HERITAGE PEOPLE, HOMES AND HISTORY of Old Southwest Reno
IN THIS ISSUE
NEW TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Not new construction, a new arrival
FRANCIS G. NEWLANDS
NEVADA’S DISNEYLAND
Namesake of Reno’s Old Southwest
An introduction to Sundown Town, NV
RETURNING SOON TO A CONCERT HALL NEAR YOU
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HERITAGE Summer 2020
EDITOR/DESIGNER/PUBLISHER
Patrick Turner WRITERS/EDITORS
Alissa Turner Kaitlyn Turner
PUBLISHER’S LETTER
I’m truly flattered When I decided to jump into the magazine business, I never imagined that the first issue of HERITAGE would reach mailboxes during a
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
global health crisis. That being said, it
ZoAnn Campana
seems that with people staying home
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Sally Hanrahana ADVERTISING
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to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, they had more time to read their mail. I have heard from quite a few Old Southwest residents about how much they enjoyed reading the first issue. The praise was incredibly encouraging and gave me the push I needed to jump right into creating this second issue. The world, and our part of it, continues to be a turbulent place. I hope this magazine gives you the opportunity to take a pause from everything that we’re facing. If you enjoy this issue, feel free to e-mail info@heritagemagazine.org to let me know. I would also like to hear from you if you have a suggestion for a story for HERITAGE. There are so many interesting facets to this historic neighborhood—I want to make sure they’re shared and preserved.
COVER PHOTO
Sincerely,
Patrick Turner, Publisher
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Spanish-style residence built in 1928 on Bret Harte Ave. owned by Alexandra Lutz and Joe Grzymski.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
6 Welcome to the Neighborhood A historic Reno home goes back to its roots and finds a new location.
8 Robbery on Ridge The true crime story from Ridge Street that caused one family to build a new home.
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10 Namesake of the Old Southwest Who was Francis G. Newlands and why does the neighborhood bear his name?
14 Nevada’s Disneyland How a conversation with a teenager turned into a lesson in local history.
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Photos: Sally Hanrahana
HISTORIC HOMES
Welcome to the Neighborhood With a neighborhood as well-established as the Old Southwest, new construction is a rarity. With a few exceptions, seldom are new homes erected amongst the historic homes that give the neighborhood its character. However, in April 2019 a new home appeared in the neighborhood—not new construction, but a historic home that traveled by truck to the corner of Arlington and Saint Lawrence. The new addition is known as the Garat/Humphrey House, named for its former owners. Its previous location was 127 E. Eighth Street near the University of Nevada, Reno. It was rescued from the block of historic homes the University recently demolished to make way for a southern expansion of the campus. Fortuitously, the home’s new owners, who took on the arduous task of moving it to the Old Southwest, are related to one of the home’s previous owners, Frances Humphrey. Frances lived in the home for 80 years until she passed away in 2001 at the age of 97. The estate sold the home to an investor who then 6
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sold it to the University in 2008. Then, in April 2019, Tim Gilbert and his wife Nancy Avanzino Gilbert, the new owners of the home, acquired it from the University and arranged to have it moved. Tim is the cousin of Frances Humphrey. When asked about the motivation to acquire the home, Tim said, “We saved it from the wrecking ball. My wife and I feel we are saving old Reno one bungalow at a time.” The home’s architectural style is described as Asian-inspired craftsman and includes a number of unique details that create its character. Although many modern conveniences have been added to the home at its new location, the period character has mostly been retained. When you’re out walking (or driving) through the neighborhood, be sure to stop and study the details this house exudes. With so few new additions to the neighborhood possible, having an additional piece of Reno history is a welcome addition.
“We saved it from the wrecking ball.” – Tim Gilbert
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RENO HISTORY
True Crime on Ridge Street On the evening of March 11, 1930, Bessie and Forrest Eccles were entertaining guests at their residence at 571 Ridge Street. Built with Reno’s characteristic patterned red brick, the Eccles family had lived in the Craftsman bungalow from the time it was constructed in 1919. For more than a decade, the house was a comfortable sanctuary for the family. All of that would change on this chilly March evening. By all accounts, the weather on that day in March was lovely: hinting at the spring to come, it was sunny with temperatures in the 60s. The Eccles invited four guests for dinner: Forrest’s mother, Emma Simmons; Bessie’s sister, Kate Moore; and friends George and Katherine Gunzendorfer. After dinner, the ladies retreated to play cards while the men conversed, leisurely whiling away the hours. A few minutes before eleven o’clock, the heavy, wooden front door unexpectedly opened, revealing a tall, slim figure in a gray suit and cap. The figure, a man, strolled into the house and pointed a pistol at Mr. Eccles and Mr. Gunzendorfer, demanding they throw up their hands. Mr. Gunzendorfer tried to move to protect the ladies, but the assailant demanded he stay in place. The men handed over the money they had on them, and the robber fled. An investigation ensued. A few days after the robbery, under-sheriff Joe L. Kirkley arrested John Francis McStravick on the Virginia Street Bridge. McStravick matched the victims’ description and was positively identified by the dinner party guests. However, he had multiple witnesses confirm his alibi that he was gambling downtown when the crime took place. The jury acquitted him in May 1930. Three months after the incident, on June 29, 1930, Forrest Eccles pulled a building permit for a nine8
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room brick house around the corner at 245 Lee Avenue. Perhaps the Eccles were shaken by the incident, prompting the move to a more fortress-like domicile, or maybe they just wanted a grander house fitting with Forrest’s status as president of the Reno Grocer Company and founder of the Reno Furniture Company. Designed by prominent Reno architect Frederic DeLongchamps Reno Evening Gazette, May 21, 1930 and built at a cost of $25,000, the Mediterranean Revival edifice boasted a little more cachet than their more modest—though beautiful—brick bungalow down the street. By all accounts, it must have been satisfactory, as Forrest and Bessie remained at 245 Lee Avenue for the next three decades. ZoAnn Campana is an architectural historian and historic preservation consultant. The Old Southwest is close to her heart, as she wrote the National Register Nomination for the Newlands Historic District in 2016. During the summer, she leads Historic Reno Preservation Society walking tours through the neighborhood.
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FRANCIS G. NEWLANDS
Namesake of the Old Southwest Most area residents refer to our treasured corner of Reno as the “Old Southwest.” However, its proper name is actually the Newlands neighborhood, named for Francis G. Newlands, the visionary who helped establish what was Reno’s first suburb. But who exactly was Francis G. Newlands, and how did one of Reno’s most historic neighborhoods take on his name? Francis G. Newlands was born in Natchez, Mississippi, grew up in Illinois and Washington, D.C., but settled in San Francisco, California after attending law school. San Francisco is where he met his first wife, Clara Adelaide Sharon. During their short time together, the couple had three daughters. Following Clara’s untimely death in 1888, Newlands moved to Reno. Clara was the daughter of wealthy mining and banking magnate William Sharon, one of the richest men in the West. A well-educated attorney, Newlands had been appointed trustee of William Sharon’s estate which included extensive holdings in Nevada. By 1889, Newlands had become a prominent figure in Reno and began construction of a large home perched on the bluff above the south bank of the Truckee River.
was also elected to represent Nevada in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. He helped pass the Reclamation Act of 1902, also called the Newlands Act, which created what would become the federal Bureau of Reclamation. However, Newlands had other aspirations as a land developer and progressive city planner. He is noted to have been a staunch proponent of City Beautiful ideals, which sought to
During his time in Nevada, Newlands is probably best known for his political accomplishments. In addition to time in the State Legislature, Newlands 1916 photo of Francis G. Newlands
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Francis G. Newlands Memorial Fountain, Chevy Chase, Maryland
NEWLANDS’ CONTROVERSIAL HISTORY
Newlands’ home on Elm Court in Reno, built in 1890
promote civic pride and encourage community involvement by refining the urban landscape. To realize his aspirations, he purchased 300 acres of land adjacent to his home above the river and began to design the Riverside Heights subdivision, the first of what would eventually become the larger Newlands Neighborhood. As part of the City Beautiful planning, the neighborhood would include tree-lined streets, be pedestrian-friendly and include a central public park. In 1907, James Newlands, Jr., nephew of Francis G. Newlands took over operations of the Newlands Company. Over the course of the next 50 years or so, the Newlands Neighborhood continued to grow west toward Marsh Avenue and south toward Ely Street (now Monroe Street). As the neighborhood
For a number years there has been discussion locally about changing the Newlands Neighborhood name because of Newlands’ outspoken white supremacist views and documented opposition to the rights of African-Americans. A similar effort has been underway in Maryland since 2014 when a proposal to rename a memorial fountain dedicated to Francis G. Newlands was brought before the Chevy Chase Advisory Neighborhood Commission. The fountain, and traffic circle it resides in, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places which, along with some local opposition, has complicated the renaming process. In addition to the potential name change for the Newlands Neighborhood here in Reno, there has been discussion of amending the language of the neighborhood’s deed restrictions that, even to this day, state that African-Americans are not permitted to own homes in the neighborhood. As recently as a week prior to the drafting of this article, a post on NextDoor.com, a popular online neighborhood convener website, posed the question about whether the name of the neighborhood should be changed, particularly given recent national events related to equal rights for people of color. To date, the post has more than 350 comments, both in favor of and in opposition to the name change. To participate in the discussion, check out www.nextdoor.com and search for “Old Southwest Reno.”
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somewhat cryptic by today’s standards, it is still grew and various developers contributed to the worth a visit if only to ponder what it might have design, architectural styles changed with the times. been like to live “so far” from downtown Reno as our From the stately mansions on the bluff above the treasured neighborhood was developing into the river, to the small bungalows along Nixon and jewel it is today. Gordon, to the sprawling ranch-style homes of the Newlands Manor subdivision added in the late 1920’s, the Newlands Neighborhood Historic marker located at the corner of Nixon Avenue and Manor Drive became a veritable library of late 19th and early 20th century architectural styles. Francis Newlands’ aspirations as a land developer were not solely limited to Nevada. He also developed neighborhoods using City Beautiful ideals in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. Newlands remained a politician until his death on December 24, 1917. A monument to Senator Newlands was erected in 1924 in Newlands Park. Although the text is
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NEVADA’S DISNEYLAND
“Sundown Was a Funtown” The other day, my daughter and I were discussing possible hikes we could take in and around Reno. In true teenage fashion she had been perusing social media to see where her friends had been recently. After scrolling and pinching on the screen of her smartphone for a bit, she asked me if I’d ever heard of Sundown Town, Nevada? Despite having called Reno home for almost 30 years, I had not heard of such a place. I consider myself a connoisseur of Reno history, but I had never come across anything even remotely similar in name to Sundown Town. So, I turned to the internet to help me (and my daughter) learn more. And, as it turns out Sundown Town was a real place. According to WashoeValley.org, Sundown Town was an amusement park built in 1960 in the hills above Old Washoe City. It was built on the shores of Joy Lake and included a saloon, a jail, a blacksmith shop, and a livery stable. It offered stagecoach rides, 14
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gunfights, and a trained bull to entertain visitors. The park was the brainchild of Buster Keaton, Jr., son of the silent film star. He and a couple of partners envisioned Sundown Town as an old west getaway for visitors to Reno, and they saw it becoming very popular, kind of like Disneyland. Apparently, the idea wasn’t as attractive as a theme park run by a certain cartoon mouse, because by 1963 the park was closed and sold. A few years later the Ponderosa Ranch, located up at Lake Tahoe, used the same concept and made it profitable for a while, but even it ended up closing in 2004. Today, only remnants of Sundown Town are rumored to exist. Many of the buildings were destroyed in a fire in 1966. Currently, the site of Sundown Town is on an 80-acre privately owned parcel. Maybe someday Sundown Town will reopen so that we can relive the excitement of an old west theme park.
THE WORLD STAGE Contemporary Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation
Julie and Michael Teel | Raley’s; Volunteers in Art of the Nevada Museum of Art SUPPORTING SPONSOR Kathie Bartlett ADDITIONAL SUPPORT Quentin Abramo; Rory Higgins and Colby Williams; Dana and Greg Lee; Heidi Allyn Loeb; Katie O’Neill and Chris Gonya SPONSOR
Donald W. Reynolds Center for the Visual Arts | E. L. Wiegand Gallery 160 West Liberty Street in downtown Reno, Nevada Kehinde Wiley, Marechal Floriano Peixoto II, 2009, Oil on canvas, 96 x 72 inches. Collection of the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation. © 2020 Kehinde Wiley. Courtesy of Roberts Projects; Hung Liu, Official Portraits: Citizen, edition 12/30, 2006, Lithograph with collage, 30 ¼ x 30 inches. Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer. © Hung Liu. Courtesy Nancy Hoffman Gallery; After Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Head), edition PP 1/5, 1983/2001, Screenprint, 40 x 40 inches. Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer. © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York.
HERITAGE PEOPLE, HOMES AND HISTORY of Old Southwest Reno
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