Reno Arts and Culture Department supporting the City’s Historic Preservation Programs.

Melissa has a Master of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Nevada, Reno and is currently earning a graduate certificate in Heritage Conservation from the University of Arizona.

Growing up in Reno, she loved taking long walks through the neighborhoods of the Old Southwest and admiring the varied architecture and tree-lined streets. She enjoys caring for her home in Midtown as it nears its 100^th birthday along with her husband, Mike, their two kids, and two dogs. She can be reached at hafeym@reno.gov.

Melissa Hafey

Welcome HRPS V.P. Derek Partridge

Congratulations to Derek Partridge, HRPS' new Vice President! Derek came on the board as a director in 2021 and has been an active contributor to our programs, jumping into the role of Walking Tour Guide in 2022. This year, Derek is chairing the 2024 Home Tour committee.

Derek is a licensed Realtor and holds a Master of Urban and Environmental Planning, Transportation and Land Use from Arizona State University.

Derek and his husband, Matt, share their vintage brick home in old southwest Reno with their two cats, Hops and Barley. You can reach Derek at derekpartridgere@gmail.com

Derek Partridge

February Program

New Research into Reno's Black History

with Dr. Alicia Barber

Sunday, February 11, 2024, Noon-1:30pm

South Valleys Library

15650 A, Wedge Parkway, Reno, NV 89511

New Location for January & February

Knowledge of Reno’s historical African American community has been greatly expanded thanks to recent initiatives by the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office, Our Story, Inc., and the Historic Reno Preservation Society.

Together, they have deepened our understanding of the lives of early African American residents like William and Sarah Hamilton, who moved to the original Reno townsite in the 1870s, and pioneer Nevadan Martha Jackson, who is buried at Hillside Cemetery. Other research has illuminated the experiences of early club and restaurant proprietors and rooming house operators, residents of Black Springs and Northeast Reno, and more.

Program is free and open to the public.

Seating is limited at this facility so we suggest arriving early.

Nevada Historical Society and Washoe County Libraries present

High Noon with Neal Cobb

Forensic Engineering of Buildings

in Northern Nevada

with Paul Ferrari, P.E.

Thursday, February 15, 2024, Noon-1:00pm, via Zoom

Admission is free but advance registration is required.

Paul Ferrari

In addition to serving for 16 years on the City of Reno Historical Resources Commission, Paul Ferrari has been involved in historic preservation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings throughout his distinguished career.

He has an extensive resume of projects, contributing his expertise and passion to the renovation and preservation of notable historic buildings throughout the State of Nevada.

Among those properties are St. Mary in the Mountain Catholic Church, Piper’s Opera House, Fourth Ward School, Washoe County Courthouse and the Riverside Hotel. All are standing tall because of Mr. Ferrari’s efforts.

Jane's Shoe Box

Pathos and Romance on the Desert, 1907-1914

by Joelie Fuetsch Pehanick

The discovery of over 150 postcards in an old shoe box sent HRPS Member Joelie Pehanick on a quest to learn more about the recipient, Jane Donough, and piece together her story.

An abbreviated version of this enchanting story was included in our Winter FootPrints edition. We provide you with the full text here.

Jane's Shoe Box

1907 postcard, unknown author, Tonopah

Lake Tahoe - A Rephotographic History

Lake Tahoe: A Rephotographic History (Hardcover) | Sundance Books and Music (sundancebookstore.com)

Photographer and artist, Peter Goin, has just published a new book documenting the evolution of Lake Tahoe's landscape.

The large-format volume, published by the University of New Mexico Press, displays then-and-now photographs on nearly all of its 418 pages. The historic images—of the lake, lakeshore and nearby environs, including the town of Truckee, Calif., and the smaller lakes near Tahoe—were taken between 1862 and the 1960s.

Goin tracked down these historic photos and searched for the spots they were taken. From 2009 to 2022, he and his team did the best they could to duplicate the views.

An ‘artifice’ of natural wonder: Peter Goin’s new of book of photos documents the evolution of Tahoe’s landscape • Reno News & Review (renonr.com)

Lake Tahoe Railway built by the Bliss family - then and now.

Historic Newspapers Sold - Going Digital-only

Two rural Nevada newspapers that have stood the test of time will be doing what the news industry has done since its inception: change.

On Friday, January 19, Sherman Frederick, the founder of Battle Born Media — which now publishes three rural newspapers — told The Nevada Independent he has made a “verbal deal” to transfer ownership of The Ely Times and The Eureka Sentinel to Nevada Central Media. The Ely paper has been operating under its current name for more than 60 years, and the Eureka paper’s history reaches back more than 150 years.

Ely Times and Eureka Sentinel will be sold, turned to digital-only publications - The Nevada Independent

Museum of Neon Art - Glendale, CA

“Most people who bend neon tubes learned from someone, who learned from someone, who learned from someone,” said Corrie Siegel, executive director of the Museum of Neon Art (MONA) in Glendale, California.

MONA aims to preserve this history and increase appreciation for these glowing, buzzing masterpieces. With the help of a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's National Preservation Funds, the museum is currently developing an audio guide series that will transport listeners back in time as they learn about some of Los Angeles’ most iconic neon signs.

Celebrating and Preserving a Historic Art Form at The Museum of Neon Art | National Trust for Historic Preservation (savingplaces.org)

Christina (Christy) Laurel Fockler, beloved wife, daughter, and sister, passed away on January 4, 2024, surrounded by her family. She was 54. Christy was born on July 29, 1969, in Reno, Nev. to Neil and Ellen Fockler. She has two brothers and one sister, all from Reno

Christy Fockler Obituary - The Reno Journal-Gazette and Mason Valley News (rgj.com)

Dixie Club

The Dixie Club, also called the Dixie Social Club, opened at 218 East Douglas Alley in the early 1930s. The first reference to it appears in the local newspapers in 1931. The establishment was known from the beginning to be patronized primarily by the Black community, at a time when the majority of Reno's casinos, clubs, restaurants, and lodgings did not welcome them. By 1932, it was owned by Lou LaCou and John Smith.

Dixie Club (site) - The establishment on East Douglas Alley was one of the first Black-owned clubs in Reno. | Reno Historical

Join HRPS Today!

HRPS is "Dedicated to Preserving and Promoting Historic Resources in the Truckee Meadows through Education, Advocacy and Leadership". With over 500 members, your membership is a vote and a voice for historic preservation.

Do you have friends, neighbors, or family members who share an interest in local history? If so, forward a copy of this newsletter and encourage them to join HRPS! Or have them go to our website - Historic Reno Preservation Society - and click on the "Join Us" tab at the top of the page.

A single membership is just $25/year ($45 for a family membership), and you can now join and pay online.

Benefits of Membership