Writers’ Wednesday – On The GO! – Historical Archaeology in the Cortez Mining District: Under the Nevada Giant (Off-site, KOP)
March 11 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Writers’ Wednesday – On The GO!
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
5:00 – 5:30 pm – Building open
5:30 – 6:30 pm – Lecture
Speakers: Erich Obermayr and Robert W. McQueen, authors and archeologists
Book Title: Historical Archaeology in the Cortez Mining District: Under the Nevada Giant, published by the University of Nevada Press.
Title of Talk: “An Archaeological Tour of Nevada’s Cortez Mining District”: Stories from the book Historical Archaeology of the Cortez Mining District: Under the Nevada Giant.
Summary of Talk: The Cortez Hills Expansion Project archaeological excavations uncovered a wealth of information about the Cortez Mining District, from its beginning in 1863 to the government-mandated end to the mining of precious metals in the district during World War II.
Authors Obermayr and McQueen use archaeological data as a foundation to tell the story of life in one of Nevada’s most intriguing, long-lived mining districts. Uncovering the homes and workplaces—and even trash dumps—of prospectors and miners, mill workers, charcoal burners, brickmakers, blacksmiths, teamsters, and families. Who were the ethnic groups, how did they live, and what products did they consume?
Speaker Bio: Erich Obermayr received a BA in anthropology and creative writing from the University of Arizona. He has many years of experience in archaeology as an itinerant field technician, crew chief, project manager, and principal investigator. He currently owns a firm specializing in historical and archaeological public interpretation. Obermayr lives in Silver City, Nevada.
Robert W. McQueen received his MS in industrial archaeology from Michigan Technological University. He is Principal Investigator with Summit Envirosolutions, Inc., an environmental and cultural resources consulting firm in Reno, Nevada. McQueen has spent the last decade actively surveying and researching the Cortez District and directed the archaeological excavations that led to the publication of this book.
Robert McQueen, author
Eric Obermayr, author
The Writers’ Wednesday Lecture Series, held the second Wednesday of each month, features a different author who takes part in a book signing, a presentation and question-and-answer session with the audience.
The intent of the program is to highlight writers who specifically focus on Nevada, the Great Basin, or the West in general. The authors talk about the content of their books but also share details about the creative process.
We would like to thank our partner, the Knights of Pythias for hosting our off-site lectures.
The Knights of Pythias fraternal organization promotes friendship among men and for the general welfare of its membership. They strive to make the world a better place by practicing the principles of friendship, charity, and benevolence through community service. The Knights of Pythias has been serving Nevada communities across since the 1870s. There are only three active lodges left in the State of Nevada. The address is 980 Nevada Street, Reno, NV 89503.
