Museum events celebrate Women in History month

The February photo contest closes Saturday. If you haven't already entered, you have until 4 p.m. Saturday to get a photo into the museum or to e-mail one to in2my2cats@yahoo.com. You can't win if you don't enter.

On March 7, in honor of Women in History month, we will be presenting "A Portrait of a Pioneer Lady" on Student-Senior Day. The 30-minute oral history is read as a play with three characters. We discuss various aspects of life in Carson Valley in the 1800s. We'll talk about what they ate, where they worked and what they did with the long, dark evenings before gas lighting.

The performances will be held in the downstairs meeting room at 11 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. Admission is free for all students accompanied by an adult and all seniors 65 and over. Home schoolers, this is an excellent way to learn about the history of Carson Valley as well as the art of recording your family oral history before older loved ones are gone.

Speaking of Women in History, the deadline for entering your choice of woman to be honored is March 6. There will be a reception at the museum on March 28 to honor those selected to be this year's Women in History. This reception is open to the public and admission is free.

Thursday, March 12, is the next in our continuing lecture series. This lecture will feature Sue Ann Monteleone, registrar for the Nevada State Museum, who will be speaking about Datsolalee, renowned Washoe basket maker.

Because our members are so important to us, we are going to be offering them one more benefit beginning in June. Starting with the June 11 lecture, admission to each lecture will be free for our members. As of that June date we will be charging $3 per person admission for non-members. Free admission to the lecture series will more than pay for your annual membership fees.

We encourage you to join now. Start reaping the benefits of being a member of your Douglas County Historical Society. Your membership dollars and your support keep the history of Douglas County alive.

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, the Gardnerville museum and the Genoa Court House Museum, 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 790-1565.