Community and Society

James W. Calhoun: An Oral History

James W. Calhoun and the Nevada State Museum

Interviewee: James W. Calhoun
Interviewed: 1986
Published: 1987
Interviewer: R. T. King
UNOHP Catalog #138

Frank Yparraguirre: An Oral History

A Contribution to a Survey of Life in Carson Valley from First Settlement through the 1950s

Interviewee: Frank Yparraguirre with Raymond Borda
Interviewed: 1984
Published: 1984
Interviewer: R. T. King
UNOHP Catalog #130

Americans of Basque ancestry figure prominently in the history of Nevada. Sheepherding and innkeeping are the activities most commonly associated with the state’s Basques in the mind of the general public, but that is an excessively narrow interpretation of their role, particularly in Carson Valley.

Phyllis J. Walsh: An Oral History

Phyllis J. Walsh: From Lorgnettes to Lariats – In Loving Recollection of the S Bar S Ranch, Where Work Hardened Our Hands, While Visitors Lightened Our Hearts

Interviewee: Phyllis J. Walsh
Interviewed: 1971
Published: 1973
Interviewer: Mary Ellen Glass
UNOHP Catalog #061

Harry Hawkins: An Oral History

Harry Hawkins: Douglas-Alpine History

Interviewee: Harry Hawkins
Interviewed: 1965
Published: 1967
Interviewer: Mary Ellen Glass
UNOHP Catalog #016

Harry Hawkins was born in Alpine County, California, in 1881. His grandparents were among the earliest settlers in the area of Woodfords, on the property where Mr. Hawkins still resides. His home, which he calls “the castle of mystery,” is a storehouse of local memorabilia—artifacts, documents, photographs.

H. Clyde Mathews, Jr.: An Oral History

Oral Autobiography of a Modern-­Day Baptist Minister­, Life in California, Missionary to the Reno­Sparks Indian Colony, Office of Economic Opportunity, Nevada Politics and Civic Affairs

Interviewee: Clyde Mathews, Jr.
Interviewed: 1967-1968
Published: 1969
Interviewer: Mary Ellen Glass
UNOHP Catalog #029

Washoe County

The Nevada Territorial Legislature created Washoe County on November 25, 1861 as one of the original ten counties in the northwest corner of the Nevada Territory.

African Americans in Las Vegas

Over the course of the twentieth century, economic opportunities encouraged Black migration to the Las Vegas area, but racial discrimination curtailed aspirations for decent employment. Partnership in a ranch attracted John Howell, the first Black man known to own property in Southern Nevada; however the railroad, gaming, and federal projects drew most African Americans to Las Vegas. By 1910, out of the 945 residents of Las Vegas, forty were Black.

Sands Hotel Implosion

Las Vegas has developed a reputation for imploding its past. Actually, the reputation is neither deserved nor unique. Other cities have blown up historic buildings whose owners or the community had decided had outlived their usefulness—Reno’s Mapes Hotel serving as an example. And Las Vegas has imploded mainly hotel-casinos in financial trouble or unlikely to compete with newer, more modern, larger resorts. What Las Vegas has done differently, though, is turn these implosions into spectacles.

Stardust Hotel Implosion

Las Vegas has developed a reputation for imploding its past. Actually, the reputation is neither deserved nor unique. Other cities have blown up historic buildings whose owners or the community had decided had outlived their usefulness—Reno’s Mapes Hotel serving as an example. And Las Vegas has imploded mainly hotel-casinos in financial trouble or unlikely to compete with newer, more modern, larger resorts. What Las Vegas has done differently, though, is turn these implosions into spectacles.

Gerlach History

The town of Gerlach sits about 100 miles northeast of Reno. More than a two-hour drive from any semblance of a city, the town has become known as an outpost for the Burning Man Festival, as well as the kind of place where residents can count on their neighbors for food and comfort.

The town, along with Empire, had a total of 499 residents in the 2000 census.

Gerlach was founded in 1906, when construction began on the Feather River Route of the Western Pacific Railroad. The route connected Oakland, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah.

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