Secret Reno: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure

by Janice Oberding

Overview

With a well-known nickname like the “Biggest Little City in the World,” you might think Reno has no secrets. But you shouldn’t bet on that. For example, What is Reno’s connection to Mount Rushmore? How can you participate in a real-life cattle drive, see a shrunken head, or sip a glass of Picon punch in the midst of poltergeists? Arm yourself instead with Secret Reno: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, and you’ll soon discover these and many more of the city’s secrets and lesser-known adventures.
How about a lazy day kayaking down the Truckee River? You might want to climb the world’s tallest artificial climbing wall, or take a stroll where the lynching of an innocent man occurred in 1892. But be warned—his angry ghost is said to haunt the location, occasionally harassing passersby. If you’ve donned your leathers and are all in for a bike ride, you might want to know that Reno has an annual motorcycle rally not to be missed.
Local author Janice Oberding loves to find adventure off the beaten path and be your guide to unconventional, but worthwhile, exploration. All you’ll need is here in this book about the Biggest Little City’s secrets.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681063072
Publisher:	Reedy press, LLC.
Publication date:	04/01/2021
Series:	Secret
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	1,041,222
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Janice Oberding has lived in the Reno area almost forever. She likes to ferret out the weird stuff they don’t teach in history classes. Janice has put her outré knowledge to good use as the author of more than two dozen books on the weird, ghostly, historic and sordid tales of Reno and Nevada. An independent historian she is a public speaker who likes sharing facts about her city with others and she knows that home truly is where the heart is. And hers is in Reno.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

A Little Rivalry 2

General Jesse L. Reno Statue 4

Kiss the Courthouse Pillar 6

Wedding Ring Bridge Legend 8

The Biggest Little City in the World 10

The Blarney Stone … a Piece of It Anyway 12

World's Tallest Artificial Climbing Wall 14

Lazy Days on the Truckee 16

Jeans 18

The Donner Party Camped Here 20

Windy Hill (Audrey Harris Park) 22

The Gazebo at Huffaker Moutain 24

Wa-Pai-Shone at Rose Garden Idlewild Park 26

National Bowling Stadium, International Bowling Museum & Hall of Fame (Reno Satellite) 28

The Lear Theater 30

Artown 32

Virginia Lake 34

Giant Poker Chips 36

Miss Wakayama and the Two-Headed Calf 38

Giddy Up 40

Reno Rodeo 42

An Elephant Named Bertha 44

Divorces and Dude Ranches 46

Dymaxion Car 48

The Mansion That Moved Twice 50

Reno's Greatest Unsolved Mystery 52

Marilyn's Last Film 54

The Prospector at the Chocolate Nugget Candy Factory 56

Reno's Genie 58

The Brüka Theatre 60

Believe in Burning Man Art 62

The Eddy 64

Galena Creek Bridge 66

Orson Hyde's Curse 68

Steamboat Hot Springs 70

Pyramid Lake Water Babies 72

Judas Priest: Subliminal Message Trial 74

Lincoln Highway Bridge Rails 76

Pyramid Lake: Two Legends and a Fish 78

That Terrible Thanksgiving 80

Lynched for a Murder That Didn't Happen 82

Harolds Club Wagon Trail Mural 84

Oxbow Nature Study Area 104

The Depot 106

Play Ball … Bocce Ball 108

The Silver Dollar Scandal 110

Shamrocks for Bill Blanchfield 112

Street Vibrations Motorcycle Spring and Fall Rally 114

Zebras, Tigers, and Shrunken Heads … Oh My! 116

Lucky Lindy Lands in Reno on September 19, 1927 118

Take Him Home Tonight 120

Ducks in a Row 122

Silver Baron's Silver Tea Set 124

At the Quad 126

James D. Hoff Peace Officer Memorial 128

Let the Games Begin 130

Atlas Isn't Shrugging 132

Shine On, Reno Star 134

Midtown District: A Bohemian Vibe 136

The Count and the Countess 138

The Galveston Giant Trounces the Great White Hope 140

Skyjacker 142

Sparks Marina Park 144

Scheels Ferris Wheel, Aquarium, and Arcade 146

Bat Bridge (McCarran Bridge) 148

The Volkswagen Bug 150

Last Chance Joe 152

Camel and Ostrich Races 154

Picon Punch and Poltergeists 156

World Championship Outhouse Races 158

Bigfoot 160

Mary Jane Simpson 162

Lady Justice Unblindfolded 164

Verdi: The Great Train Robbery 166

Mark Twain's Niece 168

Trick or Treat at the Governor's Mansion 170

Adam Uber's Curse 172

Spirit Cave Man 174

Tortoise and the Bottle Cap Gazebo 176

Black Rock City 178

Thunder Mountain Monument 180

Virginia City Mall 182

At the Drive-In 184

Never Enough Books 186

Sources 189

Index 197