Historian & author Dennis Cassinelli visiting Gold Hill Hotel April 7

Dennis Cassinelli, a Nevada historian and author, will offer a presentation about petroglyphs and the Dayton petrified forest that Mark Twain wrote about in his book, “Roughing It,” at Gold Hill Hotel’s next Thursday Night Presentation at 7:30 p.m. April 7.

Cassinelli, a former columnist for the Comstock Chronicle and highway engineer for the Nevada Department of Transportation, is an award-winning writer and historian. He has written four books about Comstock history and Native American artifacts and archaeology. His books will be on sale during the event.

Cassinelli’s books include “Preserving Traces of the Great Basin Indians,” a guidebook for identification of Great Basin Indian artifacts; and “Legends of Spirit Cave,” a prehistoric novel about the life and times of the mysterious mummified man who was discovered in a cave in the Grimes Point area east of Fallon in 1940. In 1995, the remains were examined and determined to be nearly 10,000 years old. A forensic reconstruction of his skull revealed the man was not related to any known American Indian tribe. In fact, the man most closely resembled Caucasians. Cassinelli tells the story about how this mysterious man may have lived and died in the Nevada desert of 10,000 years ago.

Cassinelli also is the author of Chronicles of the Comstock, comprised of the first 100 articles he wrote as the History of the Comstock writer for Virginia City’s Comstock Chronicle.

Dinner is from 4 to 8 p.m. at the hotel’s Crown Point Restaurant, 1540 Main St., Gold Hill. The cost is $25 for the dinner and lecture and $10 for the lecture only.

For reservations, call 775-847-0111. For more information about the presenter, go to www.denniscassinelli.com.

Upcoming presentations include: comedian and musician James Lee Reeves on April 14; Nevada Aviation History by Bill Sjovangen on April 21; Irish Archeological Dig by Ken Beaton on April 28; Premier of Eight New Videos on Virginia City by Virginia City Tourism Director Deny Dotson on May 5; Storey County Sheriff Gerald Antinoro on May 12; Education Here and Around the World by Rob Slaby on May 19; and The 601 Vigilance Committee in Virginia City by Gus Fincel on May 26.