Mark Twain's pals topic of historical presentation at Dangberg Home Ranch

Sixteen decades after Samuel Clemens left the Comstock for San Francisco, the legends surrounding Mark Twain still captivates audiences.

"The Back Stories of Mark Twain's Friends,” is the topic of historian Bob Stewart’s 10 a.m. July 27 talk as part of the Dangberg Summer Festival.

In August 1861, Clemens and his brother arrived in Carson City, Nevada Territory.

While there, on Feb. 3, 1863, Clemens adopted the pen name Mark Twain while working for the Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City.

Twain’s “Roughing It” involved people he met in the territory and the talk shares more about who those folks were.

Stewart's interest in the territory began with research for his small volume on the mining camp of Aurora. He has given two talks at the Quadrennial Conferences of the Status of Mark Twain Studies in Elmira, N.Y.

Stewart has been a newspaper reporter, press secretary and administrative assistant to Gov. Mike O'Callaghan, spokesman for the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada, and for two years national spokesman for the agency in Washington, D.C.

Preceding Stewart 6:30-7:30 p.m. July 24, Chautauquan Leslie Goddard will portray Amelia Earhart, the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

"It is an honor to have two presenters with such a wealth of knowledge on their subjects, be part of our Dangberg Summer Festival," said Kim Harris, the park's events manager.

Wednesday evening Chautauqua ticket prices are $15 for 17 years and older. Youth 16 years and younger are free when accompanied by an adult. Tickets can be purchased at the event. Members of Friends of Dangberg Home Ranch will receive special pricing so contact the park for more information. Gate opens at 5:30 pm.

This season's Chautauqua programs are funded in part by a generous grant from Nevada Humanities and National Endowment for the Humanities. For a complete list of upcoming Chautauquas during the Dangberg Summer Festival, please visit Dangberg.org.

This event is free for all to attend.

Please bring your own seating and only certified service animals are allowed. Guests may bring a picnic as no food or beverages will be sold at these events. All events are held outdoors. For more information on these events, or on visiting Dangberg Historic Park, please visit Dangberg.org.