Carson City looking north from the top of the Capitol building in 1871.
Wednesday
150 Years Ago
Fire at Sweeneys: The rear end of a building owned by Ed Sweeney caught fire. Both fire companies were on hand, the Warrens got the first water. The red shirts came with a cry of “Shake her up, boys! And jumped into the thickest of danger. Grave and reverend Senators hearing the bell tap took recess for ten minutes that they might go forth to battle with the destroying element, or take a drink. The building was saved but damaged about $400—cause of fire, defective stovepipe.
140 Years Ago
A trunk thief: George Small, driver of the Susanville stage, was on his return trip to Reno, when within a mile and a half of town, a robber removed the only trunk aboard from behind. The cheeky thief shouldered his booty and was staggering off with it when George stopped his team and gave chase. The operator in trunks, finding himself pursued, dropped his load and took to his heels, thus cheating the coroner out of a job. (Reno Gazette)
130 Years Ago
All sorts: James H. Crockwell of Virginia City will be at Marston’s Gallery during the sitting of the Legislature doing all classes of photographic work. Come one, come all, bring your babies. Comstock views on sale.
100 Years Ago
Gum: William Wrigley, the gum magnate, had his life insured for $1,000,000, which inspired the Washington Herald mathematician to sift the problem and find out what a million dollars’ worth of gum meant. Here are some of the results (in part): Allowing an active stenographer one stick an hour for each eight-hour day, it would take her 25,000,000 days or 68,500 years, to masticate the value of Mr. Wrigley’s policy, by which time she might be classed as an antediluvian. And, Mr. William Wrigley started making chewing gum on the kitchen stove
50 Years Ago
Richard L. Graves, Library Site: Negotiations have been made with Richard L. Graves for the purchase of a site for the new county library to be located on North Roop Street opposite the municipal pool – cost $95,000.
20 Years Ago
Ironwood theater movies: Cinema 8 movies: “The Thin Red Line,” “Varsity Blues,” “In Dreams,” “Virus,” “A Civil Action,” “Patch Adams,” “Stepmom,” “You’ve Got Mail” and “Mighty Joe Young.”
Thursday
150 Years Ago
Fire in Washoe City: The Washoe Brewery was totally destroyed by fire. It was insured by the Pacific Mutual Company – cause unknown.
140 Years Ago
Bodieite: General Kittrell will become a Bodie resident and when he starts in to make a speech every man in sight will jerk out his revolver and make a dash for the room; under the impression that a free fight, open to all corners, is in progress. (Gazette)
130 Years Ago
Took it all: One of the members of the Legislature who had been junketing at Reno stepped up to the Ormsby House and ordered a bottle of champagne. He called up his friends and six glasses were poured. His friends who saw that he was rather the worse for liquor refused to drink. After appealing to them in vain, he remarked: “All right, but we won’t waste it,” and he deliberately drank the six glasses himself.
100 Years Ago
Legislature’s 29th session: Bills introduced in the Assembly –
Mrs. Sadie Hurst, Washoe delegation – introduced a joint concurrent resolution memorializing the United States to pass the Susan B. Anthony amendment and present it to the people for ratification.
Richards, Nye County – Introduced a bill to establish a semi-monthly pay day through the state and applying it mainly to corporations.
Meder of Ormsby County – Gave notice that at an early day he would introduce a bill to combine the offices of the city of Carson and the county of Ormsby.
50 Years Ago
Teacher beginning pay: Ormsby County teachers are proposed to start at $8,000 a year with substantial increases thereafter. The increased cost is from the high cost of living in the Ormsby County area and to recruit and keep teachers.
20 Years Ago
Edmunds roundabout: Nevada Department of Transportation is planning a traffic experiment to reduce congestion. A temporary roundabout is being placed at the intersection of Edmunds Drive. Motorists will no longer stop at a four-way intersection, but yield to traffic on the left and enter traffic to the right as it progresses around a circle and exit.
Friday
150 Years Ago
A Legislative ball: Some of our more wide-awake citizens have been put on foot to organize a grand ball in complement to the legislators now assembled here. It will be the most complete and brilliant affair of the kind to ever be held in Carson. Citizens are asked to subscribe such amounts as will ensure the financial success of the project.
140 Years Ago
Night in an old shaft: Henry Garner, the blacksmith at the Grand Prize mine, went to call on Judge Kelley when he fell into a shaft about 35 or 40 feet deep. The mouth of the shaft was covered with know and broke his fall. He had one match by the feeble light of which he discovered a drift from the bottom of the shaft. He found it perfectly dry and comfortable and laid down and slept for two or three hours, intending to shout for assistance when shifts changed. With his small pocket knife and a blade not more than 1 ½ inch long, he began to cut steps in the middle of the shaft. He made his way up to twenty feet, but had to go back down to warm his feet. After fourteen hours in the shaft, he succeeded in dragging himself to the surface. We call attention to the danger of leaving shafts and prospect holes uncovered.
130 Years Ago
Knights of Pythias masquerade, big success: 160 ladies and gentleman participated in the masquerade, representing all the phases of the beautiful and the grotesque. At the time set for the unmasking the committee announced its decision as follows: The richest dressed lady, Miss Couillard; richest dressed gentleman, E. B. Rail, as ‘Don Caesar;’ for the most original character by lady, Miss Maudie Doane, as ‘Nan, the Good-for-Nothing’; most original character by gentleman, Mr. Jake Olcovich, as a Turk…
100 Years Ago
Classified ads: Lost – a bunch of keys. Last seen on the south side of Chartz building. Return keys to Dr. S. L. Lee for reward. Wanted – to rent typewriter; standard keyboard, Minden, Nevada.
50 Years Ago
Leisure Hour Club: Sessions Wheeler is guest speaker and will speak on “The Battle of Pyramid Lake.” Wheeler is a biology instructor at Reno High School, a professional biologist and conservation and trustee of the Max Fleischmann Foundation, and former trustee of the Nevada State Museum.
20 Years Ago
New National Guard building: Cost of construction of the headquarters for the Nevada National Guard should cost $10.8 million.
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.