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Golden Age of Las Vegas
The Golden Age of Las Vegas—roughly 1930-1960—was a time when the city sluffed off its Wild West origins and burgeoned into the glitz and glam era it’s still known for today. The transformation began amid the Great Depression, when the construction of the Hoover Dam brought a surge of workers. The population of Vegas was around 5,000 in 1931, but after the dam was announced, it grew to about 25,000 with people coming in droves for the promise of work.
Coincidentally, Nevada passed two laws in 1931 that would forever change the way the state would attract visitors: legalized gambling and six-week divorces.
In 1932—the first full year of dam construction—more than 200,000 people visited Las Vegas. Two years later, that number was a quarter of a million people. It was a sign of things to come.
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Fast Friends
Northern Nevada has been home to a thriving Basque immigrant community for more than a century. In communities like Elko, Winnemucca, and Reno, locals and visitors frequently gather at former boarding houses and 100-year-old restaurants for a family-style meal and a potent Picon Punch cocktail. However, not all of Nevada’s Basque diaspora communities have such a long-lived tradition.
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Dinner With a Side of History
Combine a tour of the city’s historic buildings with some of its hippest restaurants and watering holes. These establishments often boast up to a century (or more) of civic pride, but their menus keep it fresh, innovative,
and mouthwatering!
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Rural Wranglers: Pioche
In the mid-1860s, stories spread of a rich silver lode in Nevada. Thousands of treasure seekers arrived from all points of the compass, and by 1870, the mining camp became one of the largest cities in the West outside of San Francisco. For years, wealth poured from its surrounding hills as if from a broken tap. When the bonanza inevitably ended, the town lived on and weathered another century and a half. Today, it is a rare living artifact of the 19th century.
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The Haunting of Lincoln Hall
Lincoln Hall is steeped in mystery, history, and tales of the unexplained. While most souls who entered this 125-year-old dormitory eventually moved on with their lives, not all did. Discover the stories of the past, and learn how you can visit one of the state's most famous university buildings.
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Yesterday: The Dat So La Lee Basket Mystery
Four baskets woven by legendary Washoe weaver Dat So La Lee were stolen from the Nevada Historical Society in 1978. The tale of their return reads like a Hollywood plot.
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Las Vegas’ Westside Story
For five months in 1955, Las Vegas’ Westside District was an unlikely center of African American entertainment, culture, and optimism. The source was the city’s new Moulin Rouge Hotel, which opened at a time when racism was rampant across the nation.
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Robbery at Rawhide
One of the West's last stagecoach robberies reads like a good heist novel: the criminal duo, the masked hold up, a posse, good old-fashioned police work, and swift justice. However, this 1907 robbery ends on a mysterious note.
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Yesterday: Ferris’ Wonder Wheel
Everyone knows about the popular carnival ride, but did you know it was inspired by a water wheel on Nevada’s Carson River?
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Step Into Reno’s Past
So you’re in Reno and want to get acquainted with the city: where should you start? Consider this walking tour a primer for exploring the city. Beginning next to the neon and nightlife of downtown, you’ll end your walk on a bohemian street where locals shop and dine. Along the way, discover a post office-turned-indie mall, a riverside restaurant on Reno’s most historic site, and one of the town’s earliest buildings. We begin just south of the Truckee River right after crossing the bridge on Virginia Street.
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The Disaster at Mazuma
When a sudden cloudburst bursts over the small towns of Seven Troughs and Mazuma, residents had only seconds to evacuate out of the raging torrent. After the flood waters rushed through the canyon, a town was completely destroyed.
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The Mormon’s Nevada Gold Mines—Success or Failure?
During the economic depression in the 1890s, members of the Mormon church acquired a group of mining claims in Nye County. While these claims had promise, would they be the answer to the church’s financial losses?
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A Paradise Named Galena
For outdoor recreation, Galena Creek Regional Park outside Reno is a splendid, outdoor playground that’s hard to beat during any season—but especially autumn. Moreover, Galena has a historical Nevada notch that's not so well-known.
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A Preppie in Pioche
After hitchhiking cross-country from my family's home in New Rochelle, New York, I landed in Salt Lake City looking for a job—any job a husky kid could get. The "men wanted" newspaper ads called for muckers in a Nevada mine. I walked to the hiring office of Combined Metals near my hotel. It was the first of May 1946. I was still a teenager, not long out of Kiski Prep near Pittsburgh.
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Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge
East of the crest of Nevada’s Ruby Mountains lies the immense Ruby Valley, a pastoral expanse of quiet and prosperous ranch land. The dirt Ruby Valley Road follows the western edge of this high desert valley for 35 miles, before finally arriving at an oasis: A huge wetland of marshes, shallow lakes, and drainage ponds that encompasses the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the most remote wildlife refuge in the continental U.S.
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Nevada’s Basque History
Looking from the outside in, sheepherding and Basques in Nevada go hand-in-hand. But for the Basque immigrant life wasn’t that simple. First, he had to overcome a language barrier, as well as homesickness. He then had to learn a completely foreign skill—herding sheep—under strenuous circumstances.