Annual scavenger hunt and other events to honor Nevada’s historic sites

Nevada’s archeological and historical treasures are being celebrated in May as part of Historic Preservation Month.

The celebration is kicking off with the following festivities:

The annual Historic Resources Commission Scavenger Hunt, open to both adults and kids, will commence May 1 and finish May 26.

The goal of the free hunt is to find and record addresses of historic sites — all of which are in the Carson City Historic District — from the pictures provided.

Participants with all of the correct answers will be entered into a drawing for a free lunch for two at Adele’s. Entries must be submitted online or in person at the Planning Division, 108 E Proctor St., by 4 p.m. May 26.

To participate, visit the Planning Division, or go to www.carson.org/hrc and click the “Historic Resources Scavenger Hunt” link.

Also, scavenger hunt booklets are available at the Community Development building, 108 E. Proctor St. The winner will be announced June 1.

For information, contact Krysten Haemel at 775-887-2180 or khaemel@carson.org.

Also in Carson City, an open house at the historic Wungnema House in Mills Park will be from 2 to 5 p.m. May 28. The event will include an exhibit of Native American art from a private collection.

Admission is free but donations are welcome to help the Foundation for Carson City Parks & Recreation, the nonprofit who maintains the site. For information, go to http://carsoncityparks.org/index.htm.

In Lyon County, events include a free display of rare black and white photographs from the 1970s and ’80s. Courtesy of Sam Toll, the photos from the Germino Archive feature some of Silver City’s archeologists, writers, photographers and history researchers. Walking-tour maps of selected public sites in Silver City will be available at the display, which will be up through May at the Silver City Post Office, 270 Main St.

Old-time movies of Dayton and western Nevada will be shown at 7:30 p.m. May 3 at the Dayton Valley Community Center, 170 Pike St., Dayton. The free program includes the life and times of the Gene and Del Minor family along with a photo presentation by Linda Conlin that shows the Carson River floods the Minor family endured over the years. Refreshments will be served at 7 p.m. For information, contact Laura Tennant at 775-246-3256 or Gloria Manning at 775-461-3829, or go to www.daytonnvhistory.org.

A free presentation titled “A Dayton and Carson City Rancher Wife’s Life in the 1950s and 60s” will be at 7:30 p.m. May 10 at the Dayton Valley Community Center. Refreshments will be served at 7 p.m. For information, call Tennant or Manning.

Another program will feature Katie and Glenn Hasbrouch, who are rejuvenating the 1870 Union Hotel on Pike Street in Dayton. To hear about the challenges and rewards of restoring the historic structure, go to the Dayton Valley Community Center at 7:30 p.m. May 31. The free program offers refreshments at 7 p.m.

Tour the jail of the historic Storey County Courthouse at a free open house from 5 to 7 p.m. May 31. Constructed in the high Italianate style in 1877, the total cost of construction, including fixtures and the jail, was $117,000, a remarkable sum even for the Comstock boom years. The building sits at 26 S. B St. in Virginia City. For information, go to www.storeycounty.org.

For a list of events from around the state, go to the State Historic Preservation Office’s website at shpo.nv.gov.