June 24, 2022
Perhaps you think jackalopes are just the stuff of legends—curio items you might spot on the wall of a novelty taxidermist. Well, there’s more to this cottontail than meets the eye, as Michael P. Branch explores in his new book, On the Trail of the Jackalope: How a Legend Captured the World’s Imagination and Helped […]
June 17, 2022
The last ten years has brought significant changes in our understanding of how people lived in the Great Basin. People have been here longer and doing different things than previously thought. We now know that people were making complex textiles more than 9,000 years ago. These textiles highlight women’s contributions to economic and social life, […]
June 16, 2022
Come join us for a brief discussion on one of Nevada’s most athletic critters and our state mammal the bighorn sheep! We will discuss the different types of sheep you can find in Nevada, their preferred habitat and biology as well as what the Nevada Department of Wildlife does to help manage our sheep populations […]
May 20, 2022
You Can’t Do 30-Meter Transects in a Pit Lake: The Archaeological Study of a Mid-Twentieth Century Mine Mid-twentieth-century federal investment in infrastructure projects transformed the American West. Two conspicuous projects impacting the West include the Glen Canyon Dam (1956-1964) and the Interstate Highway System (beginning 1956). Federal investment also found its way into mining in […]
April 29, 2022
This presentation will give the historical overview the group of Mormons, known as the Mormon Battalion, that President Polk recruited in 1846, and Brigham Young released, to assist in the conquest of California by General Kearny with the army of the west. Why was it formed, what was its purpose and what happened? Why is […]
March 25, 2022
Many people in the Carson City area know of the Nevada State Museum, but some may not be aware that this iconic structure was built as a United States mint. Despite structural changes, this building still holds architectural secrets from its rich history. Some of these secrets can still be seen by museum visitors … […]
February 25, 2022
The dude ranch is the original western vacation, and has many connections to the history and culture of the West and the nation. Historian Lynn Downey unearthed these stories for her new book, American Dude Ranch: A Touch of the Cowboy and the Thrill of the West. Downey’s illustrated talk will follow the dude ranch […]
January 21, 2022
This talk will focus on the author’s research and conclusions about Western Victorian theater during the mid-1800s. The book focuses on the American West drawing on San Francisco’s prominence and its relationship with the smaller theaters. The talk will use many examples from Nevada’s prominent theaters including Piper’s Opera House in Virginia City, as well […]
December 21, 2021
Presentation: In the spring of 1846, a group of families left their homes and farms in the eastern U.S. and stepped off into the wilderness for a 2,000-mile walk across the continent – and into history. A national expert on the tragedy tells the tale of these doomed pioneers and explains the cascade of events […]
November 29, 2021
Stan Paher will explore the 49er emigrant trails through western Nevada, from near Lovelock westward through the Truckee Meadows-Reno area up to Donner Summit. The alternate Carson River Route begins at a point 30 miles north of Fallon and traverses the dreaded Forty-mile Desert to reach the Carson River at a point near Fort Churchill. […]
