The Genesis of Reno: The History of the Riverside Hotel and the Virginia Street Bridge

by Jack Harpster

Overview

Over 157 years ago—before there was a Reno, Nevada; before there was a state of Nevada; and even before there was a Nevada Territory—there was a bridge over the Truckee River at a narrow, deeply rutted cattle and wagon trail that would one day become Virginia Street. There was also a small rustic inn and tavern occupying a plot of ground at the southern end of the log-and-timber bridge, catering to thirsty cowboys, drovers, and miners. The inn and the bridge were the first two structures in what would one day be a bustling metropolitan area, and to this day they still form the nucleus of the city. The Genesis of Reno traces their history up to the present day. The 111 year-old concrete bridge that was replaced in 2016 by a magnificent new structure was honored for its longevity and unique character with placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781943859238
Publisher:	University of Nevada Press
Publication date:	09/13/2016
Edition description:	1
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 18 Years

About the Author

Jack Harpster graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a BS in journalism. He spent forty-three years working in the newspaper industry in both Southern California and Southern Nevada. Before retiring in 2002, Jack was the Executive Director of Advertising for the Las Vegas Review Journal and the Las Vegas Sun, and Director of New Media for the Stephens Newspaper group. He has published eight other books, along with dozens of essays and articles on history and biography in national and local journals and magazines. He lives in Reno, Nevada.
 

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations xi

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction 3

1 The Genesis 5

2 The Birth of the Biggest Little City 23

3 The Wooden Bridge Goes Public 42

4 Bridging Two Centuries 60

5 Betwixt Heaven and the Hot Place 71

6 A Modern Caravansary 85

7 The Delmonico of Reno 106

8 Death and Rebirth 114

9 The Great Depression 128

10 Top Hats and Ten-Gallon Sombreros 142

11 It Was the Best of Times: The 1950s 154

12 It Was the Worst of Times: The 1960s 172

13 The White Knight 191

14 A Decade of Reckoning 208

15 Resurrection 218

16 One of the Worst Bridges in the Country 225

17 "Let's Get This Bridge Built" 232

Bibliography 239

About the Author 247

Index 249

Editorial Reviews

This is a fascinating, well-told story with an unforgettable cast of characters. It reminds us of what made Reno so unique and nationally prominent.” —Eric Moody, Editor of Nevada in the West


“The book offers an invitation to the curious and the nostalgic to discover Reno’s past, which swirls about these two important and enduring places and structures.” —William Rowley, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Nevada, Reno


“The author’s portrait of early Reno history and the various incarnations of the bridge (wooden, iron, concrete) as well as their physical engineering limitations is rich and engaging...The book ultimately succeeds as a fresh and engaging portrait of Reno because of the author’s clear admiration and nostalgia for these two local landmarks.” —Public Historian Review

From the Publisher

This is a fascinating, well-told story, with an unforgettable cast of characters. It reminds us of what made Reno so unique and nationally prominent.” — Eric Moody, Editor of Nevada in the West

Nevada in the West - Eric Moody

The book offers an invitation to the curious and the nostalgic to discover Reno’s past, which swirls about these two important and enduring places and structures.” — William Rowley, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Nevada, Reno

William Rowley