Submitted by Karl Breckenridge and Terri Thompson
Comes now a query from a This is Reno reader, “…what is the history of the mission bell on the old Manogue High School campus?” (referring to the original Manogue campus near East McCarran by the Truckee River, not the more-recently vacated and now razed campus on Valley Road).
Enter now Terri Thompson, known about Sparks High as Teresa Tuffo when she was graduated from there in 1964. She sent a couple of wonderfully researched and documented e-mails about the old bell, and this morning I’m using them substantially verbatim as they’re hard to improve upon. Take it away, Terri:
“When the Bishop Manogue High School campus moved from Boynton Lane to the Valley Road location in 1957, the property became the monastery for the Brothers of the Holy Rosary. Renovation of the property included the addition of the bell tower, the pillars at the entrance with the red brick crosses, and a new chapel. The work was undertaken between 1958 and 1960.
“My father, Mel Tuffo, was a tile setter and brick layer by profession. He built the structures for the Brothers and also constructed a swimming pool for them. My younger brother, Mark, remembers when a crane lifted the bell into place after which our dad completed the bell tower’s roof. My mother thought that the bell came from a rural Nevada church, possibly from Yerington.
“I spoke with Brother Philip of the Brothers of the Holy Rosary, who recalls that the bell tower and chapel were on the site when he came to Reno in 1961. He said Father (later Monsignor) Anderson was in charge of the renovations. He confirmed that the bell came from Church of the Holy Family in Yerington, and it may be that the bell originally came from the church in Gold Hill. When that church was destroyed – by fire? – or dismantled, the bell was moved to the church in Yerington [built in 1901, in service through 1932].
“The bell was likely removed from the bell tower at Holy Family in Yerington when the church was enlarged and the new design would not allow for the bell to be reinstalled. Father Paul thought that the bell had originally been set into a structure at ground level. No one seems to recall why the bell was given to the Brothers.
“Brother Matthew said that the granddaughter of the original ranchers on the old Manogue property, Oakland school teacher Veronica Dickie, donated the funds to erect the bell tower as a memorial to her grandparents (the Alts). Brother Matthew has the original brass memorial plaque which was removed when the Brothers moved their monastery. The Alts sold the ranch to Charles Mapes’ parents who later sold to the Flicks. The Flicks sold the property to the Diocese to be used as a Catholic high school, and Manogue opened in September, 1947. The old ranch house was renovated to provide classrooms and a new gymnasium was built.
“Coincidentally, my husband and I were married at St. John Vianney Church, the chapel at Manogue, in 1966. We never connected the history of the bell coming from Yerington and of my dad building the bell tower until I started researching information in response to your article. Our family has always been proud of our father’s ability as a brick layer and tile setter.
“Father Paul is sending me a copy of ‘Journal of 100 years of the Church in Yerington & Smith Valley’ written in 1986 by the late Holy Family parishioner Ione Minister, which may have information on the history of the bell. If the journal includes information that the bell indeed came from Gold Hill, I will e-mail you.”
And, as a good researcher always does, Terri gave liberal attribution to her sources, Brother Matthew Cunningham, the Chancellor of the Diocese of Reno; to Father Paul McCollum of the Holy Family Church in Yerington (he from a Sparks family), and to Brother Philip of the Brothers of the Holy Rosary.
And that’s the way research is done. This is Reno is grateful to Terri for the article, and to Jackie Manoukian Powers who granted permission to use the artwork of her late husband Roy, depicting the entrance to the original Bishop Manogue Catholic High School. Have a nice day, and, be safe, huh?
Editor’s note: In 2011 the Truckee River Flood Project returned the historic bell to its home at the Holy Family Parish in Yerington. Read the story here: https://thisisreno.com/2011/01/historic-catholic-church-bell-on-flood-project-property-to-be-returned-to-former-site-in-yerington/
Submitted opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of This Is Reno. Have something to say? Submit an opinion article or letter to the editor here.
Karl Breckenridge
Karl Breckenridge was slowly going nuts. So he decided to help out This is Reno by writing a daily out-of-his-mind column for the duration of the coronavirus shutdown. Now that it’s over he’s back to his usual antics, drinking coffee with the boys at the Bear and, well, we’re not sure what else. But he loved sharing his daily musings with you, so he’s back, albeit a little less often, to keep on sharing. Karl grew up in the valley and has stories from the area going back to 1945. He’s been writing for 32 years locally.
Read more from Karl Breckenridge
Cheers 4 – the Lear steam bus
The latest news on the Lear Theater has Karl remembering some of the Lear’s other projects, including a steam-powered bus.
Cheers 3 – the groceries II
Karl did not limit his column to ten items or less, so get out of the express line to read this history of Reno grocery markets.
Cheers 2 – the groceries I
Karl got a little distracted this week, starting off with a list of Reno’s great groceries of yesterday then slipping on some ice.
Cheers 1 – Of wine and Little Italy
Karl is back, making us all wonder why we didn’t spend more time during stay-at-home orders pressing grapes into homemade wine.
Day 75 – Karl’s retired to the Bear
From the get-go our pal Karl said he’d write “a short squib on a daily basis – nothing political, nothing controversial,” well, except for that one column.
Day 74 – the Truckee’s picturesque islands (updated)
Karl’s pal Jody shares the rich history of bootlegging, decorating, and engineering within the confines of the Truckee River’s banks and its picturesque islands.
Day 72 – Hobos, tigers and leprechauns
Karl recollects the series of eateries that drew diners to the corner of Virginia Street and Gentry Way for several decades.
Day 70 & 71 – in Flanders Fields
Karl shares a poem by John McCrae to mark Memorial Day.
Day 69 – The Nugget shark: John meets Jaws
Karl was talking about baby shark, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, long before the kids these days had ever been born.
Day 67 – What I like about Reno High
Karl, er, Carmine Ghia, writes an end-of-school-year essay to turn in to Mrs. Lehners about everything he likes about Reno High School.
Day 67 – 25 Bret Harte
Karl saddles up and heads to Newlands Manor where Western movies star Reno Browne grew up, and Lash Larue paid a visit or two.
Day 66 – Out for dinner we go
Karl goes out to eat at the El Tavern Motel, a truck stop outside the Reno city limits on the Lincoln Highway.
Day 65 – Dawn Bunker
Karl is back in action with a fresh story of which students of Mrs. Bunker’s class at Jessie Beck Elementary School still won’t spill the beans.
Day 64 – abducted
Karl Breckenridge called in to This Is Reno editors this morning with a hands-in-the-air, what-can-I-do sense of resignation.
Day 63 – Wedding chapels
Karl’s enjoying coffee with pals at the Bear, so today Jody stands at the altar to share the history of Reno’s wedding chapel industry.
Day 62 – the mansion at 2301 Lakeside Drive
Karl’s 7-year-old alter ego rides his bike down to Virginia Lake to explore the Hancock Mansion, a nifty home complete with a bomb shelter, sunroof and doll collection.
Day 61 – Basque hotels
Karl wanders back in time to 1960, a time when multiple Basque hotels served up minestrone soup, English lessons, banking, and accommodations.
Day 60 – the bygone Greyhound terminal
Karl’s synapses are firing today after hearing mention of Reno’s Greyhound bus terminal on Stevenson Street, now razed.
Day 59 – Don’t tell Mom
Karl rewinds to Mother’s Day to share a story from the archive about Grandpas without a Clue and another ragtop adventure, by reader demand.
Day 58 – School stuff
Karl considers the value of a school name as the WCSD moves to rename one of the area’s older remaining schools and open a new one.
Day 57 – Pedalin’ around Vine Street
Karl rides his bike through history, remembering some of the places and people that helped to build Reno into the city it is today.
