Random Stories
Pioneer Theater-Auditorium
When the Pioneer Theater-Auditorium was completed in December 1967, it was going to be named the Apollo Theater. Instead, the golden-domed building came to be called the Pioneer Theater-Auditorium after the statue of a pioneer family that stands in…
Rick's Resort
Rick's Resort was opened around 1909 by Rick DeBernardi, the son of Swiss immigrants, several miles west of Reno on what was then called the Old Verdi Road. In the summer of 1910, the resort shot to fame as the training quarters for prizefighter…
Benham House
Architect Frederic DeLongchamps designed this home, which was constructed in 1930 for Guy and Emeline Benham. The couple met in Reno, but were not native to the area.
Born on a farm near Cedar Falls, Iowa, Guy Everett Benham moved to Reno in…
Hale Building
The transformation of South Virginia Street from a quiet residential neighborhood into a thriving business district was well underway by 1946, when Edward F. Hale financed the construction of a modest brick commercial building next door to the fire…
Sewell's Supermarket
Abner W. Sewell opened his first general merchandise store in the northeastern Nevada town of Tuscarora in 1897. A native of Ohio, Abner had ventured west with his brother in the 1880s, working as a cowboy on various Nevada ranches before entering…
John Mackay Statue
Dedicated June 10, 1908, the statue of John Mackay, which stands at the north end of the University of Nevada Quad in front of the Mackay School of Mines, honors the only Comstock mining baron to give back to the state of Nevada. In 1873, while…
Featured Stories
Piazzo Building
The Piazzo Building at 354 N. Virginia Street, also known as the St. Francis Hotel, embodies the story of Reno in a way that few others could. Contained in one three-story brick structure are the stories of a hardworking immigrant family, the…
Fulton House (site)
The spindled Queen Anne house once located on the corner of N. Center and Ninth Streets was built in 1895. It was similar in appearance to the Armstrong house at 821 N. Center, but its exterior was quite original.
John M. Fulton moved into the…
Levy House
Merchant Wilhelm Levy immigrated to America from Prussia (Germany). Later, he moved to Nevada and operated dry goods stores in a couple of mining boom towns. In 1887, he moved to Reno and with his partner, Jacob Morris, rented a first-class store.…
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East 4th Street Walking Tour
20 Locations ~ Curated by Alicia Barber with Research Support from RTC WashoeReno Historical
A project by Historic Reno Preservation SocietyReno Historical is a free mobile app that puts Reno history at your fingertips, allowing you to explore the people, places, and moments that have shaped the city’s history. Learn about the history of Reno through layered, map-based, multimedia presentations, use social media to share your stories, and experience curated historical tours of the city. It is a work in progress, so be sure to check in frequently for new tours and stories.
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