Book celebrates Carson Area Chamber's service

The city now has a book to commemorate the service of the Carson Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Nevada Appeal-published book celebrates 60 years of the chamber as business promoter, tourism host, legislative advocate and community advisor.

The area has changed significantly since the chamber started in 1948. Carson City was in Ormsby County and had a population of about 3,200.

That year, an annual subscription to the Nevada Appeal cost about $9. That's just 5 cents a copy.

The chamber was an outspoken voice for the city from the get-go. For instance, the chamber entered a hearse into the annual Wagon Train caravan from Lake Tahoe to Placerville. The signs on the hearse proclaimed, "The Nation's Liveliest Capital!"

In the 1960s, the chamber stood for "no-smog, light industry" business.

The chamber tackled the issue of growth and expansion in the 1970s.

In the 1980s, the chamber held the International Whistle-off competition that drew about 200,000 attendees in its early years.

"It's interesting to see what Carson City looked like then," said Ronni Hannaman, director of the chamber.

Lynette Cameron, regional market development director for the Nevada Appeal, said the newspaper and the chamber started working on the 175-page book in December 2006.

"The time was right," she said. "The chamber director and the Nevada Appeal staff were all on the same page."

Karel Ancona-Henry researched chamber, newspaper and state archives to write the articles for the book.

"There was not one place where there was comprehensive accounting of chamber history, and now we have it," she said.

Gov. Jim Gibbons will be at the Nevada Appeal, 580 Mallory Way, at 5 p.m. Tuesday to sign copies of the book. Doors open at 3:30 p.m.

The book is $29.95 but can be purchased by nonprofit groups for a discount.

Call 882-2111 for more information.