Thursday is Pony Express and 'Snowshoe' Day

Thursday is Pony Express Re-ride and Snowshoe Thompson Day. The Douglas County Historical Society has several events planned to help celebrate the day at the Court House Museum in Genoa.

For the Pony Express Re-ride, Lynne Heller, wife of Congressman Dean Heller, will ride into Genoa with the mochila. Larry McPherson will read a proclamation from Gov. Jim Gibbons declaring June 19 to be Pony Express Day. All this is scheduled to take place the morning of June 19, but the exact time will depend upon the horses. Call the museum at 782-4325 on that day for a more accurate time.

In addition to Mrs. Heller and Larry McPherson, several Douglas County Historical Society members who are also Pony Express re-riders will be in attendance. Look for Marlena Hellwinkel, Mike Murphy, Bob Moore and Carl Malkmus to be there along with others participating in the re-ride.

Festivities celebrating Snowshoe Thompson will include an appearance by Don "Snowshoe" Thompson. Eileen Bianci will lead us in singing the Norwegian national anthem again this year. These events will take place between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. and the emcee for both events this year will be DCHS member and trustee Ted Tiffany.

Wrapped around these events are the performances of the Young Chautauquans in Mormon Station State Historic Park in Genoa, Wednesday, June 18, and Thursday, June 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. This is a great opportunity to bring a picnic supper and enjoy our gorgeous late spring weather while you watch our talented young people portray various historical characters.

The following Saturday, June 21, is the first of our summer swap meets. Call the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center to reserve your 10-by-10-foot space for only $10. Several spaces have already been spoken for and those with the best Highway 395 visibility will be assigned on a first come basis. This is your chance to sell all that wonderful stuff collecting in the garage. Or, if you are a crafter, here is your opportunity to set up a booth and sell your work for very little cost. We hope to see you there.

In addition to these great events going on in June, we are having another photo contest. This time we want a photo of what you think the month of June means in Douglas County. Some obvious subjects are Pony Express re-rides, Snowshoe Thompson, Young Chautauquans. The choices are endless. We are really looking forward to finding out what you see as the one thing that says "June" in our county. Submissions for the Douglas County Historical Society's June Photo Contest may be dropped off at the Gardnerville museum by 4 p.m. on the last day of the month (except Sundays) or e-mailed to me at in2my2cats@yahoo.com.

Meanwhile back at the shop in the Gardnerville museum, the exhibit committee is in the midst of a major new exhibit. More on their project in future columns.

If you have any questions about anything mentioned here, please call the Douglas County Historical Society at the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center in Gardnerville at 782-2555. Visit our Web site at www.historicnevada.org. Remember, DCHS and its two museums do not receive any regular state or county funding. It's up to our members and friends to help us keep our doors open.

n Contact Ellen Caywood at in2my2cats@yahoo.com or at 790-1565.