Treasures From The Vault 2017

As our collections are extensive and there is not always a way to exhibit everything, DCHS has created this page to give you a glimpse of some of the artifacts you might not otherwise be able to see.

Curator Telephone: 775-782-2555
Email: Curator@HistoricNV.org

Appointment Hours: Fridays by appointment.

Image scans are available for purchase.
Contact the Curator for more information.

December 2017

1919 Postcard sent to Mr. William Frevert with the greeting, “With every Good Wish for a very Bright and Happy New Year”.

1919-New-Years-Postcard

A humorous Christmas postcard from 1909 shows a rotund Santa Claus looking at a narrow chimney and exclaiming, “My goodness!”

1909-Santa-Postcard

This photograph of Mormon Station, Genoa, was taken December 25, 1905  and has the caption, “Nevada’s Oldest House”. This building burned down in June 28, 1910 Genoa fire.Mormon-Sta-12-25-1905

Christmas Program for the original Minden School with a photograph of the school dated December 17, 1909.

A page from a catalog of “Hats – Caps Staples & Novelties”, put out by the Rossett Manufacturing Corporation, Winter 1947 – 1948. Which one is your choice?

A page from a Farmers Bank of Carson Valley Calendar December 1919

Dec-1919-Calendar-Page

November 2017

Photograph of beer and liquor rescued from the East Fork Hotel after the fire on November 20, 1986.

East-Fork-Fire-Survivors-11-1986

Postcard – “To Greet You with all Good Wishes for a Pleasant Thanksgiving Day”, dated November 18 1913. Handwritten greeting reads, “Dear Edna, am sorry you did not get down. I looked forward to such pleasure of your visit. Hope you can come yet. My but we are having lots of rain for this country, lots of snow I guess this winter (is) for the farmers. Good by with love. It has been raining hard since noon. Jessie”

Thanksgiving-PC

This is a receipt from the Pioneer Iron Works addressed to A. M. Taylor, dated November 24, 1873, for the cost of cell and locks for the Douglas County Courthouse in Genoa. It reads in full, “Dear Sir, We received to day by Wells Fargo & Co. Express, eleven hundred twenty three dollars and eighty five cents ($1123.85) in full for our cell & locks for Douglas Co. Nevada. For which receive our thanks. If you or any of your friends with any iron work, I should like to do it for them. Yours respectfully, C. H. Leavitt, by Root”.

These cells are still in place and can be seen at the Courthouse Museum, Genoa.

1873-Receipt-for-Genoa-Jail

THIS IS IT!

An advertisement from the Record-Courier for the Minden Mercantile Co. Close Out event dated November 10, 1966.

Minden-Merc-Closes-11-1966

This “Card of Approbation” was awarded to Willie Virgin, only son of Judge D. W. Virgin, for good conduct and lessons. It is signed M. (Mary) E. Davies, Teacher, Genoa School, November 1879. The school was the Genoa Seminary which stood near the Kinsey house on Genoa Lane, Genoa.

Wm-Virgin-School-Card-11-1879

October 2017

This decal was issued for the “Nevada’s Admission Day Celebration, Pageant of the Past Oct. 31st.” No year listed

NV-Day-Decal-Undated

Football program for “Douglas Tigers vs. Hawthorne, October 5, 1962, Gardnerville, Nevada”

1962-DCHS-Football-Program

“Venire No. 1 for Grand Jurors” for October session 1904. This is a writ issued by a judge to a sheriff directing the summons of prospective jurors.  List of those summoned includes J. Rodenbah, Charles Fulstone, Henry Godecke, James Campbell, J. P. Van Sickle, M. Jacobsen, Pete Heitman, C. C. Henningsen, R. McFadden, Leo Springmeyer, Arnold Settelmeyer, Henry Marquart, Fred Fricke, William Lampe, D. B. Park, A. L. Dressler, Martin Canonica, Frank Fettic, Ed Frey, Robert Falcke, John Giardelli, T. N. Hansen, D. R. Hawkins, Felix Martin. Filed on October 10, 1904 by H. C. Jepsen, Clerk. 

1904-Grand-Jury-List

This is a ticket from the World’s Columbian Exposition, May 1 to October 30, 1893. No. 890211. A variety of images were used on the tickets and this ticket has an image of Native American.

Colombian-Expo-1893-Ticket-Indian

September 2017

In recognition of Street Vibrations in Reno this weekend, here is a photograph of a group of old motorcycles parked in front of the Genoa Bar. Dated September 17, 1981.

1981-Motorcylce-in-Genoa

HAPPY CANDY DANCE – September 23-24, 2017 (Same dates as in 1995)

Candy Dance Pins for 1994 through 1997. In 1994, the first collector pin was added to the “Candy Dance” event. The pins feature familiar buildings in Genoa: old Post Office, Country Store, Courthouse Museum, and Genoa Bar. The last pin was produced in 1997.

Photograph of men working inside the Douglas County Creamery Co. dated September 10, 1908.  The remnants of this building are still standing on Waterloo Lane, east of Highway 88 in Gardnerville.

DC-Creamery-1908

Our local airport has seen lots of activity over the years.   This is Stock Certificate #36 for Douglas-Tahoe Flying Service Inc. for 25 shares to C. O. D. Garage, Inc. It is signed by Max Jones, President and Emery Graunke, Secretary, and dated September 24, 1949.

Tahoe-Flying-Svc-1949

This miniature boxing glove was an official souvenir of the Nelson – Gans prizefight held in Goldfield, Nevada on September 3, 1906.  This is part of the Harris Collection and possibly belonged to Abe or Morris Harris.  They may have attended this prize-fight when they were in business in the nearby town of Rhyolite. 

FYI – Gans was declared the winner after Nelson was disqualified for a ‘below-the-belt’ punch.

Nelson-Gans-Fight-1906

August 2017

Handmade invitation to the 4-H Club Achievement Luncheon held on August 8, 1938.

4-H-Invitation-1938        4-H-Invitation-1938

Handwritten deed for the sale by the Douglas County Commissioners of the “old Court House” building to Genoa School District for $150.00 in gold coin dated July 13, 1916, filed August 8, 1916. 

This is the Courthouse Museum, Genoa and belongs to the Douglas County Historical Society.

Deed-CMG

Photograph of Harvey’s Wagonwheel Resort Hotel Casino after the bombing on August 11, 1983. This was a subject of a 2016 History Channel episode of Mysteries at the Museum partially filmed at our Courthouse Museum, Genoa.

Harveys-Bombing-1983

In honor of ‘Hot August Nights’, this is an undated image of automobiles parked in front Meyers Mercantile Store and the Minden Flour Mill is in the background.

1920s-Autos-Meyers-Merc

This image has two automobiles and several men in front of a two story building. Written in white across the bottom is, “Governor Sparks and party leaving Rhyolite, A. E. Holt, Oct. 1906”.

1906-Autos-in-Rhyolite

This undated image is Main Street, Gardnerville with Race Car #5 is in front of Howard Brothers Store. The banner over the street reads, “Midland Garage”. Several automobiles are visible as is the French Hotel and I. O. O. F. (Odd Fellows) Hall.  Notice the people on the sidelines watching the race.

1920s-Midland-Garage-Auto-Race

Memorial Program for Milos S. “Sharkey” Begovich, born August 1, 1926, died August 9, 2002. The service was held August 15, 2002 at the C. V. I. C. Hall in Minden. Sponsored by the Minden/Douglas Lodge #2670, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks

Sharkey-Memorial Sharkey-Memorial

             July 2017

Hunters License, number 80, issued to Fred H. Hellwinkel on July 31, 1937.

Hunters License

Poster from the “39th US Nationals Soaring Championships, July 19 thru 27, 1972 Minden, Nevada.”

First Day Issue envelope celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the founding of Genoa, 1851 – 1951.  Image of Mormon Station and Colonel John Reese, the founder of Mormon Station. The 3-cent stamp was designed by Hans Meyer-Kassel, artist and resident of Genoa. The stamp was cancelled in Genoa on July 14, 1951 as part of the Genoa celebrations.

1951-First-Day-Issue-Cover

Program from Sharkey’s “Cowpasture Arena Boxing” held in Gardnerville on July 3, 1978.  

1978-Cow-Pasture-Boxing-Program

Photographic postcard with “Auto Parade July 4, 1911 Gardnerville, Nevada” written across the bottom of the image.

1911-July-4th-Auto-Parade

June 2017

In the Douglas County Historical Society collection is this nickel which fused to brass during the catastrophic Genoa fire on June 28, 1910.

06-28-1910-Genoa-Fire-Melted-Coin

This invitation is addressed to Mr. & Mrs. H. F. Dangberg for the formal opening of the Ferris Wheel on Wednesday, June 24, 1893 at three o’clock at the 1893 Columbian Exposition aka Chicago’s World Fair.

06-09-1893-Ferris-Wheel

This is an image of Gladys Dangberg’s Douglas County High School diploma dated June 2, 1916 in the original gray leather folder. This artifact is currently on exhibit with many other high school related artifacts in the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center, in High School exhibit downstairs on ‘Main Street’.

1916-DCHS-Diploma

June 9, 1934 poster for the Genoa Pioneer and Pony Express Day drawn by Lew Hymers.

1934-Genoa-PE-Event

Photograph of Main Street, Gardnerville/Minden after a Carson Valley Days parade in the late 1990s. A man is standing next to Bertha the elephant wearing a red banner on her back, “John Ascuaga’s, Nugget”.

CV-Days-Bertha

May 2017

This is the headstone of John A. Thomson, aka Snowshoe Thompson.  It reads, “In Memory of John A. Thomson, Native of Norway, Departed this life May 15, 1876. Aged 49 yrs, 16 days. Gone but not forgotten” Inverted, crossed skis carved at the top.  In 1960, members of the Norwegian Olympic Ski Team took time out from competition at Squaw Valley to visit this gravesite and place a brass plaque and wreath in memory of their fellow countryman.Snowshoe-Headstone

This is a cookbook titled, “Conservation Recipes”, compiled by the Mobilized Women’s Organizations of Berkeley, dated 1918.  This is a World War I era book which assists those on the home front who want to do their part with economizing.  Written in the front: “Mrs. John Dangberg from Mother.”

WWI-Conservation-Recipes

Construction of the Vocational Building at Douglas High School in Minden, May 1980.

May-1980-DHS-Voc-Bldg

April 2017

Photograph – Riverview Bridge being reconstructed with “Bridge Out” sign. Dated April 10, 1980.

Riverview-Bridge-Const-1980

Ticket – “Douglas Sportsmen’s Club, Stag Feed, Hunter’s Stew $1.50, Saturday, April 15, 1955, 8:00 P. M., Legion Hall, Gardnerville, Nevada”

Postcard – “A Happy Easter”. Greeting – “Hello Edna, For goodness sake hurry up and take another start and write. You are as bad as I am, and you’ve only one little tot to look after. Love from Jessie”.  Postmarked April 10, 1911, and addressed to “Mrs. Wm. Champagne, Genoa Nev.”

1911-Easter-PC

Here is a program for a play entitled, “And Mary Did”, Comedy in Three Acts, presented by the Genoa Parent-Teachers’ Association at the Minden C.V.I.C. Hall on Saturday night, April 9, 1932. 

Genoa-PTA-Program-1932

Photo postcard showing damage after the April 18th, 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Printed across the bottom of the un-mailed postcard, “The Latin Quarters on Montgomery hill were destroyed – thousands of dollars worth of paintings, statuary and art work were lost by San Francisco artists.”

1908-SF-Earthquake-PC

March 2017

It is giving the appearance of spring when we begin to see the of lambs and calves. This is an undated image of dogs, sheepherders & sheep connected to the Dangberg Land & Livestock Company.Sping-Lambs-w-Shepherds-Dogs

Trinity Lutheran Church Confirmation Class photograph dated March 20, 1910. Names are not in order: Emma Gansberg, Peter Wilslef, Henry Cordes, Ernest Glock, Irma Settelmeyer, Frieda Schacht, William Lange, Pastor Frederick H. Menzel, Emma Thran, Dorothea Hansen, Fred Scheele, Clarence Heitman, and Mary Andersen.

1910-Trinity-Lutheran-Confim-Class

Here is an image of the Minden School built in 1909. Signs on the building read March 1910. This building was on the site of the current Douglas County School District offices at 1638 Mono Avenue, Minden.

Minden-School-1910

February 2017

Photograph of Jean Lekumberry and two men around a barbeque grill dated February 27, 1986.

1986-Jean-Lekumberry

Photograph of flooding on Muller Lane, February 18, 1982.  Or as Yogi Berra might say,

“It’s like deja-vu, all over again!”  

1982-Flood-Muller-Bridge

1917-Hunting-License

Metal tag, “Hunting and Fishing License, Douglas County, No. 4, $10.00, expires Feb. 28, 1917”. Originally belonged to Raymond “Spud” Koenig.

January 2017

Advertisement for “The Montag Circulator (Heater), An ornament to any home”, with diagrams of how the wood or coal heater is built and used. Note the line at the bottom, “Built for Western fuels…”

Heater-Advertisement

It is winter in northern Nevada, so here is an image from the vault to remind us of winters past! 

C. M. Henningsen is taking a break from shoveling snow in an undated, colorized photograph.

Snow-HC-Henningsen

Nevada license plate from 1969. This plate was registered to Hannah Harris Richards for her 1939 Dodge.

1969-NV-License-Plates

Here is the Record-Courier, January 7, 1916 with the front page headline which reads, “New High School Opened Monday”.  This is the now the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center and currently houses the Douglas County Historical Society.  Come by and see this beautiful building!

RC-New-HS-Opens

“A Happy New Year” postcard postmarked December 31, 1912, addressed to Mrs. William Champagne, Genoa, Nevada

1912-New-Years-PC