Random Stories
Osen House
The Osen family became involved in the automobile trade at an early point. Based in Northern California, the Osen-McFarland Auto Company opened a branch in Reno in 1915, opening a sales room and service station on Commercial Row. In 1921, George A.…
Thompson Building
The Thompson Building was built in 1920 to house the University's teacher training program. A two-story, brick building with a classically-inspired facade, this Georgian-style building was designed by Reno architect Frederic DeLongchamps…
Reno City Hall (former)
As 1960 approached, the city of Reno was reckoning with its rapid growth and the accompanying need for a new city government facility. Since 1907, Reno’s City Hall had stood on the southwest corner of Center and First (originally known as Front)…
Frisch House
Gangsters. Murder. Mystery. Who would ever guess that a lovely but unassuming house, built in 1908 near downtown Reno, would be tied up with a sordid tale that remains one of Reno’s most enduring intrigues?
The year was 1934 and Roy Frisch…
Historic Huffaker Schoolhouse
The little white schoolhouse near the entrance to Bartley Ranch Regional Park in southwest Reno fits so snugly into the surrounding landscape that one might assume it has always been there. But it was in fact originally located two miles east on…
Chinatown (site)
Following the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, Reno—like other towns in the West—became a home for displaced Chinese laborers. The Sacramento-to-Reno section of the Central Pacific Railroad was completed in the spring of 1868; Chinese…
Featured Stories
Cladianos Building
The Cladianos Building represents a Reno success story, how a young Greek immigrant named Pete Cladianos, Sr. moved to Reno and became a respected businessman and gaming pioneer. Over a period of thirty years, he and his family built a business…
Landrum's Hamburger System No. 1
Landrum's came to Reno on a railroad flat car, off-loaded from the Virginia & Truckee Railroad tracks behind the property, and assembled on its present site in 1947 by Eunice Landrum, who named her new diner "Landrum's Hamburger…
Douglas Alley
The Douglas Alley of today is just a shadow of what it was in its heyday. Running parallel to Commercial Row, the alley once ran east from Peavine (now Evans) Street to West Street. Over time, the development of large casinos reduced it to its…
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East 4th Street Walking Tour
20 Locations ~ Curated by Alicia Barber with Research Support from RTC WashoeMansions on the Bluff
28 Locations ~ Curated by Donna and Paul Erickson/Historic Reno Preservation SocietyReno 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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