NHS digital e-newsletter - October 2020 |
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Welcome to Fall!
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic remain; and I hope you and your loved-ones are healthy, safe and operating as best as possible. The NHS is going strong thanks to our dedicated docents, volunteers, supporters, the Division of Museum and History and the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs’ support.
Our safe workplace and reopening procedures are successfully implemented, which includes reservations for the Research Library and limiting the number of visitors to ensure the health and safety of our guests, staff and volunteers.
Our Research Library is extremely busy; all the research appointment slots are 95-100% filled each week—keeping Shery and me on our toes! Our walk-in museum visitors increase each week, especially with UNR being back in session.
Our docents have been tremendous in their support to get the NHS open and running. They have been working many months to ensure our research, digitization and cataloging computers meet the state’s computer requirements.
In case you were unaware—
the state of Nevada doesn’t pay for our non-staff computers, computer programs, and computer upgrades.
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This means all the computers used in our Research Library and used by our docents and volunteers are supported through your and our docents’ generosity. THANK YOU ALL!!!
NHS goes “Ken Burns”—we are working to create online tours, beginning with our most popular tours, the Nevada History tours that augment the 4th grade Nevada History curriculum. Pre-COVID the NHS served our schools’ needs through onsite tours and paid for the school bus transportation.
Because this onsite service is currently not possible, we are tapping staff and docents’ hidden talents and are becoming filmmakers!
As more of our docents and volunteers return, we are looking to open the Gallery to the public an additional day without reservations—we will keep you posted!
The NHS is so proud to serve our state, our citizens and the public; with your support we will continue to serve for another 116 years!
Don’t let the Virginia Street construction deter you from visiting. Think of making a visit to the NHS as an adventure in map reading!
Cheers,
Catherine
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This was Nevada NHS Series
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First Woman Elected in Nevada: The Election of 1916
In 1913, for the first time, the Nevada Legislature passed for voter approval a constitutional amendment giving women the right of suffrage. This followed passage of the amendment through the 1911 legislative session, and some stormy controversies over whether women were either fit to vote or might be degraded by exercising the franchise.
Many people believed that women were naturally inferior both in intellect and physical makeup and should therefore be denied full citizenship. Others argued that women’s entry into “dirty” politics would sully their natural virtue and general superiority. Suffrage advocates disagreed with both positions.
Either way, the struggle became heated through the legislative sessions and some earlier ones that failed to pass the necessary resolutions.
Mrs. Edna Nevada Catlin Baker came to the voters in the general election that year as a Republican candidate for regent of the state university. Nominated first from her Sparks precinct in Washoe County, and then by the state Republican convention, Baker was one of only two women to appear on the state-wide ballot. Baker was a native of Carson City, where she was born in 1876.
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The latest NHSQ Spring/Summer 2020 issue Volume 63, No 1-2 is dedicated to Nevada's fight for Suffrage.
The photo on the cover of the Q is Anne Martin posing with her companions in their touring car on her 1918 or 1920 Senate campaign across the state of Nevada.
A lot of great content packed in this special issue!!
Contents:
Reprint - The First Battle for Woman Suffrage in Nevada 1869-1871
Jean Ford and James W. Hulse
Mapping Nevada's Suffrage Campaigns
Joanne L. Goodwin
Treading the Path to Liberty: Anne Martin in the National Woman Suffrage Fight
DeAnna E. Beachley
They are Fully Alive to Their Own Interests: Anti-Suffragists in Nevada, 1914
Dana R. Bennett
Reno's Historic Residences
Darla Potter
Eight Book Reviews
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Woman tourist posing with a young Native American girl in Virginia City, 1900s. |
This month's article focus is about women and what they wrote about traveling across Nevada nearly 100 years ago. In most cases, women were the passengers and record keepers of these trips.
NHS worked with Peter A. Kopp and the UNR History Department to tell this fascinating story and created an exhibit in late 2008, early 2009.
Dr. Kopp is a public historian of the North American West with specialties in the history of agriculture and the environment. Kopp earned his Ph.D. from the University of Nevada in 2012.
NHSQ - Spring 2009, pages 3-33.
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COVID-19 Articles:
We wanted to share two great stories written by Frank X. Mullen Jr. for the Reno News
& Review.
As Americans grapple with today's COVID-19 pandemic, we can look back at Nevada's early responses to the 1918 Flu Epidemic.
Pandemic Chronicles: Mandatory masks, our remake of 1918
Nevadans asked to share stories
with the future
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Remembering our NHS Founder |
The Wier family headstone at Mountain View Cemetery. Jeanne Wier's parents, brother, sister and herself are all buried at this plot.
Lorraine Petersen visited the site, asking staff if the headstone could be cleaned. The NHS Docent Council has agreed to pay for the installation of a metal vase allowing flowers to be placed at her gravesite.
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Don't forget to register for these wonderful talks!!
The link below directs you to
the main WCLS website page for virtual lectures.
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High Noon: Shootout with Neal Cobb is a wonderful history series that delves into fascinating Nevada topics with local experts.
Neal Cobb is a passionate historian and honorary curator for the Nevada Historical Society and loves all things Nevada.
Join Neal Cobb and our monthly speaker as we explore interesting topics and join in the audience conversations.
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Frank Mullin, Jr., Speaker |
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Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020 Noon
High Noon: Frank Mullen Jr.
Title: My Lives As A Chautauqua Performer
Chautauqua is a living history presentation in which a scholar adopts the persona of a historical figure. The performer delivers a monologue as the person from the past, answers audience questions in character and then does a short Q&A session out of character.
The program will cover: the research process for characters; writing monologues; assembling period costumes; rehearsal techniques; and preparing for the Q&As, various costumes, research materials and short videos of performances will be shown. Stories will be told.
Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020 Noon
High Noon: Jim Bonar
Title: The Black Rock Desert: A tour through the history & Applegate trail
You've heard of the Black Rock Desert, but have you been to it? Most impressions people get are from Burning Man, but there is so much more to this incredible place. Let's explore the northern end of Nevada. What's the history, who lived there, the first whites?
Jim Bonar will detail some of the events of the past and give you information about what's going on today. See the wonders found in the wonderful Black Rock Desert.
Thursday, January 21, 2021 Noon
High Noon: Sam Macaluso
Title: Pony Express in Nevada
April 3, 2020 marks the 160th anniversary of one of the more romantic eras in the west, The Pony Express.
The freighting group of Russell, Majors and Waddell undertook the great adventure of having mail couriers travel 2,000 miles in 10 days. What about the Pony Express in Nevada? There were 29 relay stations in Nevada which were situated 20-35 miles apart. The Nevada portion of the route was 420 miles long and follows approximately where highway US 50 exists now (through the center of the state). Riders were paid $100 per month and station keepers got $125 per month. Riders carried the mail in a mochila (lightweight leather cover put over a horse's saddle). It had 4 lockable canisters that kept the mail safe until it reached its destination. The price of postage was high.
Sam Macaluso will talk about Nevada’s role of the Pony Express.
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Miss Millicent L. Sears was a professor of home economics at the University of Nevada from 1917 to 1920. She graduated at the Oread Institution of Home Economics at Worcester, Mass.
Miss Sears taught home economics classes to her students but offered food substitution classes to the community with assistance from the Collegiate Alumnae Association. She was an active member of the University women group.
She was hired by the University of California in 1920 to teach Home Economics and a special class called Practice Home to prepare young ladies for the role of house wife.
The original NHS Museum Artifact Accession Card (orange colored) lists the handkerchief is made of fine grade white linen and woven in one corner is the words "Votes for Women."
Miss Sears used the handkerchief while on Suffrage campaigns in Connecticut and Washington DC.
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Miss Millicent Sears, RGJ, 1917. |
Votes for Women handkerchief is made of fine grade white linen. A few stains dot the surface of this century old handkerchief. |
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Poster for Vacation Testing Ground, 2009.
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From the NHS time vault: Shery Hayes-Zorn, Curator of Museum Artifacts is seen posing with Peter Kopp, guest curator. |
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Happy Fall everyone,
We have been very busy at the Society. Between running the Research Library and working on numerous research requests, I have been working on finding interesting content to post and put in our latest newsletter. I have missed working with my docents.
I am happy announce there are four MS Curatorial Stations ready for my Manuscript docents. The office has three workstations spaced out and the fourth station is located outside of the office. Cleaning supplies and nylon gloves and a bin to place our recyclable cleaning rags and cotton gloves to wash to ensure your safety.
An email was sent out yesterday with the new Signup Genius calendar to sign up for shifts. There are three typing projects that can be done in the comfort of your own home.
In addition, I have two Library docent work stations and have created a signup calendar. We are waiting for the computer towers to make these stations live. An email will be sent out soon.
Shery
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Hours & Days of Operation |
Museum Gallery: W-F 10a-4pm
Wednesdays are open to the public. No appointments needed!
Thursdays and Fridays online registration is required to schedule your visit.
Research Library: W-F 12p-4pm
Wednesdays - Fridays online registration is required to schedule your upcoming research visit.
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Please use these two forms to schedule your visits at NHS - You can find them under our VISIT tab.
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Article about the Fallon parade, NV Equal Franchise Society newsletter, Sept. 18, 1914. NHS MSNC 167. |
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Looking Back at Nevada's Fight for the Right to Vote! |
Suffrage Participants Parade in Fallon
There is a great photo in our Churchill County subject photography collection.
I have always wondered about the interesting story behind the image. A couple of weeks ago, I was working on a research request about an early Nevada Equal Franchise Society member.
When I was searching through the collection MSNC167, I came across a reference about Suffragists participating in the Truckee-Carson Fair, Sept. 17th, 1914 in Fallon, Nevada. You can read a detailed account of this event from the write up from their newsletter!
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Photo of Parade in Fallon, 1914, No # |
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Nevada's Oldest Cultural Institution
Nevada Historical Society
1650 N. Virginia Street
Reno, NV. 89503
775.688.1190
NHS is part of the Dept. Tourism & Cultural Affairs, Div. of Museums & History
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