Random Stories
Louis' Basque Corner
Louis' Basque Corner has been a beloved local restaurant for nearly 50 years, but the building it occupies has a much longer history. Stone mason John Barrett built the Hotel Richelieu on the corner of Peavine Street (now Evans Avenue) in 1907, on…
Peerless Cleaners
There’s something soapy at the intersection of St. Lawrence Avenue and Forest Street. Two businesses, separated in time but linked by a passion for keeping things clean, have perched on this little hilltop since 1906, when it was still the…
Bishop Whitaker's School for Girls (site)
Walking along the paths that cross today's Whitaker Park can provide a sense of the grounds on which Bishop Whitaker’s School for Girls stood from 1879 through 1894. Ozi W. Whitaker was the Episcopal Bishop of Nevada from his arrival during…
Ponderosa Meat Company
The Ponderosa Meat Company had its start in 1947 as Reno Frozen Food Lockers. Brothers-in-law George L. Siri, Sr. and Willie Carano opened the butchering business and frozen locker plant after partnering for years at downtown’s Silver State…
Twentieth Century Club
The Twentieth Century Club building at 335 West First Street was erected in 1925 by Roush and Belz to serve Reno's first women's club. Part of a national movement, the 20th Century Club was organized in Reno in 1894, and was open to all women of good…
Frohlich Building
What is now the cornerstone of a busy Midtown intersection started out as two modest storefronts facing Virginia Street. The year was 1926, and the Memphis-based Piggly Wiggly grocery chain was eager to open a second Reno store. Constructed here…
Featured Stories
Nevada Auto Service
In the late 1920s, South Virginia Street was heeding the siren call of the automobile age. Service stations, dealers, and repair shops were popping up all along the thoroughfare, gradually adding a…
Eddie's Corner Bar/Mr. O's
The small brick building on the northwest corner of South Virginia and Mount Rose Streets has been a busy neighborhood bar for generations. When constructed in 1937, however, it was a simple market…
Caughlin Ranch House
The Caughlin Ranch House, along with its outbuildings and pastoral setting, provides a rare and enduring link to Reno’s rich ranching heritage, right in the heart of the city. Since the early 1900s,…
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Riding the Rails
6 Locations ~ Curated by The Reno Historical TeamEast 4th Street Walking Tour
20 Locations ~ Curated by Alicia BarberHistoric Downtown Alleys
4 Locations ~ Curated by Sharon Honig-BearSacred Landmarks
5 Locations ~ Curated by The Reno Historical TeamHistoric Riverfront Walking Tour
15 Locations ~ Curated by The Reno Historical TeamReno Historical
A project by Special Collections, University of Nevada, Reno LibrariesReno 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. Read more About Us