Museum column makes debut

Everything old is new again. Someone wise once said that. Many years ago there was a weekly column about the history of Carson Valley. Today, this is the first column of what I hope will be a regular feature about the history of Carson Valley and how to find out more about it in the Valley's museums.

This column will let you know what is new at the museums and what is about to happen. You will learn about the changing exhibits and the permanent ones. Mustang Ð America's Living Legends, which opened a couple of weeks ago, is an exhibit many years in the planning and is finally in the main gallery of the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center. If you didn't make it to the opening, plan a trip to see this tribute to the Nevada state animal and the many people who participated in saving these wonderful horses from starvation almost four decades ago.

You will find out where to go to buy tickets for the Taste of Gardnerville, an annual event that showcases the restaurants and shops along Main Street, downtown Gardnerville. This event features Basque, Mexican, Italian, American and Caribbean food and shops from Cheshire Antiques to Fresh Ideas. There is music and beverages and a really fun evening in store for all who attend.

There are ongoing events you will want to know about, particularly if you have school-aged children. The first Saturday of every month this summer, the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center opens its doors free of charge to any school-aged child accompanied by an adult for a trip down the path to yesterday. There are costumed guides who lead tours of the museum at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Additional events are planned for future Saturdays. For example, Aug. 4 plans are afoot to feature a dramatization of Grace Dangberg and Beatrice Fettic Jones' Portrait of a Pioneer Lady, a look at the domestic tasks and duties of a woman during the latter half of the 1800s. Things were very different back then.

And, there are upcoming events you will want to know about. There is the Curse of the Hanging Tree, the infamous tree where outlaws were actually hung, and the Haunted Weekend where the pioneers of the Valley come alive. And the Christmas season is always full of sweet things to do, like the Cookie Walk and the Holiday Gala Tea.

But there is more to the museums than exhibits. This column will direct you to the two best gift shop/book stores in the county for local history and color. Both shops are brand new, refurnished and stocked with Nevada-made crafts, artifacts and books.

If you have ever wanted to visit Elko for the Cowboy Poetry Contest, pick up a copy of "Sleepin' in the Bunkhouse" by Ken Gardner. He was there. Or if jewelry is more your style, there is a fantastic collection of turquoise and semiprecious gems set in sterling silver that is affordable and just waiting to be worn.

There is so much more, but it all must wait for future columns. Meanwhile, if you have any questions about anything mentioned here, please call the Douglas County Historical Society at the Carson Valley Museum in Gardnerville at 782-2555 or the Genoa Court House Museum at 782-4325. And, if you have the time, both museums are always looking for interested volunteers.

-- If there is anything you would like to see covered in this column, contact Ellen Caywood by e-mail, in2my2cats@yahoo.com or at 790-1565.