Reno Nevada

Gold Silver Gambling Divorce Ski Resorts and Water Sports

History pioneers settled in the Truckee Meadows where the Truckee River flows from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. These mid-19^th century farmers also provided services for travelers on the California Trail. Mining became the foremost local activity with the discovery of gold in nearby Virginia City and especially silver at the Comstock Lode in 1859 when Virginia City and the California Trail were connected by a a log toll bridge across the Truckee River. Lake Crossing, a small community that serviced travelers near the bridge, became the site of a depot on the First Transcontinental Railroad where the town of Reno came into being in May, 1868.

 

Nevada is the World’s Third Largest Gold Producer

Reno named for Civil War Major General Jesse Lee Reno, continued to grow as a business and agricultural center and became the principal settlement on the transcontinental railroad between Sacramento and Salt Lake City. The Reno Arch was erected on Virginia Street in 1926 to promote the Transcontinental Highways Exposition of 1927. 

Legalized Gambling Reno took a leap when the state of Nevada legalized open-gambling and liberal divorce laws in 1931. The war years of the 1940s cemented Reno as the place to play for two decades.

Also, the presence of a main east-west rail line, the interstate highway system, favorable state tax climate, and relatively inexpensive land created good conditions for warehousing and distribution of goods. Reno also is an outdoor recreation destination, due to its close proximity to the Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe and 18 ski resorts. Winter activities include snowshoeing, ice skating, and snowmobiling; international bike competitions are held in Lake Tahoe during the summer.

Lake Tahoe in Nevada and California

Native People Gold and Silver Discoveries Ski Resorts Museums and Mansions

Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine freshwater lake and second deepest in North America. Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains between Nevada and California, it is home to ski resorts and other year round tourism and recreation activities. Formed about 2 million years ago, it is known for the clarity of its water and the panorama of surrounding mountains on all sides.

Native People the area around Lake Tahoe was previously inhabited by the Washoe tribe whose territory, included the upper valleys of the Walker, Carson and Truckee Rivers. The word Tahoe derives from a Washo word meaning The Lake.

The Mining Era with the discovery of gold in 1848, thousands of gold seekers passed near the basin on their way to the gold fields. Europeans arrived in the Lake Tahoe basin with the discovery of the Comstock Lode silver deposit 15 miles - 24 km – in Virginia City, Nevada. From 1858 until about 1890, logging in the basin supplied large timbers to shore up the mines’ underground workings.

Development during the first half of the 20^th century, development around the lake consisted of a few vacation homes, followed by the post-World War II building boom, construction of gambling casinos in the Nevada part of the basin, and completion of the interstate highway for the 1960 Winter Olympics.

 Squaw Valley is North America’s Most Renowned Ski Resort

Hellman-Erhman Mansion is a grand but informal summer home completed in 1903 and considered to be one of the finest in the high Sierra. The building site was originally a sand hill. Tons of topsoil were brought from the back country to provide the base for lawns and gardens. Building materials for the house were obtained locally; the granite from Meeks Bay and the lumber from Hobart Mills, north of Truckee. The spiral staircase rises to the second floor where a hall runs north and south joining the eight bedrooms and seven bathrooms. The rooms were furnished with brass beds and Navajo rugs.

The US West the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast

Emerald Bay State Park is located in the southwest corner of Lake Tahoe and is a National Natural Landmark. A vividly colored oval embayment of Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay was formed by moraines as parallel glaciers receded. The site is an outstanding example of glacial geology.

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The North Lake Tahoe Historical Society NLTHS was founded in 1969 by a group of concerned citizens who were passionate about preserving Tahoe’s history, and telling its stories. The NLTHS preserves, presents and interprets Lake Tahoe history through its three museums located in Tahoe City:

Gatekeeper’s Museum is located on an ancient Washoe campsite. The museum contains an eclectic collection of Tahoe history, including photographic collections, oral histories and transcription, newspapers, court ledgers, maps and written materials, letters, clothing, artifacts and furniture.

Marion Steinbach Indian Basket Museum a collection of over 800 baskets, pottery, clothing, dolls and artifacts from over 85 tribes nationwide.

Watson Cabin a 1909 log cabin listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the oldest Tahoe City house that still sits where it was originally built, in the middle of the town.

Tahoe Maritime Museum preserves Lake Tahoe’s rich maritime history and stimulate interest and increase knowledge and maintain watercraft and marine artifacts significant in Lake Tahoe’s maritime history through the highest standards of historic preservation, innovative interpretation and public education.

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