Nevada Day revisited: 1950 & 1974

Editor’s Note: This continues a series featuring the Appeal’s coverage of past Nevada Days.

Reprinted from the Nov. 1, 1950, Nevada Appeal:

Cooperation from the weatherman figured prominently, but all in all the 1950 Nevada Day celebration here yesterday will go down as one of the best in Carson’s history.

The state highway department announced that 21,056 people visited the state’s capital Tuesday for the program.

Festivities were concluded with the 1864 ball last night in the civic auditorium. Dancing was enjoyed until an early hour this morning after getting under way at 9:30 p.m.

Grand march, participated in by costumed Carson residents, was led by Gov. and Mrs. Vail Pittman. Following the march, formal presentation of Foley’s forest was held with Judge Clark J. Guild, Mayor Caro Pendergraft, Nick Carter, chairman of the citizens park committee, and Gordon A. Sampson, vice president of the V&T, all participating.

There were many events all during the day and all attracted overflow crowds. The parade, which started a little after 11 a.m., contained marching, riding and float entries from all corners of the state. The 95-piece White Pine band, one of the finest ever heard here, led the procession, preceded only by the colors and Gov. Pittman.

After the parade events were held all over the town including state building dedication rites, open house at the mansion, state museum and in practically every home in the city. At the same time band concerts were going on as well as a rodeo at the Hot Springs and later presentations of the pageant. Two final showings of the pageant were held yesterday and both attracted overflow crowds. The dance climaxed the day’s celebration.

One serious threat developed during the day. That occurred when a group of Reno high school boys and a similar group from Sparks tangled in the eastern part of town early yesterday afternoon. That fracas was broken up, but it flared up again on the football field.

As a result of the fight, two Reno youths were being held in jail and a charge of assault with a deadly weapon hangs over them. One of the two boys had a 12-inch knife on him during the fight and it was promptly taken from him, apparently just in time.