Happy Birthday NHS – Celebrating 120 Years of History

Nevada Historical Society’s 120th birthday celebration

May 4, 2024
10:00am to 3:00pm

Come celebrate with NHS with a special celebration on the legacy of the organization. The event will be held in the front lawn and parking lot with living history and educational groups with historical demonstrations and great information about the many organizations that support history and education for Reno and Nevada. Inside the museum, docents will talk about artifacts and history and answer any questions.

The event also includes a special lecture on local historian, Dr. Jeanne Elizabeth Wier, by Dr. Su Kim Chung, Head of Special Collections Public Services, University Libraries at UNLV. This FREE event would not be complete without a birthday cake!

Schedule of NHS Birthday Community Event

10:00am to 3:00pm Living History Groups, outside

10:00am to 3:00pm Educational Groups, outside

10:00am to 3:00pm NHS Gallery Guides in our History Galleries to answer questions about history and artifacts, inside

10:00am to 3:00pm NHS Gallery Scavenger Hunts, available for families and kids of all ages, inside

11:00am to 12:00pm OLLI Ukulele Musical Group

12:00 – 12:45pm Welcome to NHS Birthday, brief speeches from dignitaries, Friends of NHS, and our director Dr. Magee and City of Reno Proclamation and Congressional Commendation Certificate to celebrate our 120th birthday, outside

12:45 – 1:15pm Birthday Cake, a party isn’t complete without a birthday cake, outside

1:30 – 2:30 pm NHS History Lecture: The Woman Who Saved History: Jeanne Wier and the Nevada Historical Society, inside

Volunteers and staff will be available to answer your questions. We will have an informational table to answer questions about the event, how NHS preserves your history, our volunteer program the NHS Docent Council, and our other events that are scheduled throughout our yearlong birthday celebration. As Nevada’s oldest cultural institution, help us shape and support our history for the next 120 years!

Special NHS History Lecture:

The Woman Who Saved History: Jeanne Wier and the Nevada Historical Society

For nearly 50 years, Jeanne Wier advocated for the preservation of Nevada’s history through her tireless work on behalf of the Nevada Historical Society. From her professional struggles in obtaining financial support for the collections, to conflicts with various state agencies and officials, and the strain of balancing two full-time careers and caretaking for her elderly parents, Wier faced no shortage of challenges in her work to preserve the history of the Silver State. In this anniversary lecture, learn more about Wier’s personality, and how she persevered through these difficulties, inspired supporters throughout the State, collected some of Nevada’s unique treasures, and left a valuable legacy for historians and residents alike.

Su Kim Chung has been immersed in the history of Las Vegas since she began work in the UNLV Libraries’ Special Collections Division in 1999. As head of public services, she is in charge of reference, outreach, and instruction for archival materials on Las Vegas and Southern Nevada history. Chung also serves as curator for Las Vegas and Southern Nevada-related collections on entertainment, LGBT, and women’s history.

Chung holds a BA and MA in history from CSU Fresno, along with an MLIS and Ph.D. from UCLA’s Department of Information Studies. Her doctoral dissertation “‘We Seek to Be Patient’ Jeanne Wier and the Nevada Historical Society, 1904-1950,” was focused on the life and work of Jeanne Wier. A small portion of this work was published in the Nevada Historical Society Quarterly as “’Flies Millions Thick’: A Diary of Jeanne Wier’s Collecting Trip to Southern Nevada, July-August 1908” in 2013. She is also the author of the popular photo book Las Vegas Then and Now which documents the changing nature of the built landscape in Las Vegas.

As part of the non-profit organization Women of Diversity, Inc. Chung conceived the idea for the 2024 “Women Who Saved History” podcast series and profiled Wier for the first episode.

Make sure to check out who’s going to be here during our birthday celebration!

Educational Groups List

1. Jon Bilbao Basque Library at the University of Nevada, Reno
2. Historic Reno Preservation Society (HRPS)
3. Nevada Women’s History Project (NWHP)
4. City of Reno Historic Resources Commission
5. Walker Basin Conservancy
6. The Tahoe-Pyramid Trail
7. Hillside Cemetery Preservation Foundation
8. Stewart Indian School Cultural Center & Museum
9. Washoe County Parks, Bowers Mansion
10. Our Story, Inc. and the Northern Nevada African American Fireman’s Museum
11. Nevada State Historic Preservation Office
12. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology
13. ‘Library on the Go’ (bookmobile) from the Washoe County Library System

Living History Groups List

1. Mountain Men Rendezvous, American Mountain Men: Barren River Party, Great Basin~Sierra Nevada
2. Blacksmithing, Mike Houston and Rebecca Hess
3. Carson Sierra Spinners & Weavers Guild
4. Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
5. OLLI Ukulele Musical Group, 11am to 12pm
6. more information to come…

Dignitaries List

1. Dan Thielen, Administrator, Division of Museums & History
2. Michael Fischer, Friends of the Nevada Historical Society Board Member
3. Molly Rose Lewis, Regional Representative & Education and Arts/Museums/Culture for U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen
4. Michelle Schmitter, Division of Museums & History Board Member
5. Naomi Duerr, City Councilwoman, Ward 2 and Vice Mayor
6. Dr. William ‘Bill’ Rowley, UNR Emeritus Professor and NHS Q Editor in Chief
7. U.S. Congressman Mark Amodei and Stacy Parobek, District Director
8. Tony Timmons, Division of Museums & History Board Chair
9. more information to come…

Sponsors List

1. Rusty and Marie Goe
2. Patty Cafferata
3. NHS Docent Council