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Carson City Historical Society
The Carson City Historical Society (EIN 94-2565777) is located at the Foreman-Roberts
House Museum, 1207 North Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada.
Our mailing address is PO Box 1864, Carson City, NV 89702-1864.
The Carson City Historical Society is a nonprofit organization
that operates and maintains the Foreman-Roberts House Museum.
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Carson City Historical Society - Home Page
Historical Society Presents "Old Washoe City:
A Nevada Ghost Town Hiding in Plain Sight"
Thursday, July 18, 2024
Carson City Historical Society hosts Gary Ballew, who will present "Old Washoe City:
A Nevada Ghost Town Hiding in Plain Sight" on Thursday, July 18, at 6:30 in the Carriage
House behind the Foreman-Roberts Historic House, 1207 Carson Street, Carson City. This
talk is free and open to the public. Donations are accepted. Please RSVP to
carsoncityhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
Washoe City, on the west side of Little Washoe Lake along Route 395 between Reno a
nd Carson City, is also known as Old Washoe City to distinguish it from New Washoe City
on the east side of Washoe Lake. It was founded in 1860 as a lumber and milling center
for Comstock mining activities. Its location near a precious resource in this arid region,
the water of Little Washoe Lake, was ideal for providing timber and farm produce to
the Comstock. In return, the Comstock provided Washoe City with ore for milling.
In 1861 it became the county seat of the newly formed Washoe County.
Streets were laid out to accommodate homes and businesses, including doctors, dentists,
lawyers, livery stables, restaurants, saloons, and stores. A newspaper started publishing
in 1862. The population may have grown to 6000 people. Public facilities were built,
including churches, a school, a courthouse, and a jail. The development of the
Virginia & Truckee Railroad around 1869, with its access to the Carson River and
ultimately the Comstock, helped lead to the city's decline. In 1871 the county seat
was moved to Reno; by 1880 only about 200 residents remained, and by the early 20th
century it was just another Nevada ghost town.
Few original structures remain of the town that once had a population of thousands.
The few surviving structures were located on early photographs, maps, aerial photographs
and satellite imagery. This information, along with early property records, allowed Gary
Ballew to create maps showing the location of buildings that include the first Washoe
County Courthouse and the Foreman-Roberts House, which is now in Carson City.
CCHS lectures are held periodically in the Carriage House. Information about Carson
City Historical Society events can be found at CCHistorical.org. For further information
about CCHS events, email carsoncityhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
Photo of Old Washoe City in 1865. Photo courtesy of Nevada Historical Society.
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April 2024 Newsletter is Available Online
The April 2024 CCHS Newsletter is available online. In this issue you can read about
Adam Michalski's talk on "The Railroad and Carson City" on April 18,
"Victorian Secrets with Tea" on April 27, recent lectures, Wine Walks, and future
activities.
If you are not on our email list, please email your request to be
added to carsoncityhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
To download the August 2023 Newsletter, please
CLICK HERE.
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Some Upcoming Spring (and Beyond) Events
Updated: May 1, 2024
We have some interesting events coming up this spring at the Carson City Historical Society.
Start marking your calendar and check back for futher updates:
- Saturday, May 4, 2024 - Carson City Historical Society will participate in its second
Carson City Downtown Business Association (CCDBA) "Wine Walk" from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
The CCDBA Wine Walks are on the first Saturday of every month. Our Wine Walk stop,
the Carriage House, is located
near the Midtown Market and the Tap Shack, two other locations recently added to the expanded
Wine Walk "district." Stroll Downtown Carson City and enjoy wine poured from participating
businesses. This is a perfect opportunity to experience everything the Downtown has
to offer while participating businesses present special deals, entertainment
and a variety of wines. Tickets will go on sale at noon on the Saturday before
the Wine Walk. Tickets can be purchase online only. For information and to purchase tickets,
go to www.downtowncarson.org/carson-city-wine-walk.
- Walking Tours Canceled - Saturday, May 11, and Sunday, May 11, 2024 - "Mark Twain Days Walking Tour,"
with tour guide Donna McLaren. Donna will conduct tours through Mark Twain's stomping
grounds on the west side of Carson City on the second and third days of Mark Twain Days.
Time and meeting location to be announced. For information on the three-day Mark Twain Days
Festival, go to visitcarsoncity.com/mark-twain-days.
- **Event postponed** Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day), 2024 - Gary Cain, proprietor of Westwall
Militaria, will
share the history of a very special item from World War II military history,
a bicycle used by parachutists. The talk is at 4:00 p.m. in the Carriage House.
- Some time in June 2024 - "Murder with Tea" murder mystery fundraiser to be
held in the Carriage House.
- July or August 2024 - Gary Ballew will talk about "Old Washoe City."
The Carson City Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that operates and
maintains the Foreman-Roberts House Museum at 1207 North Carson Street,
Carson City, NV. It also presents lectures, exhibits, and events. For further
information, go to CCHistorical.org.
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Historical Society Seeks Volunteers for House Tours
Posted: July 23, 2023
The Carson City Historical Society (CCHS) is asking the public for volunteers to help
give tours of the famous Foreman-Roberts House in Carson City on Sunday afternoons.
This structure is a fine example of Gothic Revival architecture. It was moved from
Old Washoe City to Carson City in the 1870s. After nearly a century of domestic use
in Carson City, it was restored by the Nevada Landmarks Society, predecessor of CCHS,
and now is used to exhibit artifacts related to the history of Carson City and the
building itself.
In addition, CCHS has two open positions on the Board and is seeking to fill those positions.
One vacancy is for Membership Chair and the other is for Exhibits Chair. The CCHS Board
meets the second Monday of each month at 3:45 p.m. in the Carriage House at 1207 North
Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada. (The Carriage House is directly behind the Roberts House.)
If you love history, have an interest is meeting new people, planning new displays or
have ideas for history exhibits, we would like to encourage you to contact us. Our website
address is cchistorical.org, and our email address is carsoncityhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
The Carson City Historical Society is a nonprofit organization that operates and
maintains the Foreman-Roberts House Museum 1207 North Carson Street, Carson City, NV. It also
presents lectures, exhibits, and events.
Photo: Picture of the Foreman-Roberts House, home of the Carson City Historical
Society, as seen from Carson Street.
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Historical Society Open Houses Resumed
Starting Sunday, May 7, 2023
The CCHS has resumed Sunday Open Houses, starting May 7, 2023. The Foreman-Roberts House and
the Carriage House will be open from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. each Sunday. The address of the
Society's two yellow buildings, the Foreman-Roberts House Museum and the Carriage House,
is 1207 North Carson St., Carson City. Parking is available on
Corbett and Rice Streets.
Visitors should first report to the Carriage House, the yellow building with the
double doors just east of the Foreman-Roberts House Museum. They may start their visit
there, where they can see exhibits and parts of the permanent collection. From there, the museum
docent can escort guests to the Foreman-Roberts House itself, where the guests can
experience a bit of early Carson City life and ambiance. Docents reserve the right to limit
the number of visitors at any one time.
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Want to Become a CCHS Members or Renew Your Yearly Membership?
To renew or join with a printed membership form, obtain it from
HERE.
To renew or join online via Square, go to our membership page by
clicking HERE.
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Mailing Address for CCHS
The mailing address for the Carson City Historical Society
(CCHS) is (once again):
PO Box 1864, Carson City, NV 89702-1864
Carson City, NV 89703
The physical address for the Foreman-Roberts House Museum is 1207 North Carson
St., but that address is not our official mailing address.
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Notice:
The Carson City Historical Society is a Nevada nonprofit organizations. It is
a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporations
under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are
tax deductible pursuant to section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.
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CCHS board meetings are generally held the second Monday of each
month at 3:45 p.m. in the
Carriage House of the Foreman-Roberts House Museum.
If you are interested in being put on the CCHS e-mail list, please send an e-mail
to carsoncityhistoricalsociety@gmail.com and put "CCHS Membership Addition" in the subject line.
We will inform you about upcoming events of the Society via e-mail.
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The Carson City Historical Society (formerly the Nevada Landmarks Society) is
located at the Roberts House Museum, 1207 North Carson Street, Carson City, Nevada 89702.
E-mail carsoncityhistoricalsociety@gmail.com
Foreman-Roberts House - The Foreman-Roberts House Museum is open most Sundays,
by appointment, and for special events sponsored by the
Carson City Historical Society. To tour the Foreman-Roberts House Museum, please call
or leave a message at 775-887-2174 for an appointment.
Messages are checked daily. Cost is $5 per person.
View
Map for the Foreman-Roberts House
If you would like to join the Carson City Historical Society, our application
is located on this website. Please print out and mail to:
Carson City Historical Society
PO Box 1864 Carson City, NV 89702-1864
Membership is $25 per person
or $35 for family and includes our newsletter plus an opportunity to attend
many historical events. Click here for application form.
For the history of the Foreman-Roberts House, click on Foreman-Roberts House History (on menu, at left) or
CLICK HERE.
Better yet, come and visit us. We have quite a history to tell.
CCHS Officers for 2024
President
Sue Ballew
First Vice President CCHS:
Liz Cain
Second Vice President CCHS:
Travis Legatzke
Secretary
David Bugli
Treasurer:
Kiyoshi Nishikawa
Membership Chair
(vacant)
Fundraising
Donna McLaren
Exhibits/Collections
(vacant)
This page last updated 7/7/2024
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