Nevada Appeal file photo Nellie Verrill Mighels Davis was editor of the Morning Appeal. As Nellie Mighels she covered the 1877 and 1879 Legislatures for her husband Henry Rust Mighels. When he died in 1879, she took over as editor. She met her future husband and editor, Sam Davis while covering the Legislature. They married in 1880.
Chautauquan DebiLynn Smith will portray Carson City journalist and civic leader Nellie Mighels Davis 10 a.m. Friday at the Dangberg Historic Home Ranch in Minden.
Mighels Davis was the first woman to report on the Nevada Legislature in 1877 and reported on the 1897 Corbett-Fitzsimmons prize fight in the capital. At the time, Nevada was the only state in the union where prize fighting was legal. She also organized the Nevada chapter of the Red Cross in 1899, becoming it’s first president, according to the Nevada Women’s History Project.
Smith will have a busy September, performing as Carson Valley suffragist and Nevada’s first state-licensed woman Dr. Eliza Cook, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center,
Cook arrived in Carson Valley in 1870 when she was 14 years old. She completed medical school in 1884 and returned to Carson Valley. She received her medical license in 1899, the same year Nevada started issuing them.
A child of the Eastern Sierra, Smith was born in Bishop and raised in Bridgeport. She performed her first Chautauqua at the age of 13 in eighth grade when she portrayed Laura Ingalls Wilder. Smith has portrayed several ladies of prominence who were pioneers on the Eastern Slopes of the Sierras.
Chautauquan Kim Harris will portray Gertrude Hironymous Dangberg, wife of Fred Dangberg Jr., 10 a.m. Sept. 15.
One of the first women to graduate from Nevada State University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1896. The future Mrs. Dangberg then went on to earn a state High School teaching certificate and taught school in both Alpine and Douglas counties. Sheretired from teaching in1898, when she met and married Fred Dangberg, Jr. of Carson Valley.
She became a member of the Tri Delta Sorority, one of the first in the state. She was also co-founder of the local chapter of the American Association of University Women in 1923, 100 years ago. Gertrude was an important figure in the early days of Minden. She used her education and teaching skills to help improve the local, state, and national education systems.
Harris has portrayed living history characters at various venues including Genoa Cowboy Festival, Genoa Western Heritage Days, Pipers Opera House, the Gold Hill Hotel, Granlibakken, The Odeon Saloon, Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park, and The Lake Tahoe Chautauqua Festival.
Harris currently serves as the events manager at Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park and is the owner and operator of Western History ALIVE! where she portrays several Chautauqua characters including Eilley Bowers, Libbie Bacon Custer, Lizzie Borden, and Calamity Jane.
This season's Chautauqua programs are all funded in part by a generous grant from Nevada Humanities and National Endowment for the Humanities.
"I'm so pleased we were able to end this year's summer festival with the stories of these two brilliant women," said Kim Harris, the park's events manager.
These events are both free for all to attend. Visitors should bring their own lawn chair or other seating for all events, and only genuine service animals are allowed. Guests are welcome to bring snacks and libations, as no food or beverages will be available. All events take place outdoors under a large tent. For more information about visiting the park, including guided tours, please visit Dangberg.org.
