Chautauqua performer Michael E. Fischer will portray Carson Valley rancher Heinrich F. Dangberg in a free presentation at 10 a.m. Saturday at Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park in Minden.
H.F. Dangberg, Sr. came to the United States in 1848 as a young immigrant from the Kingdom of Prussia, and thence began a journey westward that ended in Douglas County in 1853. His primary legacy is in the development of irrigation systems to support arid land. He served in both houses of the Nevada legislature and also formed the H.F. Dangberg Land and Live Stock Corporation with greater than 20,000 acres in the Carson Valley. He made few friends along the way, but supported many of the early Carson Valley residents in their attempts to reach America.
After working in private practice for 31 years, Michael E. Fischer retired from dentistry and was appointed director of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs, serving in both Gov. Gibbons’ and Gov. Sandoval’s cabinets until the department was formally disbanded. He is now an independent scholar whose interests include the history of Nevada cowboys and ranching, politics, bootlegging, gambling, and crime.
The event is part of the park’s Ferris Family Speaker Series, named in honor of the family of Margaret Ferris Dangberg, the wife of Heinrich F. Dangberg.
The outdoor event is free. For more information, go to dangberghomeranch.org, or call 775-783-9417.