HERITAGE PEOPLE, HOMES AND HISTORY of Old Southwest Reno
IN THIS ISSUE SATURDAY IN THE CITY A perfect day of food and shopping
GET TO KNOW COOT Meet neighbor Scott Callahan
THE LEVY HOUSE It once faced east, now it faces south
HERITAGE Summer 2021
EDITOR/DESIGNER/PUBLISHER
Patrick Turner WRITERS/EDITORS
Tiffany Barnett Alissa Turner Kaitlyn Turner CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Scott Callahan Patrick Turner ADVERTISING
To advertise in HERITAGE e-mail info@heritagemagazine.org or call 775-560-5505 ©2021 HERITAGE. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Products and services advertised are not necessarily endorsed by HERITAGE, its affiliates or partners—questions and complaints should be forwarded directly to the advertiser. Editorial correspondence can be sent to info@heritagemagazine.org.
PUBLISHER’S LETTER
Summer has arrived! The days are long and the temps are getting higher. As I write this note, our daytime highs are reaching into the mid90s—the dog days of summer are almost upon us. One of my favorite things about long, hot summer days is how so many people begin to venture out in the mornings before it gets unbearably hot. Just today I passed quite a few people out walking in the neighborhood early, catching a daily stretch of the legs before it is too hot to comfortably do so. Summer’s inspiration made this issue of HERITAGE come together easily. Writing a profile of longtime friend, Scott Callahan, was a lot of fun. Friend and neighbor, Tiffany Barnett, joins as a guest columnist in this issue and shares her perspective on a perfect Saturday in Reno. And although he is no longer with us, I am honored to profile Dan Campbell. Dan embodied what is great about this neighborhood and I hope you find the article about him inspiring.
COVER PHOTO
As I have with every issue, I invite your feedback. The idea for this magazine came from a desire to create a publication that celebrates everything Reno’s Old Southwest has to offer. If there is something you would like to see included in an upcoming issue, feel free to let me know by e-mail at info@heritagemagazine.org. Enjoy your summer and I hope to see you out and about. Sincerely,
Restored brick home at 581 Ridge Street, originally built in 1930. Photo: Patrick Turner
Patrick Turner, Publisher
P.S. See more from HERITAGE on Facebook and Instagram. Just search for Heritage Magazine.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
6 Saturday in the City Tiffany Barnett outlines a perfect day of sights, food and shopping in Reno.
8 Get to Know Coot Callahan To say that Scott Callahan is an interesting guy is a severe understatement.
11 The Levy House From turn-of-the-century home to home of a treasured local purveyor of books.
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12 A Hike of a Different Kind Hike an abandoned section of the transcontinental railroad.
14 Remembering Dan He walked by our house every once in a while, always stopping to chat.
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Freshly baked delights from Perenn Bakery
THINGS TO DO
Saturday in the City There are many reasons why we love calling Reno’s Old Southwest home, but our neighborhood’s proximity to downtown Reno and Midtown is certainly at the top of the list of benefits. A perfect Saturday exploring our city starts with enjoying morning coffee and a homemade baked good at Perenn Bakery (20 Saint Lawrence Avenue). This bakery has quickly become a local favorite for pastries, fresh breads, and artisanal food items that rival any bakery item enjoyed in a Paris patisserie.
Flavorful Korean fusion dish from Arario Midtown
After breakfast, stroll through the cute shops in Midtown and then go on a self-guided tour of over 80 murals painted by local and national artists (artspotreno.org). Once you have worked up a midday appetite, grab lunch at Arario (777 S. Center Street) and get ready to be immersed in Korean fusion dishes that
are sure to please even the most discerning palates. While you are in Midtown, keep your eyes open for Emmy’s Flower Truck (@emmysflowertruck). “Daisy” is a restored 1965 Volkswagen Transporter truck filled with fresh flowers for you to create beautiful bouquets wrapped in burlap.
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THE WORLD’S LEADING JAMES BOND CONCERT, PERFORMING THE ICONIC MUSIC FROM THE 007 MOVIES.
Top: Delicious fresh fish tacos prepared by Smee’s Alaskan Fish Bar Bottom: Mural on a building in the Sticks retail center in Midtown
AUGUST 11, 2021 - 7:30PM As you walk toward downtown as evening approaches, be sure to visit the Truckee River to marvel at its natural beauty. Enjoy dinner at Smee’s Alaskan Fish Bar (50 N. Sierra Street), a fresh fish oasis in our land-locked state. Owner John Smee has fished the Alaskan waters for over 30 years and has a full array of seafood dishes to choose from. Sitting on their patio is the perfect spot to enjoy a colorful Northern Nevada sunset. Although these are some of my favorite places, I encourage you to explore the numerouos restaurants and small businesses that are a vital part of our city.
Tiffany Barnett has called Reno’s Old Southwest home since 2009. In addition to being a local physician, Tiffany enjoys Reno’s food and shopping scene and is always a go-to resource for neighbors looking for the scoop on the newest restaurants and shops in town.
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MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR
You Might Know Him as “Coot” To say that Scott Callahan is an interesting guy is a severe understatement. Scott’s friends and family know he’s got a varied background and deep roots in Northern Nevada. But for those of you who are just about to get to know Scott, there’s a lot to cover. Scott, or “Coot” as many of his friends call him, grew up about a mile outside of Minden, Nevada on a dirt road. He and his wife Julie, also known as “Fluff,” have lived in their quaint little house on Marsh for 32 years. They originally planned to live in their 900 sq. ft. brick cottage for 8-10 years. He admits the house was a tight squeeze when it was just him and his wife, but now with two teenage boys he says the house is more like living on a big sailboat. Coot has many interests, but what he’s most passionate about is old bikes. When I asked Coot how his interest
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in bikes began, he said, “One day my parents packed my bike into town so I could ride around my grandparent’s house on a paved surface instead of a dirt road. I remember thinking, ‘My God, is this what it’s like to ride on pavement?’ I was hooked.” His deep passion for old bikes began in the early 1980’s when Fluff bought him a Schwinn Admiral from the Catholic yard sale in Gardnerville. Coot said, “I immediately fell in love with the look of it, just how beautiful it was with its brass head badge and all those swoopy lines. I fell for the styling and have never gotten over it.” Over the years Coot refined his old bike preferences, initially focusing on 1950’s middleweights, then 1940’s balloon-tire heavyweights, and then ultimately prewar boy’s bikes. When asked what appeals to him about prewar bikes, Coot replied, “They’re just so over-the-
top, without so much as an afterthought about functionality. I often joke that 1930’s bike companies must have fired all the mechanical engineers and replaced them with designers.” Like asking a parent to pick their favorite child, Coot has trouble identifying the favorite bike in his collection. According to Coot, he owns more than 40 and less than 400 bikes, so you can imagine what a tough decision this must be. But Coot has one bike that he absolutely adores: a 1937 Firestone Fleetwood Supreme. When asked to describe why the bike is so appealing, Coot said, “Rather than a standard frame that spans the distance from the front to the rear wheel, the Fleetwood frame flows all the way back to the rear fender. It’s like a taffy puller got a hold of it. It’s also about as equipped as any bike of that era could be, and of course every part is also streamlined.”
up for sale in Massachusetts—same year, same color, same level of patina. The Massachusetts bike was also missing parts, but what was missing were parts that Jack had. Coot immediately bought the bike from the Massachusetts seller and transferred the parts from the donor bike to Jack. Everything was a perfect match. When asked how often this sort of thing happens, Coot remarked, “That has never happened to me before and it hasn’t happened since. It was simply meant to be.” Coot has hosted an annual bike sale in his front yard since 1993. Normally the sale occurs the day before Father’s Day—always a Saturday in mid-June. The sale has become something of an annual gathering for the neighborhood and local bike enthusiasts. Between the renowned sourdough pancakes prepared by Coot’s friend, Jack Barrett, the array of finely refurbished pedalable steeds offered for sale by The Dropout bike shop, and all the interesting bikes that folks ride over that day, the gathering has become less about the sale and more of a social gathering. COVID-19 kept the sale from happening in 2020 and a scheduling conflict upended the event this year, but Coot plans to bring the sale back in 2022.
Another bike that ranks high in the long list of Coot’s favorites is his 1936 Rollfast Motobike that came from his neighbor Ruth Carrington’s garage. The bike’s name is “Jack.” It originally belonged to Ruth’s son Jack (hence the Examples of the stylish vintage bicycles from Coot’s extensive name) and was given to Coot collection. Photos: Scott Callahan by Ruth’s daughter after Ruth If you see Coot around the neighborhood, in an old car, passed away. When Coot received the bike, it was in pedaling an old bike, or even driving an old tractor, decent cosmetic condition, having sat in Ruth’s garage give a wave. He will most certainly wave back. And if rafters for 50+ years. Unfortunately, it was only about 50 you have an old bike collecting dust in your garage, percent there, sadly missing all its rare sheet metal look Coot up. You never know what sort of pedalgoodies like the tank, fenders, headlight, and rear rack. powered gem you might be holding on to. Coot can be Then, as luck and fate would have it, less than a month reached by e-mail at buzz-bomb@sbcglobal.net. after receiving Jack, another Rollfast Motobike came HERITAGE
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Street) and California Avenue and built the large house for their family which included their two daughters, Fritzie and Mildred. Fritzie spent most of her life in San Francisco, but Wilhelm, Tillie and Mildred all lived in the home until their deaths. Wilhelm died in 1920 and Tillie in the 1930’s. Upon Tillie’s death, the two daughters inherited the home. Interestingly, one of the first things they did upon taking ownership was turn the house 90 degrees on the lot (to face California Ave.) and move it to the west, presumably to add distance between it and Sierra Street which undoubtedly had become busier as the city grew.
HISTORIC HOMES
Mildred continued to live in the house, while Fritzie took the east side of the property and leased it to the Signal Oil company for a gas station. In 1970, South Sierra Street was widened and the station was demolished.
The Levy House At the corner of Sierra Street and California Avenue stands a stately example of Classical Revival architectural style. The Levy House, named for the family who originally built it, features six ornate columns that give the home a very formal appearance. Other elements of the style you may notice are the home’s proportions and use of symmetry. The home is nearly square and has equal numbers of windows and dormers on either side of its grand entry. Original owner, Wilhelm Levy, immigrated to America from Germany. He moved to Nevada and operated dry goods stores in towns where mining was booming. Then in 1887 he moved to Reno, and with partner, Jacob Morris, opened a mercantile near downtown. In 1906, Wilhem and his wife, Tillie Goldsmith, bought land at the corner of Granite Street (now South Sierra
After Mildred’s death in 1978, a group of attorneys and other businesses located their offices in the expansive home. Today, the Nevada Museum of Art owns the house and leases it to Sundance Books and Music. As you browse Sundance’s impressive inventory, which is spread out through nearly every room in the house, you can’t help but imagine what it would have been like to live in a home of such grandeur. Be sure to check out the collection of cooking titles cleverly displayed in the home’s former kitchen. The Levy House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, noting its exemplary Classical Revival details, its association with Wilhelm Levy, and its importance as a significant component of local history.
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THINGS TO DO
A Hike of a Different Kind Our region offers a wide array of hiking opportunities, but none as unique as the abandoned stretch of train tunnels found near Donner Summit. This 5.1 mile, mostly flat, out-and-back hike will take you through an interesting and surprisingly beautiful part of transportation history and reward your efforts with a stunning alpine view. Completed in 1868, this section of the transcontinental railroad connected California with other points east. Following a route similar to what the Donner Party faced, this section of track includes four tunnels, several miles of snow sheds and two massive stone walls built to provide stability for the tracks carved into the rugged mountainside. When you consider the construction technology at the time these tunnels were being built, you can’t help but
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marvel at the sheer will it must have taken to attempt such a feat. The tunnels are carved through heavy granite which must have been absolutely daunting work. What remains is an amazing testament to the laborers who built the impressive tunnels. Another facet that makes this hike interesting is that graffiti artists have transformed the inside of the snow sheds into massive canvases. Most of the art is tastefully done. Some of it is even thought-provoking. To get to the start of this hike, take I-80 west from Reno to the Soda Springs exit. Follow Donner Pass Road for a few miles and park across from Donner Ski Ranch. Wear good hiking shoes as the floor of the tunnels is rocky and uneven. Bring a flashlight as two of the tunnels are quite dark. This hike is best from June to September, after the snowpack melts away.
Originality lives here. Here is a place built on an unwavering love for the output of the human imagination. A place of wide smiles and infinite horizons where books, music, and any other notion that endeavors to open one heart to the wonders of another will always have a place at the fire. A creative tavern of the soul where, through reading, writing, and listening, we can experience our best selves and enjoy the fellowship of others doing the same. Sundance Books & Music, the Radiant Original. Monday through Friday · 9am to 9pm Saturday & Sunday · 9am to 5pm 775-786-1188 · sundancebookstore.com
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HERITAGE PEOPLE, HOMES AND HISTORYof Old Southwest Reno
NEIGHBORHOOD STORIES
Remembering Dan He walked by at least once, if not two or three times, each week. He always stopped to chat, usually asking about our kids – how they were doing in school, sports, or the like – and was always keen to have a lengthy conversation. It wasn’t until he had stopped to chat several times that we learned his name: Dan Campbell. It took a while before we learned his name because conversations were always about us, our kids, the work we’d done on our house—never about him, by his choosing. As our street-side chats continued over the years, we came to learn that Dan had an incredibly interesting history. He was originally from California. He had been a Sergeant in the Marines. He had previously owned several restaurants in Marin County and the Napa area. He was a truly interesting guy with stories that could relate to nearly any experience. Years ticked by and Dan continued to stop by, either on foot or in his truck. Sometimes he was on his way to Truckee River Bar & Grill for dinner. Other times he was headed to visit friends somewhere in the neighborhood or in town. He watched our son and daughter matriculate through Jessie Beck, Swope and in the case of my daughter, on to Reno High. Each time he stopped to talk, he would inquire about something specific the kids had been doing, retaining nearly every detail of the previous conversations we’d had. Then, early in 2020 we stopped seeing Dan walk by. By March we chalked it up to the pandemic. We didn’t know how old Dan was, but he was definitely in an age range that could make COVID-19 a concern. Not long after that though, we noticed a “For Sale” sign in front of Dan’s house, prompting some quick research on the internet. Come to find out, Dan had moved to Beaverton, Oregon in January 2020, likely to be closer
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Daniel Francis Campbell IV December 30, 1940 – November 2, 2020
to family. The saddest part of our research revealed that Dan had passed away on November 2, 2020 from complications of Primary Progressive Aphasia. We miss our chats with Dan immensely. Sadly, his willingness to visit with his neighbors is something you don’t encounter all that often. So, my advice is this: take time to talk with your neighbors. Take an interest in what’s happening in their lives and they’ll do the same. Learn from their experiences and make yours better for doing so. As neighbors, we should all benefit from the closer personal relationships that have made this neighborhood one of the best places to live in Northern Nevada for generations.
As Seen in the Neighborhood Did you capture a great photo from around the neighborhood? Share it by tagging HERITAGE on Facebook or Instagram, or by using the hashtag #HeritageMag.
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HERITAGE PEOPLE, HOMES AND HISTORY of Old Southwest Reno
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