May Programs start this Saturday, don’t miss!
Daring and Dangerous Donner Summit
Saturday, May 2, 2026, 1 – 2:00 pm, Nevada History – On The GO!
David and Gayle Woodruff, historian and author, will talk about Daring and Dangerous Donner Summit
Using a trove of rare and seldom‑seen photographs, local historians and authors David and Gayle Woodruff take you on a fast‑paced and often humorous journey across Donner Summit—one of America’s most storied and heavily traveled mountain corridors. From the heroic three‑day, round‑the‑clock effort to rescue 226 passengers and crew from a snow‑stranded and danger-filled train, to the spirited “Snow Shoveling Bee” that rallied an entire community, this program uncovers the remarkable characters, bold feats, and improbable moments that have shaped this legendary Sierra Summit’s fanciful history.
David and Gayle Woodruff offer history programs throughout Lake Tahoe, the Carson Valley, and Eastern Sierra, often bringing their characters to life in Chautauqua performances. The Woodruffs have written a series of three books about Highway 395 called Tales Along El Camino Sierra and a book on the Furnace Creek Resort called Magnificent Oasis.
We want to thank our community partner, Sierra View Library, for hosting this free series at 4001 S. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89502.
Bowers Mansion: The Legacy of a Comstock Family
Wednesday, May 13, 2026, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Doors open at 5 pm. Writers’ Wednesday – On The GO!
Tammy Buzick, author and curator, will talk about her book, Bowers Mansion: The Legacy of a Comstock Family, published by the University of Nevada Press.
Few estates born from the discovery of the Comstock Lode still survive. Among the grandest, Bowers Mansion dates to the height of the Civil War. The property has a tragic history shrouded in legend, laid bare within these pages: from the mansion’s construction to Eilley Bowers’s fight to maintain the property after her husband’s death, running it as a resort and telling fortunes, to the mansion’s restoration in the sixties with the aid of a handful of determined women. Bowers Mansion: The Legacy of a Comstock Family is a tale of wealth and poverty, of decay and revival, offering up a powerful story from Nevada’s history for readers of all kinds to enjoy.
Tamera J. Buzick is the Bowers Mansion curator. While teaching at Hug High School, she worked closely with Betty Hood, former Bowers Mansion curator, as the historical researcher and traveled extensively in search of new information about the Bowers family. She is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno. Ron James and Michael Bert Bedeau are co-authors.
Thanks to our community partner, Knights of Pythias, for hosting this free program at 980 Nevada Street, Reno, NV 89503.
After Another Eight Score: Jefferson, Lincoln, and Nevada
Thursday, May 21, 2026, at Noon, High Noon virtual series on Zoom
Dr. Michael Green, historian and author, will talk about After Another Eight Score: Jefferson, Lincoln, and Nevada. This is an American 250 Nevada Program!
At Gettysburg, Abraham Lincoln referred back to Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence in describing “a new birth of freedom.” Less than a year later, Nevada was a state. How were these people and events connected? This lecture will examine how Nevada reflects–and does not reflect–what Jefferson and Lincoln had in mind.
Michael Green is chair of the UNLV Department of History. He is the author of Nevada: A History of the Silver State and several other works on Nevada, as well as books about the Civil War era, including Lincoln and the Election of 1860 and Lincoln and Native Americans. He is the executive director of the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association and Preserve Nevada, and writes “Nevada Yesterdays,” read by former U.S. Senator Richard Bryan for Nevada Public Radio.
Make sure to register for this free, virtual Zoom lecture. Here is the link: