Chautauquan, author open August at Dangberg Home Ranch Park

A Chautauqua of Lora Josephine Knight and author Clare Frank open August’s events during the 2023 Summer Festival at Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park.

Guinevere Hobdy will give a repeat performance 10 a.m. Friday as Lora Josephine Knight, widowed heiress and builder of Vikingsholm at Lake Tahoe’s Emerald Bay.

Knight, a widowed heiress, bought Emerald Bay in 1928 and built her summer home known to all as the Vikingsholm in 1929.  She had long admired the Emerald Bay area. She was particularly enchanted with the rugged mountain scenery, Eagle Falls cascading down the sheer granite cliffs, and picturesque Fannette Island in the middle of Emerald Bay. Mrs. Knight spent fifteen summers at Vikingsholm where the days were relaxed with a bit of structure, until her death in 1945.

Hobdy has been a resident of Nevada since 1976 and has spent the last 30 years living in Carson Valley. She loves all things Nevada, especially the history and beautiful outdoors, including Lake Tahoe. Fifteen years ago, she watched her first Chautauqua at Sand Harbor, at Lake Tahoe, which sparked her interest.  In recent years she has attended Chautauqua events and classes hosted by Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park.  This event is free for all to attend.

This season’s Chautauqua programs are all funded in part by a generous grant from Nevada Humanities and National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit Dangberg.org for a complete list of upcoming Chautauquas during the Dangberg Summer Festival.

Author Clare Frank will give a presentation 10 a.m. Saturday on her book “Burnt: A Memoir of Fighting Fire.”

When Frank was 17 years old, she became a firefighter in Northern California. Frank’s brother was a firefighter and loved it, so she thought she would try it out, too. Very soon, she knew she had found her calling. Burnt: A Memoir of Fighting Fire is her inspiring, richly detailed, and open-hearted account of an extraordinary life in fire. It chronicles the transformation of a young adult determined to prove her mettle into a scarred and sensitive veteran, grappling with the weight of her duties as Chief of Fire Prevention — one of the highest-ranking women in Cal Fire history—while record-setting fires engulf her home state. This event is free for all to attend.

The Chautauqua of Agnes Train Janssen, previously scheduled for today, has been rescheduled to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 16.

“This week we are hosting two extraordinary women, with more to come this month,” said Kim Harris, the park’s events manager.

Visitors should bring their own lawn chair or other seating for all events, and only genuine service animals are allowed. Guests are welcome to bring snacks and libations, as no food or beverages will be available. All events take place outdoors under a large tent. For more information about visiting the park, including guided tours, please visit Dangberg.org.

Funding in support of the 2023 Dangberg Summer Festival has been provided by sponsors Douglas County, Carson Valley Health, Central Sierra Construction, Horse Tales, Kaiser Genoa Property, LLC, Terrence K. Lapan AAMS® Financial Advisor at Ameriprise, Warren Reed Insurance, Christensen Automotive of Gardnerville, D & B Cabinets, Douglas Disposal & Recycling Service, Edward Jones Investments—Tim Cleveland, Hone Company, Mark Smith Tire Center Les Schwab, Nevada State Bank, Robert E. Schilling Charitable Fund, Holiday Inn Express—Minden, and Frances C. and William P. Smallwood Foundation.