Nevada Day revisited: 1952 & 1972

Editor’s Note: This continues a series featuring the Appeal’s coverage of past Nevada Days.

Reprinted from the Oct. 31, 1952 Nevada Appeal:

Eighty-eight years ago Nevada was admitted to the Union, second western state to be so honored. Nevada was admitted because she had, per capita, contributed more to the cause of national unity than any other territory — or state. Silver from her mines had financed a victorious civil war.

This is Nevada Day, and every one of you reading this should be glad you live here to see it. For Nevada is more than just the sixth largest state in the Union, and it is the one on which the eyes of the world are focused because of its insistence on the rights of the individual citizen.

This is Nevada Day. And if you don’t like parades, or noise, or crowds, or beautiful women — then go home and shut the doors and pull down the shades.

The parade, north to south, will be roughly four times longer than the city itself — judging by the number of bands and entries. There will be some of the best bands in the west. And possibly some of the worst. But who cares? They’ll all make a suitable noise in honor of the finest and freest state in the Union.

If you’ve just come to see the parade, you’ll be cheating yourself. There will be so many other events that you’ll be puzzled which to take in — and you can’t take them all in because some of them happen at the same time.

After the parade there’s the band concert by the Reno and Carson City municipal bands. No sooner will that be over than the Indian Dance Pageant will begin, and this one item has attracted visitors from as far away as San Francisco. The symbolic Indian dances will be performed by chief Frank John’s Indians from the Paiute Indian reservation at Nixon. Over the dances will be a narration, read by Peter Echeverria, to explain them.