Past pages

by Trent Dolan

120 years ago

Bigler vs. Tahoe: In the California legislature of '61 or '62, near the start of the war, Parson Benton of Sacramento thought it an outrage that so beautiful a sheet of water should be called after a former Democratic Governor, a copperhead. The man went to a chief of the Digger Indians at Wild Goose Flat, El Dorado County, who suggested Tahoe, which in Digger literature is rather suggestive of Warner's Safe Cure rather than a body of pure water. The Sacramentan drew up a resolution and rushed it through the Assembly. It never passed the Senate, as the hoax was exposed before it went before that body. Thus, the arbitrary change from the proper name, Lake Bigler.

100 years ago

George C. Waite returned to this city from Ramsey this morning highly elated over outlook for their property. An assay of $70 per ton is expected now that the shaft has reached a depth of 35 feet with the ledge widened so it nearly fills the shaft. The Ramsey Comstock is a dead ringer for the Ophir ore taken from that famous Virginia City mine.

70 years ago

Nevada's "flying judge" gets a great thrill. He's the oldest man to receive a pilot's license. Seventy-two year old District Judge B. F. Curler of Reno, when he received his license two years ago, is believed to be the oldest person licensed to fly. Judge Curler joins his son, Judge B. V. Curler of Susanville, in carrying a special cachet of letters from Susanville to Tonopah to commemorate National Airmail Week.

• Trent Dolan is the son of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.