The Nevada Historical Society will offer free History Gallery Tours from 10 to 11 a.m. and from 2 to 3 p.m. Wednesdays in July. The Historical Society is at 1650 N. Virginia St. on the University of Nevada, Reno, campus. Parking passes are available inside the Historical Society.
Seldom-shared stories of Nevada and Reno will be told during the programs, which are part of Artown, the city’s month-long arts festival, and part of the Nevada 150 celebrations marking 150 years of statehood. Historical artifacts and photographs also will be on display during the docent-led programs.
Topics to be covered include how the railroad and mining booms of the late 19th century shaped Reno, as well as how Reno came to be known as “sin city.” Gaming (prohibited in 1910, but legalized in 1931), Prohibition and the city’s “divorce era,” the 1930s, set the stage for the development of the gaming industry and a burgeoning university.
Programs at the Historical Society also will explore the history, artifacts and customs of Native Americans, frontier society, mining, agriculture and daily life. A look at transportation within the state, from walking through Nevada to the first plane, show the pace of change.
The museum will present art and images of early Las Vegas as well as a collection of slot machines. A discussion of Nevada’s federal projects, including World War II bases, Fort Churchill, Hoover Dam and the Nevada Test Site also is included.
Details: 775-688 1190 or [email protected].
