Grand Theatre Then and Now

130 N Virginia Street – Reno, Nevada

At the turn of the twentieth century, Reno was in need of a playhouse which could accommodate modern performances. The stage in the aging McKissick’s Opera House was too small and that facility was nearing the end of its utility. By September of 1903, rumors were spreading about a new theater in the works.

A group of men including John Wagner, Senator William J Westerfield, and Richard Kirman, all connected with the Farmers and Merchants Bank, selected a site on the east side of Virginia between First and Second Streets. Architect Morrill J Curtis designed a two-story theater with a stucco finish measuring approximately 50 x 120 feet with an entrance in the center, flanked by two 15 x 32′ retail spaces. A seven-foot wooden platform at the back of the building allowed for loading along Lincoln Alley. Although the Grand was primarily meant for vaudeville, an asbestos-lined room above the lobby housed an animatoscope for showing silent films.

A traditional hand-painted advertising curtain adorned the stage, which spanned the entire width of the building. Seating estimates varied quite a bit so I’ll just say the facility accommodated approximately 1,000 patrons. A coved ceiling helped to improve the acoustics and the sloped floor ensured visibility. The balcony was accessed by two sets of stairs on either side of the building. The interior was said to have been decorated in a “semi-Oriental” style with “elaborate frescoes.”

West Coast theater pioneer Tony Lubelski of the Novelty Theater Company and Lester B Funge of the Grand chain created a partnership to lease Reno’s Grand Theatre for seven years. Reno was a strategic location for the vaudeville circuit between Sacramento and Salt Lake City. Before construction of the Grand, that journey cost the company a week due to travel time. Having a place in between allowed the shows to earn money along the way. Funge was to handle operations and Lubelski booked the acts.

Small wood frame structures were removed from the lot at the beginning of November. Dirt removed during excavation of the basement was used to bring the lot for the new Carnegie Library up to grade. Foundation work was completed in December and the roof beams were installed in January of 1904. The Grand passed its inspection that March.

The Grand opened on April 11, 1904 to a house packed well beyond capacity.

In addition to the advertised bill, the Reno Wheelmen band also played for the enormous crowd.

Nick Carter and George Dum opened the Hudson Cyclery in the south storefront on July 23, 1904.

Funge sold his interest in the theater business to Lubelski the same month. Al Cliff became the local manager at that time. In August, the Grand Theatre Company was formed to operate the facility.

Miss Kate E Burns and Mrs. G. D. Fisher opened a millinery store in the north space on September 1, 1904.

Hudson Cyclery was purchased by the newly formed Hudson Electrical Company in December of 1906 and that business became Riverside Fixture Company in April of 1907.

William E Sharp bought controlling interest of the theater company from Lubelski in April of 1909 and Sharp then sold it to the Hurst Brothers. The building itself was sold to Moritz Scheeline in March of 1911.

When the Hurst Brothers bought the Majestic in January of 1913, they changed programming so the Majestic was used for live performances and the Grand was used mainly for moving pictures. New Simplex projectors were installed that February.

In 1915, the building was extended 25 feet toward the alley so the seating capacity could be increased to around 1,100. The stage was removed during the project and a new 20-stop pipe organ was installed at the back wall. A grand reopening event was held on October 1, 1915.

At that time, the millinery store of Kate Burns was still located in the north storefront and the south space was occupied by optometrist Charles O Gasho.

A new flashing electric sign depicting the tail of a peacock was installed in March of 1916.

Dale and Glenn Hurst sold the theater business to Turner and Dahnken, Jr. Enterprises in June of 1921.

The same month, T & D announced the Grand would be showing return engagements rather than first run films.

T & D also operated the Rialto and apparently wanted to consolidate operations. Moritz Scheeline’s son, Harry, owned the building at that time and he started making plans to demolish the theater in the Spring of 1926. Frederic DeLongchamps was hired to design what would become Reno’s tallest building with a mix of retail and professional spaces.

Things were done completely out of order with all of these plans being made public before the retail tenants were even served with notices to vacate. That finally occurred in May of 1926 and the Grand closed on July 6. The electric organ was moved to the Rialto, which was being remodeled into the Granada.

Demolition began immediately with excavation for the new Medico-Dental Arcade being completed in August. The neighboring building to the south which housed the J. D. Mariner Music House at 124-126 N Virginia was also demolished as part of this project. That bit was more complicated because the Mariner lot was owned by Louis and Ava Meiss. The new structure on that lot was only a single story. Scheeline signed a long-term lease with the Meiss family, which complicated things later. Most of the building was leased by September of 1926.

Contractors Hilton and Leatherman rushed construction of the Gothic beauty, which had six stories plus a penthouse apartment.

A wide, red-tiled arcade extended from the entrance to the alley with wide doors which could be closed during inclement weather. The west and south sides were finished with stucco. Compressed air and suction equipment was located in the basement and made available to the medico dental floors.

When the building opened in the Spring of 1927, eleven of the arcade stores were occupied. The three spaces with frontage on Virginia were leased to The Corset Shop, Radcliffe Jewelry Co., and the Buckingham Shoppes in the former Mariner spot.

The upper levels housed a combination of 27 doctors and dentists, the Arcade Pharmacy, a law office, and a financial services company. The building was managed by Barnard, Southard & Co. which had an office on the arcade level. Reno Radium X-Ray Association moved to the fourth floor toward the end of April.

Building caretaker John R Hamlet and his family moved into the penthouse apartment.

Although “throngs of people” had already gotten a look at the new building, a formal grand opening celebration was held the evening of May 7, 1927.

You may recall that the Scheeline Banking and Trust Company merged with George Wingfield’s United Nevada Bank in 1929. The Wingfield banks failed in November of 1932 with Harry Scheeline owing nearly $160,000 that was backed by the company which owned the Arcade. California Western States Life Insurance Co. also held a $140,000 mortgage on the building. Bank receiver Leo F Schmitt assumed control of the Arcade on July 1, 1935.

Schmitt conducted an auction in the Summer of 1938 and the building was purchased by Homer Williams, John Connolly, and Dr. R. R. Craig for approximately $185,000. The mortgage was satisfied first with the remaining amount distributed to United Nevada Bank depositors. As Schmitt continued wrapping up the banks’ affairs, he moved the receivership office to the former Nevada Finance Company space on the arcade level.

The Arcade’s exit to Lincoln Alley was closed off in 1950 when that level was reconfigured. As the 1960s came to a close, vacancies increased. By the early 1970s, the entire arcade level was vacant. In 1973, the building only had a handful of tenants and it sold for only $600,000 in 1979.

Plans for the new Virginian Hotel Casino were approved by the Reno City Council in March of 1983. George Karadanis and Robert Maloff, owners of the Sundowner Hotel Casino, sought to build a 16-story hotel tower connected to a three-story casino on the site of the Arcade. Building inspectors had agreed both the Arcade and neighboring Clay Peters building were unsafe and should be demolished. Once that was completed, the site was used as a parking lot.

A foundation permit was finally issued in the Fall of 1985 but ground wasn’t broken until September of 1986. The City didn’t receive final plans until December of that year. Architect Bill Morris designed the hotel with its main entrance along Lincoln Alley. The parking garage had an automobile elevator which could handle 60 cars per hour.

Two floors of the casino opened on November 17, 1988. The ad has an unfortunate typo.

Matt Karadanis (second from left) served as the general manager.

A business license for the 120-room hotel, restaurant, and gift shop was granted in December of 1988 but these didn’t open until the Spring of 1989.

The hotel opened just before Memorial Day weekend, followed by MK’s Steak House. In December of 1996, the hotel closed, leaving only parts of the casino and one snack bar open. The only guests using the hotel were for Sundowner overflow and special events until the property completely shut down in July of 1997.

Best Gaming Corp., a subsidiary of Compagnie Europeenne de Casinos, bought the Virginian in March of 1998 with plans to operate it themselves. However, they quickly learned the differences between US and European gaming laws and instead leased the hotel to Club Cal-Neva. After a quick refresh, the Virginian reopened on May 27, 1999.

After their lease expired in May of 2004, Club Cal-Neva was unable to negotiate a new agreement and the Virginian closed again in October of 2004.

After sitting vacant for several years, the Virginian was purchased by Siegel Group in December of 2013. The roof was upgraded in 2014 and the rooms were converted to studio apartments with kitchenettes.

The neon on the west side of the building was removed in the Summer of 2016 with the facility’s first occupants being foreign exchange students in Reno for the summer. Collector Will Durham bought the Virginian sign which had been located just above the ground level. The sign up high on the north side was left in place.

Initially, the new façade wasn’t really new. Siegel added new Virginian Apartments signage above the entrance but the outlines of the old Virginian signage were still in place for several years, making the property appear unfinished. That changed in the Fall of 2024 when Derek Douglass and Anthony Castillo painted an enormous mural on the west side of the tower.

This is how the former site of the Grand Theatre looks today:

Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King

I have some thoughts about Siegel properties in general but I also understand economic realities. People need places to live and that mural makes the Virginian look nicer than it is. I hope the residents are living in clean and safe conditions.

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July 27, 2026 0

Kansas State Bank Then and Now

510 N Second Avenue – Dodge City, Kansas

The US Signal Service in Dodge City was originally located in the Dodge House, which maybe wasn’t the best arrangement. In June of 1876, the office moved to the second floor of a white pine house at the southeast corner of Second Avenue and what was then Walnut Street.

Martha Lake bought the building from City Treasurer Charles Schulz in December of 1881.

The Signal Service moved to the Hoover building on Front Street in January of 1883 and Lake used their former space for boarding. A storefront was added to the building in April of 1885 for Mrs. A. J. Coady’s new City of Paris millinery.

Mrs. E. Justin took possession of the City of Paris later that year.

In December of 1885, Mrs. Justin incurred a loss of $2,500, mostly due to looting, during the second devastating fire. $2,000 of that was covered by insurance. The fire was stopped at the Lake building by “the finest work we ever saw done by a bucket brigade.”

City of Paris was listed for sale with its full stock in May of 1886 and was replaced by a store called The Fair. A series of businesses operated in the Lake building including restaurants, shoe repair shops, and a bakery.

After Martha Lake died in February of 1892, the building was owned by her estate for some time before being acquired by Benjamin F Milton, who used the main floor for his law office. Milton relocated his office upstairs when S. Everett Sheldon moved his Globe Restaurant to the main level in November of 1907. That restaurant changed hands a few times and closed by the Spring of 1910.

After Walter Locke’s Bargain Store was destroyed by fire on November 1, 1909, the Milton building temporarily housed his clothing department.

Later that year, it was occupied by the Up-To-Date Tailoring and Cleaning Co.

By March of 1912, the business was operated by Julian M Hulpieu.

George Cochran bought the building in December of that year and then resold it to Kansas State Bank in February of 1913. Because the bank had a couple years left on their lease at Second and Chestnut, the old signal office was allowed to stay.

Frank and Arthur Skillington acquired the tailoring business from Julian Hulpieu in the Fall of 1914.

They moved about half a block north when their building was sold at auction for $100 in April of 1915. Sam Baggley moved the structure to West Santa Fe Trail Street, where it was placed next to the home of buyer M. R. Prather.

Kansas State Bank, chartered on October 2, 1907, was ready to build.

Articles of Incorp Download

Owen and Payson of Kansas City designed a two-story Classical Revival building for bank operations on the main level and three office suites, complete with private lavatories, on the second floor. It would be considered fireproof with its floors and roof constructed of reinforced concrete. The structure would have a temple front with ionic columns on either side of the main entrance and a wide marble base. Striking white enamel brick and glazed terra cotta would be used for exterior finishes. The interior was finished with marble and mahogany.

The building contract was awarded to William Foley in July of 1915 with hopes of completion by the end of the year. However, concrete for the second floor wasn’t even poured until that December. After a series of delays, the real estate and insurance firm of Henry F Millikan and Carl J Turner relocated to Rooms 3 and 4 in April of 1916.

Another real estate firm operated by William P Kliesen and J. E. Bennett occupied the other suite.

Bank employees moved to their new quarters on May 31, 1916 and opened for business on June 1, before the interior was completely finished. Police Judge Walter S Pagan was the first to arrive at the deposit counter. Finishing touches wrapped up in mid-July.

In September of 1916, a large iron drinking fountain was installed on the north sidewalk. The plaque on the fountain read, “Erected to the Memory of GEORGE M. HOOVER By the Citizens of this City 1841-1914.”

It should be noted that Kansas State Bank was the first institution in Southwest Kansas to add a Savings Department in December of 1915.

Dr. Walter F Pine established a solo practice over the bank in March of 1921 which continued into the 1930s.

Kansas State Bank merged with State Bank of Dodge City in January of 1933 to become Fidelity State Bank. Operations were then consolidated at Second and Walnut.

Merger Download

Fidelity was robbed by an indebted Finney County farmer in September of 1939. Carl Kirby got away with $2,071 but was caught about five minutes later by Chief E. M. Olson and Sheriff Claude Dowdy. Kirby received a sentence of 10 to 50 years. At that time, the second floor was occupied by the real estate firms of Walter A Layton and Marion R Zimmer.

Upstairs occupants in the 1940s included the Ford Co. National Farm Loan Association, Dr. H. R. Patrick, Clarence M Zimmer Agency, and M. R. Zimmer Real Estate.

In September of 1950, the neighboring Gwinner building was destroyed by arson.

Fidelity bought the lot directly south of the bank where Sweetbriar had operated. A new two-story addition was constructed there which housed architect Stanley Petro, the Zimmer Agency, and the law firm of Claude W Gould and Ronald R Mitchell. A new glass entrance was constructed just inside the columns at the front door, leaving the original entrance intact.

In January of 1977, the institution’s name was changed to The Fidelity State Bank and Trust Company, Dodge City, Kansas.

Name Change Download

Around that time, the south addition underwent a dramatic change. The 1950s windows were replaced by a marble front with a single oriel window on the second floor. To unify the appearance, the glass outside the main entrance was replaced by a combination of tinted glass and marble. While I don’t love it, I have no doubt this change granted quite a bit of relief from the afternoon sun.

Speaking of which, I called the time and temperature line for the first time in ages and am happy to report it is still active.

The bank’s interior has undergone a series of transformations. The building is still quite grand and has been very well maintained with new windows installed a couple years ago. One major feature which has not changed is the original entrance. If you go through the modern vestibule, you will see the original ornate terra cotta over the lobby entrance. It’s such a wonderful surprise to see those details protected from the weather.

This is how the former Kansas State Bank building looks today:

I’ve always thought of Fidelity as Dodge City’s grown-up bank, which I suppose is the whole point. They have somehow stayed local and stayed committed to the same building downtown, through a long series of inconveniences, for 110 years. That’s really something!

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July 20, 2026 0

Mizpah Hotel Then and Now

214 Lake Street – Reno, Nevada

Going back to the 1870s, the east side of Lake Street just north of Second was dotted with small wood frame dwellings. By the 1890s, sturdier and more substantial homes had been constructed but the neighborhood wasn’t the best. Some of the single-family homes became rooming houses with spotty reputations. Around 1904, residents included laborers, harness makers, and the occasional attorney.

Harry Armstrong moved his restaurant to 200 Lake Street in May of 1906.

That building had been converted for a mix of residential and commercial purposes with a rooming house at the back. Canton Laundry also operated on the property.

Herbalist Dr. L Sing began advertising at 206 Lake in 1910. That house was also used as a laundry for several years.

The first three lots actually had an international variety of laundries: Chinese, French, Japanese, and later…Italian.

By 1918, the north half of the block was all brick but development in Lots 1-3 was a bit slower. Directly across the alley to the east was a series of cribs labeled as “Female Boarding.” That was code for houses of prostitution.

Joseph Pincolini bought the property at what was then 204 Lake Street in March of 1921.

A building permit was granted in July of 1921 for a three-story hotel to be operated by the Pincolini brothers and their families. Joe and Dante Pincolini are shown here during excavation of the basement.

The Pincolinis hosted a grand opening event at the Mizpah Hotel on January 1, 1922.

The brick hotel, shown here around 1922, had commercial spaces on the main floor and a dining room for guests toward the back of the building.

Dante, Adelvaldo, and Lazzaro Pincolini are shown here in the Mizpah lobby.

Like many of their fellow Renoites, the Pincolini family wasn’t fond of the National Prohibition Act. Various family members had been arrested for minor violations but the Mizpah was raided in August of 1922.

After a lot of back and forth, the hotel was ordered closed effective May 1, 1923. The rooms were scheduled to open after three months but the dining room was to be closed for a full ten months. This was said to be the first closure of a hotel under the Volstead Act.

The family fought the ruling which went to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. A transcript of the proceedings can be read here. Judge Farrington allowed the hotel to reopen at the beginning of July but said the order closing the bar stood. The Pincolinis had to pay for a hotel watchman who would enforce Prohibition laws.

Mizpah Cafe opened in the building in February of 1925.

Business was good and a building permit was issued that May for a $20,000 hotel expansion.

The new addition included a mix of 28 rooms and apartments.

The Mizpah established itself as a residential hotel early on and converted a few rooms into four additional apartments in December of 1926.

Daniel Andreotti and Angelo Matteuccci sold the former Mizpah Cafe to Joe Martini by December of 1926 and it became known as the Trovatore. That establishment ran afoul of the dry laws as well.

Joe Pincolini had a close call in February of 1930 when Harry Lee fired three rounds in his direction after being told to leave the hotel.

Lee was fined $20 for the drunken lapse in judgement.

The Pincolini brothers purchased the neighboring lots to the south of the Mizpah in February of 1931 with plans to expand the hotel all the way to Second, filling the space eastward to the alley. This would create a U-shaped hotel with a narrow courtyard in the middle.

This photo shows the corner prior to the addition. You can see the brick storefront added to the front of the old rooming house with a ladder propped against the wall.

During excavation work in May of 1931, a cache of gold coins reportedly totaling $20,000 was uncovered at the work site. That figure was surely a typo but still an exciting find!

The Pincolini family opened Reno Public Market in the new space at 201 E Second in June of 1932.

Another exciting development was the end of Prohibition. The Mizpah Club at 210 Lake and the new Manhattan Bar at 200 Lake applied for liquor licenses in April of 1933. Other early occupants of the Mizpah addition were De Luxe Cleaners, Heinie’s Cafe, American News Co. of Nevada, and a liquor store operated by the Pincolini brothers.

William Ramos leased the former Manhattan Bar in the corner spot in the Spring of 1937 and opened the Lake Street Pharmacy that May. Ramos also owned the Lake Street Cigar Store next to the drug store. William Pettis bought the pharmacy in May of 1940.

*Nevada State Journal,* May 16, 1940, 10. Newspapers.com.

During the 1940s, commercial spaces were leased to McWade’s Plumbing and Heating Shop, Nevada Cleaners, Lake Street Tobacco Shop, Nevada Paint and Floor Service, and William Lee and Sons Repair Shop.

On August 15, 1948, an explosion on the west side of Lake Street blew out several windows in the Mizpah.

Despite being warned of the danger, several hundred spectators had gathered in front of the hotel to watch a fire when the explosion occurred. Glass rained down upon them as they tried to take cover. Sparks Fire Chief Frank B Hobson was among those killed.

By 1953, the Lake Street Pharmacy had become part of Reno Drug.

Its new neighbors in the 1950s included Nevada Relief Association, Nevada Novelty Co., and Nevada Coin Machine Service.

The Mizpah Bar had become a bit unruly by the mid-1950s. In February of 1957, bartender John A Spears was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon after shooting patron John C Pehrson in the head. Pehrson had allegedly been asked to leave and instead chucked a glass at the bartender’s head. Due to repeated emergency calls, the bar was ordered closed in April of 1958.

Multiple relief agencies operated in the Mizpah building with a dedicated thrift store, multiple rummage sales, and the St. Vincent Dining Room.

Reno Drug Co. was liquidated through a bankruptcy sale in November of 1966.

That corner space was leased to Leon Mack where he opened Plaza Loan and Jewelry in 1967. Mack’s neighbor, Violet Odom, operated the Santa Claus Market at 209 E Second for several years. Unfortunately, for Violet, people thought it was funny to rob the store every Christmas.

Most of the robbers carried knives, some guns, and some just alluded to having guns. By 1969, the robberies and burglaries began occurring in all seasons. The Santa Claus Market finally cleared out around the end of 1976. St. Vincent Dining Room relocated to West Third Street in 1977.

Liquor stores seemed to do well in the Mizpah building. Bi-Rite Market was open by December of 1980.

Brian Linton opened Mama Lena’s Fine Sandwiches in the space at 205 E Second in the Spring of 1981. Dragon Town Restaurant opened at 201 E Second in March of 1983.

The Mizpah Hotel, still owned by members of the Pincolini family, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The building retained most of its original features, though some were covered for practical purposes. At the time, the hotel had 110 rooms, 68 of which included bathrooms. 22 of those also had kitchenettes.

Photo by Kathleen Hoff, National Register of Historic Places
Photo by Kathleen Hoff, National Register of Historic Places
Photo by Kathleen Hoff, National Register of Historic Places
Photo by Kathleen Hoff, National Register of Historic Places

Richard Cummings moved his Hair Designs Studio to 203 E Second in 1989. In July of 1990, the Dragon Town Restaurant changed hands and became Pho 777, which opened to rave reviews. Plaza Loan and Jewelry began their moving sale in May of 1992.

That store was later leased to an establishment called Reno Hotel, which hosted acts such as an all-male dance revue.

By the end of 1997, the corner space was being remodeled for Two Giraffes Bar and Grill, which opened in March of 1998.

The bar was called Longnecks by June of 1999. It became Shifters Bar and Grill around July of 2003 followed by Sac’s Bar and Grill around the Spring of 2005, and finally Blind Onion Pizza & Pub by February of 2006. That year, the family was hard at work renovating and redecorating the Mizpah, which was also for sale. In October of 2006, mattresses were being replaced and several were leaned against walls in the hallways.

On Halloween, a resident named Valerie Moore had a verbal dispute with a neighbor named Maxie Birch in Apartment 1. Moore, on parole for the second-degree murder of a woman who allegedly refused her advances, moved at least one of the mattresses against Birch’s door and set it on fire.

Birch said he smelled smoke, opened the door, and made his way down the closest fire escape. Twelve of his neighbors were not so lucky.

The roof over the original north wing was completely destroyed.

In addition to the twelve fatalities, another 31 were injured.

Parts of the north wall were demolished in order to safely search for additional victims and then that section was completely taken down. It took several days to recover the victims with the twelfth being found around November 7, 2006. A floor actually collapsed during demolition and tipped over an excavator.

Initially, the family believed the south 1931 addition could be saved.

However, the heating plant had been located in the original part of the building. That loss, coupled with the smoke and water damage, made restoration far too expensive.

In January of 2007, Moore avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty to arson and the first-degree murders of Alford Yates, Kevin Sutherin, William Serrao, Jeremy Wren, Diana Pochini, Gregory Wiltse, Ernest Duarte, Paul Smith, Christopher Covert, Nadine Nicodemus, Philip Bridges, and one unidentified person.

The remaining section of the Mizpah was used for firefighter training prior to its demolition in April of 2007. Its circa-1931 neon sign was saved and had been in storage until around 2012 when it was purchased from the family for restoration. The last mention I found was in 2018 when it was listed for sale as part of the closure of Sippee’s children’s clothing store.

Ground was broken for construction of the Ballpark Apartments in April of 2002.

This is how the former site of the Mizpah Hotel looks today:

Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King

A plaque is located at the southwest corner of the building commemorating the Mizpah Hotel and the lives lost to someone who probably shouldn’t have been paroled in the first place.

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July 13, 2026 0

Winnie’s Welding Service Then and Now

1800 W Wyatt Earp Blvd. – Dodge City, Kansas

Charles Winfield Rosebrook, Jr. grew up on a farm in Kearny County. In the 1920s, he worked as a mechanic in Ulysses before moving to the Jetmore area and working for E. J. Ochs. Winnie relocated to Dodge City in the early 1930s and worked for Logan R Tyson at the General Machine Shop.

His brother, Bob, was more than ten years younger so he didn’t move to Dodge until a bit later. Around 1938, the Rosebrook brothers opened Winnie’s Welding Shop at 206 S Second Avenue.

In the mid-1940s, Fred Russell opened Russell Automotive Service one door north of Winnie’s.

*1947 City Directory and Business Professional Guide for Dodge City, Kansas.* Published by Southwest Directory Company.

Shortly afterward, the two shops teamed up to build a new facility at the northwest corner of La Salle and what was then Chestnut Street. A new metal building measuring 40×120 feet originally housed both businesses, which opened in March of 1948.

Russell moved his shop to 201 W Trail Street by 1950 leaving the Rosebrook brothers to occupy the property on Chestnut, which ultimately had two connected structures.

Evelyn (Frankenberger) Kennedy began working in the office in March of 1952 after placing an ad on KGNO looking for a job. Claude Allen, Sr. heard the ad and mentioned it to Winnie, who just happened to be in need of a bookkeeper. Around that time, Bob began a related shop called Bob’s Motor Repair. His son, Don, also worked there during high school.

That business in the east building became Bob’s Engine Rebuilders.

Winnie’s Welding Service was located in the smaller building to the west.

I don’t want to assume this is a Claude Allen sign but it looks to me like a Claude Allen sign. Let me know in the comments if this is correct.

Richard Burns and Wilfred Johnson bought the businesses when Bob and Winnie retired in 1988. Winnie’s, Inc. was officially formed in February of 1989. Evelyn stayed on through the transition and finally retired in October of 1989 after nearly 38 years of service. It is unclear whether the red and chrome rotary desk phone went with her.

Winnie’s, Inc. was dissolved in January of 1996 and the property was occupied by Dodge City Engine Service until around 2001. It sat vacant for several years until about 2009 when JAG Construction used it during the Wyatt Earp widening project. Once that was completed, the property became vacant again and the buildings were removed in 2014 or 2015.

Dodge Custard, LLC was formed on June 30, 2015 for the purpose of operating a location of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. The new restaurant opened in March of 2016.

This is how the site of Winnie’s Welding Service looks today:

All I ever heard about Bob and Winnie was that they were good people who did good work. I think they would get a kick out of knowing their old promotional pens are being sold for $20 each on eBay. You can get a couple burgers at Freddy’s for that.

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July 6, 2026 0

Reno Savings Bank Then and Now

195 N Virginia Street – Reno, Nevada

If people just did what they said they would do, this very long story would be cut in half. In October of 1875, W. Sanders and A. C. Neal bought the furniture and undertaking store of B. H. McClure. Sanders & Co. operated on the southwest corner of Second and Virginia Streets until the local Independent Order of Odd Fellows decided that would be a good place for a lodge. Myron C Lake sold them the property in March of 1876 and holy heck did the games begin.

The wood frame furniture store was placed on rollers and moved just south of the new building site. While that was happening, the Truckee Lodge No.14 board of trustees authorized $20,000 in bonds to be sold and a deed of trust to be executed to the bond holders for security. Lake made the largest pledge at $10,000 but the problem was he never fully paid up. Lake only paid half of his pledged amount and several others didn’t pay anything at all.

Meanwhile, the Lodge hired architect John S Sturgeon to design a two-story Italianate building with 44 feet of frontage along Virginia and 100 feet along Second. The upstairs Lodge room measured 50×34′ with 20-foot arched ceilings. Along with a library and other supporting lodge anterooms, there were also three offices for rent on the second floor. Most of the second floor was finished with mahogany wainscotting. Sturgeon was asked to plan for a bank to occupy the main floor corner space so he added a 10×12′ vault on a concrete foundation. Sanders and Neale would occupy the south storefront, which measured 20×100′. Dr. Hutchins had secured a 15×20′ main floor office fronting Second Street and a neighboring 22×20′ office was up for grabs. The two floors had 28 cast iron ventilators.

The brick walls were 20 inches thick on the main floor and 16 inches thick upstairs. Window casings were made of granite. The building’s roof and cornices were galvanized iron. An octagonal cupola with a 20-foot flag staff was placed at the corner.

Reno Savings Bank was formed in May of 1876, partly by merging with the private banking business of Joseph E Jones, who became vice president of the new institution. Myron Lake was president, of course, with James H Kinkead the sacrificial manager. RSB claimed $100,000 capital stock but this was a lie.

By August of 1876, even the newspapers knew the building costs would exceed $20,000.

The cornerstone was laid on August 30 and the vault was installed a couple days later.

Reno Savings Bank opened on January 15, 1877, again advertising $100,000 fully paid-up capital stock.

A common practice in IOOF facilities was for the commercial areas which would bring in revenue to be finished first. The carpet wasn’t installed in the Lodge room itself until the end of March. The formal dedication was held on April 26, 1877.

Total building expenses were said to have totaled $25,000 but that figure was also a lie. Assuming it was factual, Truckee Lodge still didn’t raise enough money to build it. Reno Savings Bank, *allegedly* fully capitalized at $100,000, advanced the money for construction and the Lodge ended up being about $7,000 short. I would argue with that number but there were bigger problems. The contractor didn’t pay HIS bills so liens were filed against the property. The bank once again stepped in and bought the building when it went up for sheriff’s sale around May of 1880.

Reno Savings Bank closed on June 24, 1880. Apparently, only about $30,000 of capital stock had been paid up and most of that was *allegedly* paid back to the stockholders in the form of dividends, leaving ZERO capital.

Joseph Jones was heavily invested in RSB and lost the bulk of his fortune when it failed. There was plenty of blame to go around and many fingers were pointed. Most agreed that Nevada needed to revise its banking statutes.

Cashier and clerk L. C. Batchelder was removed and replaced with D. B. Boyd by the Board of Trustees July 17. Manager James Kinkead was arrested on August 7 but the Journal called it for what it was from the very beginning and the case was dismissed.

It was in everyone’s interest to keep the building occupied and stop the bleeding. The new bank of John A Paxton and Allen A Curtis opened in September of 1880 with former RSB cashier L. C. Batchelder keeping the books.

The RSB lawsuits would take more than a decade to fully resolve. Notes of hand and stocks held by the bank were sold by the sheriff in April of 1881.

Paxton, Curtis & Co. consolidated and transferred all of their accounts to First National Bank of Reno (successor to D. A. Bender and Co.) in July of 1881.

The bank space in the IOOF building was vacated, as FNB had their own building on Commercial Row. It was then used by Manning and Berry to store flour and grain.

Former RSB manager James Kinkead was indicted for embezzlement in January of 1883 and acquitted. He was very open about how the sausage was made. The general sentiment seemed to be that what the officers did was legal but immoral and akin to insider trading. Calls were made for changes to the laws ensuring claims of all bank creditors, big and small, would be treated equally going forward.

First National Bank bought the building, then called the Arcadome, for $20,000 in January of 1887 and made plans to occupy the former RSB space.

The Arcadome letters were removed that March and replaced with a sign for First National Bank.

At the same time, the Odd Fellows were required to find other accommodations.

That spring, the bank also purchased the lot directly west of the building in anticipation of expansion.

The wholesale liquor business of William R Chamberlain and Herman J Thyes opened in the old furniture store space that April.

You can just barely make out the Chamberlain & Thyes sign, which is mostly obscured by the post office awning.

Chamberlain and Thyes dissolved their partnership in December of 1888 and Thyes continued as a sole proprietor. This photo is labeled as being taken on the Second Street side of the building, but as far as I can tell, this image predates both the Crystal Saloon and the Reese partnership and actually depicts the Virginia Street entrance.

I could be wrong but I think this interior shot is also from the space on Virginia. In addition to the wholesale liquor operation, Thyes served lunch daily and had reading and card rooms. Reese didn’t buy half interest in the business until August of 1906.

First National Bank hired George Holesworth to build an addition to the west end of the building in June of 1889. This two-story brick annex would include spaces for two storefronts with offices above.

Ground was broken on July 1 with brick work commencing that August. Tenants including attorney R. H. Lindsay occupied the building by December of 1889. This annex was used as a polling location for the Second Ward. The Democratic County Central Committee had offices there by 1890. Reno Lumber Company opened an office in the annex in February of 1891.

In November of 1895, First National Bank stockholders voted to reincorporate as Washoe County Bank. The new institution opened for business on January 2, 1896.

In November of 1901, Thyes moved his saloon to the Second Street side of the building two doors east of the post office so the bank could expand into the south space. This is when he began calling it the Crystal.

New enlarged windows and doors were installed in the directors’ offices at that time. Steam heat was added to the building that December.

The bank also received new fixtures that month.

At some point during all of this remodeling, the cupola was removed.

The remodeling continued with virtually every trace of Italianate styling removed.

[curtis0170 Washoe County Bank SW Corner 2nd and Virginia Streets Reno c1920 Master copy i], [Photographs], Nevada Historical Society
[Curtis-0167], [Photographs], Nevada Historical Society
[Curtis-0154], [Photographs], Nevada Historical Society
[Curtis-0168], [Photographs], Nevada Historical Society

This photo of staff and directors was taken June 18, 1921.

1929 was a wacky year all the way around but especially for Washoe County Bank, which got a talking-to by bank examiner Edward J Seaborn after submitting these financials.

The bank extended an insane amount of loans on land and livestock in a time when prices were severely depressed. Many of these were called “fozen loans” because ranchers were either unable or unwilling to pay any principal and in a lot of cases, not even interest. Some estimated the largest principal of these loans at anywhere between $300,000 and $600,000. As a result, Seaborn instructed the officers to replace $250,000 of capital that April and tried to organize a deal so people with the needed cash could take over operations. Those things didn’t happen and depositors became aware. The bank failed and closed on July 4 of that year to stop the withdrawals. WCB became the responsibility of Examiner Seaborn at that time.

Nevada’s oldest bank planned to reorganize and George Wingfield had a plan! He created a “realization company” owned by depositors and shareholders (managed by Wingfield) to assume the frozen and doubtful assets of the bank. That company would then liquidate the distressed assets and attempt to make the depositors whole. A new banking institution would be created, which was owned and managed by Wingfield.

After a full audit, George Wingfield proposed a merger of the new United Nevada Bank and Scheeline Banking and Trust Company. United Nevada Bank would use the WCB building, which was of course remodeled. Depositors would receive 75 percent of their money in new accounts immediately and the rest would be repaid as assets were recovered by the realization company. The plan was accepted and lawsuits were filed, with some asking the bank be put into receivership and liquidated immediately. Hindsight is a funny thing. United Nevada Bank opened its doors on August 26, 1929 with George Wingfield serving as president.

United Nevada Bank was caught up in Wingfield’s systemic failure and closed its doors on November 1, 1932 as part of a two-week banking holiday which was then extended for another month.

Reorganization was again on the agenda but the cumbersome process was further complicated by the continued operations of the Realization Company, which hadn’t yet resolved the outstanding Washoe County Bank debts. A full accounting was requested. Examiner Seaborn was a very busy man. Several plans were floated and by May of 1933, the committee couldn’t decide whether to reorganize or liquidate. Ultimately, Leo F Schmitt was appointed receiver for seven of the Wingfield banks and he set up an office in the former United Nevada Bank in the Spring of 1934.

Schmitt sold the building to the estate of James L Stack (father of actor Robert Stack) in September of 1935. With this deal, the rear 40 feet of the bank quarters including the vault and safety deposit boxes were to be leased to the receivership for up to three years so that Schmitt could continue winding everything down.

Reno attorney George P Thatcher was the Stack executor and he leased the bank space to William Ramos for a new location of Ramos Drug Co. The building underwent a major transformation in the Fall of 1935 with a new design by Russell Mills. The building had originally been constructed of handmade bricks, which made the modernization project quite complex. Much of the brick had to be rebuilt and reinforced with steel. Burnt orange glazed terra cotta was installed on the exterior with new aluminum and stainless steel window frames. Ramos chose zebra wood furniture inside with murals painted by Vasco De Soto. The new drug store also had a large soda fountain and lunch counter. A stainless steel reverse channel neon sign was placed out front. Ramos Drug Co. held its grand opening on December 17, 1935.

In December of 1938, Security National Bank was given authorization to organize. President Walter J Tobin secured space in the Stack building at 10 W Second Street and resigned as receiver of Reno National Bank at the beginning of February 1939. The bank opened on February 15.

The Stack building was sold in August of 1946 to Lerner Shops, Inc. and Franklin-Tampa Corp. for $580,000. Ramos Drug moved to their new California Avenue location and Security National Bank also vacated the building in the Fall of 1951. The building was remodeled again in the Summer of 1952 for Leed’s Shoe Store, which carved out an L-shaped space with entrances at the south storefront and also toward the west end of the building on Second Street. Their grand opening was held September 12-13, 1952.

Edises Jewelers bought the Griffin jewelry store across the street and remodeled the remaining drug store space at the same time. The new store owned by S. E. Edises was managed by L. C. Griffin. Their grand opening was on September 25, 1952.

Leed’s moved a few doors south in 1960 and was replaced by Burt’s Shoes, which closed in March of 1967. GallenKamp Shoe Store held their grand opening event in the former Burt’s spot from April 18 -22 of that year.

GallenKamp closed in either 1976 or 1977. Family Savings and Loan opened a new office in their old spot in October of 1977.

The Edises Jewelers going out of business signs went up in June of 1982 and Family Savings and Loan followed shortly after.

In August of 1983, Reno attorney Nada Novakovich announced she was basically building a shrine to her late husband, Luke Aluevich. She put approximately $4.5 million into renovating in a building she didn’t even own. Although not historically correct, the cupola was set to return in the form of a clocktower.

Big Luke’s opened in September of 1984 with a combination of gift shop, deli, and boutique on the main floor of the old bank. The Rose Room cocktail lounge was located upstairs.

Novakovich paid around $130,000 per year in rent on a business which never turned a profit. She operated for about three years and made several unsuccessful attempts to sell the business. When that failed, she turned to alcohol, embezzled from her clients, and lost both her lease and her license to practice law.

Restaurant equipment from Big Luke’s was auctioned off in July of 1988, the same year it was purchased by Dr. John Iliescu. The main floor became occupied by T-Shirts and Souvenirs R Us, which was later confined to a smaller space. Wendy’s opened with dining areas on both the main and second floors in April of 1989.

At the beginning of 1992, Ron Teston obtained a business license and placed ads for the Academy of Casino Careers on the second floor at 195 N Virginia with “easy payment plans.” It appears this venture was located upstairs. Iliescu obtained a pawn broker business license for Pioneer Jewelry and Loan in the Spring of 1992. That business changed hands a few times and closed around 2023. The building has been listed on the Nevada State Register of Historic Places since December of 2003.

This is how the former Reno Savings Bank looks today:

Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King

Peeling real estate signs still adorn the windows but I haven’t been able to find an active listing. Some interior photos can be found here. As of this writing, the County website still shows the owner as the 1992 Iliescu Trust. Given Reno’s love for demolishing its history, it’s amazing this old beauty has survived as long as it has. With any luck, someone will come along and bring it back to life.

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June 29, 2026 0

Home Cafe Then and Now

208 S Second Avenue – Dodge City, Kansas

Before Crawford’s Addition was even platted, kids on the south side of the river attended school in a small vacant store building on what is now South Second Avenue between Beech and Cherry Streets. With the formal plat in 1886, the tree streets were numbered and South Second was officially Bridge Avenue.

George F McKinney, proprietor of the South Side Hotel, listed the lot and school building for sale in March of 1888.

*The Dodge City Times,* March 22, 1888, 4. Newspapers.com.

That building was later used for grain storage and was removed from the lot sometime in the 1890s. It was replaced by a small concrete block building in the 1910s which was briefly used by a butcher. That structure was replaced by a larger concrete block building which housed a dry cleaning business for a short time. Produce was occasionally sold on the property.

Curtis Ott and Walter Winger’s Dodge City Sheet Metal Works was located at what became 208 S Second Avenue in the 1930s.

The building entered its cafe era in the 1940s with Owen’s Cafe owned by Charles Owen. It changed hands a few times and was called South Side Lunch, Triangle Cafe, and Denny’s Cafe. Doak Ellis and Florence Oringderff held a grand opening of their new Home Cafe on April 7, 1954.

Although the building was always plain, it did have transom windows with a striped crank-out awning and a cute neon sign as seen here in 1957.

Photos: Ford County Historical Society Dodge City Daily Globe Collection

By the 1960s, that neon sign was upgraded to include a piece of pie as seen in this photo showing the aftermath of the big flood in June of 1965. The building’s proximity to the river didn’t do it any favors but the concrete block construction certainly did.

Florence and Doak, who married shortly after opening the cafe, retired in January of 1988. Ron Perkins is the customer seated at the counter.

The restaurant was purchased by John and Irma Cervantes at that time and a retirement party was held on January 31.

The building sat vacant for a while in the 1990s and has since hosted a series of eateries including an African restaurant, Don Hector Restaurante Mexicano, and La Familia Restaurant. Its current occupant is Los Aztecas Mexican Grill.

This is how the former Home Cafe looked in June of 2025:

Say what you will about the aesthetics of this block but that humble little building has been serving the same trade for about 80 years. I’m impressed.

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June 22, 2026 1

Dodge City Ice Cream & Produce Co. Then and Now

501 W Chestnut Street – Dodge City, Kansas

It’s easy to take ice cream for granted but it used to be a really big deal. If families made it at home, it was super messy and had to be stored in the ice cellar. Some restaurants, like the Beatty and Kelley, made small batches in the 1870s. In the early 1900s, local confectioneries like Sturgeon’s and Gwinner’s sold ice cream treats but you couldn’t just grab a pint at the grocery store and throw it in your freezer at home.

In April of 1917, A. L. Eidson and Ernest W Nickels of Liberal announced they were building an ice cream factory at the northwest corner of Fourth Avenue and Front Street where Adobe Walls survivor Andy Johnson previously lived. The McCollom brothers constructed a one-story concrete block building measuring 50×60 feet, which was completed the following month.

Dodge City Ice Cream & Produce Co. began buying cream that June. Their equipment could produce 300 gallons of ice cream and 700 pounds of butter daily.

*Dodge City Daily Globe,* June 20, 1917, 3. Newspapers.com.

When production began, their butter was initially sold under the Prairie Gold brand (later Prairie Maid) and was available in grocery stores. The company delivered quart-size containers of sweet milk and cream, as well as Bulgarian and plain buttermilk. Peerless Ice Cream was sold to local establishments to be served at their soda fountains.

In December of 1917, the company bought both the Jersey Dairy and Friesland Farm Dairy and moved all of their equipment to Fourth and Front. Once the milk situation was sorted, a poultry department expansion was undertaken in the Spring of 1918.

Due to high demand, a new butter churn tripled their production capacity that May. A six-ton refrigerator plant was also installed.

The business was incorporated in June of 1918 with $25,000 of capital stock. Officers were A. L. Eidson, President; James P McCollom, Vice-President; and Ernest Nickels, Secretary-Treasurer. Its poultry operation shipped six tons of dressed turkeys for Thanksgiving dinners that year but they also sold ducks and geese.

John Cannon sold his Coca-Cola bottling operation to Dodge City Ice Cream around 1919 and expansion continued in 1920. A large brick addition was constructed at the north end of the building where the home of Fred and Anna Cummins had stood. This property had previously been owned by Dodge City mayor Adolphus Gluck and was used as the Fourth Ward polling location for several years.

The creamery remained in the southeast corner of the original building with the poultry department on the west side. Ice cream was manufactured in the basement of the brick addition and was carried upstairs in an elevator, which was positioned in the middle of the building. The office, furnished with fixtures purchased from the State Bank of Dodge City, was located at the northeast corner of the main floor and the supply room in the northwest corner.

John Cannon repurchased the Coca-Cola operation in the Spring of 1926. The company continued distributing Prohibition-compliant beverages such as Arnholz coffee and Blatz Brewing Company’s Old Heidelberg near beer.

They also sold wholesale soda fountain supplies.

The company was purchased by the newly formed Southwest Cooperative Produce Association in June of 1933. However, this entity was short-lived in a market increasingly dominated by Fairmont Creamery Co.

By the mid-1930s, J. M. Maricle and Co. used the facility for the distribution of wholesale groceries. After they relocated to Woodland Avenue, the building became home to the Dodge City Cream Station and Dodge City Wholesale Grocery. John Pressney, who founded the Dodge City Fruit Exchange, diversified into warehousing, beer distribution, and Seidlitz paint sales.

Pressney advertised Seidlitz paints at the bottom of Boot Hill in 1940. On the other side of Anawalt-Cambell, you can see the building was painted with signs for both Dodge City Warehouse Company and Dodge City Fruit Exchange

By the early 1950s, Pressney was selling real estate and running for mayor. The beer distribution business was acquired by Sunflower Sales Co. and later Colby Distributing Co.

A Pabst Blue Ribbon beer sign can be seen on the roof in the Summer of 1954 when Baldwin Locomotive Works No. 1139 was relocated to Boot Hill Museum.

At the far right, a little sliver of ghost sign is showing.

Howdy Mus Company was briefly located in the old concrete block section along Fourth Street in the mid-1950s followed by Kansas Fixture Company. Dodge City Warehouse also shared some space in the complex. The building sat vacant from around 1960 to 1962, when a second location of the Branding Iron western store occupied the space on Chestnut. This store was only open for a short time, despite its prime location across from Boot Hill. By 1966, the brick section was occupied by the Dodge City Rock Shop. L & D Distribution Co. took up the original concrete block section.

The west side of the building is shown here with the Mammel’s sign on the wall in 1969.

The building was demolished, along with the rest of Front Street, as part of the Urban Renewal project in 1970.

This is how the former site of Dodge City Ice Cream & Produce Co. looks today:

When the Urban Renewal proposition was put to a vote, many people felt tricked by the wording on the ballot. A lot of money was at stake and trust was lost in the process. That cycle has been repeating with wind and solar farms and now data centers. Growth is inevitable. It’s how you go about it that matters.

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June 8, 2026 0

Reno Brewing Co. Then and Now

990 E Fourth Street – Reno, Nevada

Reno supported beer producers from its earliest days. Washoe Brewery, Reno Brewery, and Riter’s Elite Brewery were all somewhat centrally located. It wasn’t until 1903 that a sort of brewery district began taking shape on East Fourth Street.

In December of 1902, Peter Saturno sold a parcel in the Morrill-Smith Addition at the southwest corner of Fourth and Spokane Streets for construction of a new brewing operation.

John Maurer, along with brothers-in-law Joseph Melger and Peter Dohr, teamed up with master brewer Jacob Hook to create the Reno Brewing Company. By February of 1903, construction had begun on a three-story wood frame brewery. Plans initially called for a capacity of 50 barrels per day but the company wisely doubled it.

When this brewery operation was constructed, the company had to build its own sewer because the municipal system didn’t extend that far out on Fourth. Once the brewery building was completed, a separate building for bottling works was constructed behind the plant just south of the alley.

The first batch of Sierra Lager was made at the beginning of June and was set to age for nearly two months. Free beer was served to hundreds of attendees at the grand opening on July 24, 1903.

Fortunately, the beer only contained 3 1/2 percent alcohol.

Initially, RBC only sold Sierra in kegs to service the saloons. Bottling operations had to wait because there was such high demand. Pint and quart-size bottles were available in November of 1903. RBC continued the expansion in January of 1904.

They also upgraded their equipment to use glass-lined enamel tanks rather than wood. The brewery was running day and night shifts, even on Sundays, and still couldn’t meet the demand.

The May 1904 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map shows the rapidly growing complex of structures. You can click on the image to view the full sheet.

In September of that year, articles of incorporation were submitted for a new entity to combine RBC and Riter’s Elite Brewery. The Fourth Street complex would be further enlarged as part of this transaction.

All company assets were officially transferred to the new company, Reno Brewing Company, Inc., in December of 1904. Riter’s Elite Steam Beer soon disappeared from advertisements.

In March of 1906, the sign company of Holman and Murray completed an 18-foot-square mural on the side of the new brick bottling plant depicting an elk head inside a horseshoe, which was the company’s trademark. It also included Sierra’s slogan, “The beer that will make Nevada famous” as seen in this 1950s photo.

C. T. Bender, C. W. Mapes, John Whitson, and Carl Belz bought the brewery in July of 1906 with plans to double the production capacity.

Just kidding…the founders bought it back that October.

But the increased capacity was no joke. By the Summer of 1907, RBC was able to produce 250 barrels per day in a five-story brick building attached to the west side of the complex. A beer cooler, malt conveyor, and malt bin were located on the first floor. The beer cooker and rice kettle were on the second floor. There was a mash tub plus a scale and hopper on the third floor. The fourth floor was used for grain storage and also held a hot water tank and malt hopper. The fifth floor held a grinding mill and cold water tank.

Sierra was advertised as a substitute for coffee in the home as well as a “natural tonic” and a “temperance drink.” It was marketed to ladies in part because it contained less alcohol than many patent medicines.

Increased capacity meant more variety. In addition to Sierra Beer, RBC also brewed Malt Rose and Royal Lager.

The company tried from the very beginning to stress health benefits of drinking beer, mainly to counter claims made by organizations like the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.

By 1916, RBC was engaged in a full-on messaging war with the temperance ladies.

Management took notice of the growing dry sentiment and added soft drinks to their product mix. The dry vote won and prohibition went into effect in Nevada in December of 1918. The law prevented anyone from brewing beverages, even if they contained no alcohol at all. That meant no near beer and no malted milk.

An amendment to the legislation was sent to Carson City and introduced by Senator Harringon in March of 1919. This amendment would allow the manufacture and sale of near beer as well as flavoring extracts and perfumes. Several near beers were tested so decisions could be made based on scientific data.

The amendment passed and Renoites rejoiced. At least those who enjoy cooking with vanilla extract. RBC, briefly rebranded as Nevada Products Company during Prohibition, pivoted to a near beer called Sierra Beverage, containing one-tenth of one percent alcohol. Their enthusiasm was palpable.

In addition to selling the Acme beverage, the company also distributed Bevo, a soft drink produced by Anheuser-Busch as well as a Prohibition-compliant version of Budweiser. RBC bottled several soft drinks during Prohibition including Orange Crush, Coca-Cola, and Whistle.

A “New Style Lager” sounded promising but probably tasted like sadness.

A malt tonic permit was requested in January of 1929 and approved.

The feds changed the malt solids percentage that summer from 12 to 20 percent because people were obviously making it into drinks, regardless of how disgusting it tasted. As the country discussed the possibility of repealing Prohibition in the Summer of 1932, RBC announced the sale of brewer’s wort in five-gallon buckets.

That December, Jacob Hook was quoted as saying, “First we make good beer. Then we spoil it to make near beer.” The company had preserved its trademarks for Sierra and Royal beers, hoping production could resume. Prohibition was partially repealed with only 3.2 beer being allowed in the Spring of 1933.

The City of Reno received 54 applications for beer licenses on April 5 of that year. 25 of those were from bars and clubs, 16 from restaurants, and 10 from grocers.

People started lining up outside RBC beginning at midnight on April 7 waiting to make their purchases. The entire stock of 3,720 gallons of bottled beer was sold during this rush. The company began commercial beer delivery at 6 am and cranked out 120 barrels per day to meet demand. That December, liquor was once again legalized and RBC was able to resume selling full-strength 4-percent Sierra.

Royal Beer was marketed with a cap can manufactured by Continental Can Company in 1936. This allowed protection from light plus a clean pour. Sierra Beer continued to be sold in bottles and kegs.

Company president, Peter Dohr, died of pneumonia in February of 1937. Jacob Hook then became president and his son, Edmund, served as secretary. Ed had also become the brewmaster and his son, Jake, was the assistant brewmaster.

One Sound State Beer was added to the lineup in 1938 as a nod to Nevada’s campaign hyping the state’s economic position and tax laws.

Jacob Hook died in January of 1940 after an illness of several months. In February, RBC announced they were building a huge bottling plant just west of the brewery. This facility was reportedly designed by Frederic DeLongchamps, although I didn’t see any contemporaneous mention of an architect. The firm of Hilton and Leatherman was awarded the building contract.

The cantilever roof structure is shown under construction in April of 1940.

The new bottling plant opened in July of that year. It had ten traditional wire glass skylights on the top of the roof and five along the front. The office was located at the northwest corner and had air conditioning. A rail siding went between the brewery and bottling works. The old bottling plant was used as a warehouse.

The front of the building had loads of plate glass so people walking by could see the bottling process in action.

Ed Hook died of acute myocarditis in December of 1940 at the age of only 52. Peter Dohr’s son, Roland, was the company president when he bought out the remaining Hook family shareholders in March of 1943. Roland’s wife, Myrtle, became vice-president. That was a fateful decision.

An extensive plant remodeling project began at the end of 1948. In January of 1950, the fermentation room was essentially rebuilt. The company spent more than $125,000 in just over two years.

1950s [Photographs], Nevada Historical Society

RBC became a Hamm’s distributor in February of 1950.

Throughout 1951, the company advertised ongoing plant improvements but their revenue didn’t come close to justifying the costs.

In May of 1954, it was announced that ownership of Reno Brewing Co. was transferred via a deed and bill of sale to LaVere Redfield. At the time, Redfield stated the brewery would continue to operate but refused to give any additional information. Roland Dohr stayed on as President at the time and stated only the ownership had changed and this would allow more aggressive growth. It was said that Redfield acquired everything but the actual business itself.

This prompted a lawsuit to be filed by Lloyd Baker, who claimed he had a contract for selling the brewery as well as 258 shares of company stock, which Dohr claimed to own. He stated he had lost $55,000 in commission and accused Redfield and Dohr of a conspiracy to deprive him of this income. He sued for more than $126,000 and claimed the sale had violated Nevada law because creditors weren’t notified in advance.

The company’s answer claimed Redfield was basically just a creditor and the property transfer was essentially a mortgage. That’s definitely not how the story was initially reported. The property was allegedly still for sale and Baker’s whole arrangement was still in effect, assuming he could find a buyer.

Myrtle Dohr filed for divorce in December of 1955 and the decree was granted in May of 1956. There’s no way to concisely explain all of the drama. She ended up ousting poor Roland and taking over the company while currying favor with Redfield but also suing him. Their 1954 deal apparently stipulated that said he would reconvey the property back to them once they repaid $80,000. But then he wouldn’t, even though they claimed they actually overpaid $200,000. But then it sounded like it was only a verbal agreement. Either way, they eventually lost and had to pay Redfield nearly $185,000 instead.

In November of 1956, RBC was sued by Mint Wholesale Beverage Distributors for $400,000 over a contract to distribute Sierra Beer in California. It appeared RBC just decided not to supply the 200,000 cases of beer each year for five years but in actuality, they couldn’t even begin to fulfill the agreement. They would have lost approximately 26 cents on every case of beer if they had tried to complete the deal. RBC shut down in the Spring of 1957.

LaVere Redfield was charged with several counts of tax evasion. He claimed to only be a creditor to the brewery but he deducted RBC corporate losses from his tax returns. It was very complicated. Ultimately, the whole shebang went up for sale in October of 1958.

Norman H Biltz submitted the highest bid at a total of $315,000 for the real estate only. However, that bid wasn’t accepted. The property was finally sold to Frontier Land and Cattle Co. in March of 1959. At the time, Joe Hobson said he planned to demolish the brewery structures and remodel the bottling plant into a casino and hofbrau-type beer garden. Demolition was well underway by June of 1959.

This is the west side of the five-story brewery building where the rail siding ran between it and the neighboring bottling operation to the west.

Plant equipment was cut up and taken out with a crane.

The old bottling house was photographed in April of 1961 by the Washoe County Assessor’s Office.

The casino and beer garden never progressed beyond the conceptual stage and the 1940 bottling plant was used as Washoe County Republican headquarters in 1962. It also hosted church rummage sales.

The east part of the property was home to Nevada Auto Wholesalers in the mid-1960s as well as Bill’s Drive In Liquor. The bottling plant was partitioned and AAMCO Transmissions leased the west end of the building toward the end of 1966. The space east of them was an auto body shop for several years. There was a tire store, an electronics wholesaler, and the irrigation division of a plumbing supply company. After R Supply Co. vacated the building around 1998, the building went quiet. In the mid-2000s, it was vacant with boarded up windows.

Spencer Hobson was interviewed for a feature article about Hobson Square Gallery, the Artown collective, and what they were calling the Salvagery in 2012. The property was being cleaned up and Hobson had great ideas for bringing it back to life. However, Frontier sold the property around February of 2021.

It has since received a new roof and a remodeling permit was issued in December of 2025. The current plan appears to be a subdivided space for retail and dining establishments.

This is how the former site of Reno Brewing Company looks today:

Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King

I’m absolutely amazed that no one ruined this building by painting the brick and infilling the majority of the openings. And the skylights are intact! It has a very odd shape and although I’m not a big fan of the Streamline Moderne style, I certainly hope its historical elements are preserved. I’m interested to see if the current owners are able to bring it back to life.

Side note: If you’re interested in seeing labeling and bottle designs throughout the years, check out Nevada History Through Glass: The Nevada Bottle Book Volume 1 by Fred Holabird. It’s available to check out for free online at Archive.org.

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June 1, 2026 0

Memorial Art Co. Then and Now

507 S Second Avenue – Dodge City, Kansas

Memorial Art Co. was founded in Salina by Vincent E “Pete” Peterson and Arthur J Cleveland in 1928*. Cleveland was killed in an automobile accident the following January and his son, Clarence, took over his stake in the partnership. Peterson bought out Clarence’s half of the business around 1937.

In January of 1946, the company announced it had opened a new location in Dodge City to be managed by Pete’s brother, Milton T Peterson. In addition to the main facility in Salina, there were also operations in Hutchinson, Kingman, Abilene, and Norton. Milton and wife Hazel moved their family into a bungalow which sat at the north property line of the one-acre lot just south of Lindas Lumber Company.

As with the other locations, this was a family business. Daughter Betty worked as a bookkeeper and son Rick worked as a salesman and stone setter. Milton and Hazel were listed as owners of the Dodge City location by 1950.

Memorial Art Co. was photographed on March 24, 1950 with its sample stones in front of the building.

The business and Peterson home were not spared from the big flood in June of 1965.

Rick worked his way up to shop foreman and later owned the business.

Rick and Joy (Cline) Peterson’s son, Kirk, represented the third generation in the family business, which closed around 2010. The Salina-based company founded by Milton’s brother is still in operation with locations in Great Bend, Hutchinson, Abilene, Minneapolis, and Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Sample stones still adorned the property in October of 2023.

Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King

I spoke to Kirk in October of 2023 and he indicated that the neighboring car lot was interested in purchasing the property for expansion. That sale went through and cars were soon parked along the sidewalk. A demolition permit was issued in August of 2025.

This is how the former site of Memorial Art Co. looks today:

When I was a kid, I was convinced the property was a real cemetery, despite my parents’ attempts to convince me otherwise. I tried (and failed) to preserve that glorious 1940s neon sign. Kirk had sadly passed and I was unable to get in touch with his sister, Kimberly, before it was too late. Hopefully, it ended up in a good place.

*The company website advertises being around since 1927 but an article in The Salina Journal on November 13, 1958 stated the company, founded in 1928, had just celebrated its 30th anniversary the day before.

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McKissick’s Opera House Then and Now

43 W Plaza Street – Reno, Nevada

In Reno’s early days, Third Street jogged around the freight warehouses on the north side of the railroad tracks into a wide plaza. This four-block plaza stretched from Sierra all the way to Lake Street. Smith J Hill owned quite a bit of property in this area and sold the lot at the northeast corner of Sierra and Plaza to Jacob “Uncle Jake” McKissick in February of 1887.

McKissick, who was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Reno, planned to build an opera house on this corner. Contractor John Crowley began foundation work that August.

Business manager Charles W Booton obtained plans from the Newsom Brothers architectural firm in San Francisco and construction began in the Fall of 1887.

The brick building had three floors with the opera house itself located on the top two. The main floor was divided into retail spaces. To address fire concerns, twelve exits were located on the second floor with all doors opening outward. Exiting patrons would then use exterior stairs leading from the balcony to the ground level. Exterior walls were four bricks thick. Stairs leading guests to the lobby were reportedly wide enough to accommodate twelve people standing shoulder to shoulder.

The curved stage at the north end of the opera house measured 27 x 50 feet with gas foot lights. The curtain depicted a scene of Rome and was framed with blue and gold drapery. Proscenium (stage) boxes were decorated with cherry wainscotting, cherry red and gold silk, and ecru Spanish lace curtains.

Seating followed the curve of the stage in an amphitheater arrangement. Each reclining seat had a hat rack, footrest, and umbrella/cane rack. The total seating capacity including the dress circle and balcony was around 700. At the time of construction, there were only three dressing rooms. Lighting in the main theater was provided by 64 ventilated gas sun burners.

Exterior brick was painted red in February of 1888 and finishing work was rushed throughout the Spring and into June in preparation for the opening production of “Ramona” under the management of John Piper. The Irving Dramatic Club premiered this Charles A Norcross play June 13 and 14, 1888 to a packed house with very little room even for standing.

John Richardson’s Opera House Saloon, located in the west space on the main floor, also opened on June 13. Its ceilings were said to have exceeded 16 feet and it had four club rooms in the rear with billiards tables and fresh flowers daily. Ten furnished rooms were located above the saloon and connected to the opera house by a hallway.

C. W. Booton’s Opera House Dry Goods store officially opened on June 25, 1888.

McKissick’s quickly became a popular venue for school commencement exercises, lectures, and other community events. After John Piper’s death in January of 1897, his son Ed took over the lease and management of the theater.

Jake McKissick died in September of 1900 at the age of 90. His will was probated by nephew Howard McKissick, his primary beneficiary, that October. This was hotly contested by nephew John McKissick and nieces Luvisa (McKissick) Sellick and Martha (McKissick) Tipton, who claimed the will signing wasn’t witnessed and that Howard had improperly influenced a frail old man. The estate was ordered distributed in March of 1901, mostly to Howard per the terms of the will, but the fight continued.

From the time Howard McKissick inherited Uncle Jake’s opera house, he intended to remodel it into a hotel. The stage was never large enough and fire codes were constantly changing. In some jurisdictions, it became illegal to construct new buildings with opera houses above the ground level. Unfortunately, he didn’t live to see his plans come to fruition. Howard McKissick died by suicide in February of 1903 at the age of 40.

Howard’s widow, Lulu (Black) McKissick, then carried the baton in the fight against the nieces and nephew. Ed Piper lobbied hard to keep the opera house operational but the City condemned the building in December of 1905.

City officials allowed the facility to continue operating while Lulu McKissick planned to make the necessary safety repairs.

This bought Piper some time but W. H. Lyon was engaged to design the new hotel in the Spring of 1907.

I believe the last act to perform at McKissick’s Opera House was Lew Dockstader and his minstrels on May 23, 1907.

The theater seats were removed the following week and sold to the University of Nevada.

Lyon’s plans added three floors to the structure, making it a full five-story brick building plus a wooden structure on top with a roof garden. The hotel had approximately 100 rooms, each with hot and cold water. Fire escapes were located on every floor. The new establishment was called Hotel Reno and managed by George W Quigley.

The bar opened on June 20, 1908 followed by a grand opening in the roof garden on June 27. It’s interesting that the ad says to take the elevator because it only went to the fifth floor. To access the roof, patrons were forced to climb steep and narrow stairs.

Hotel Reno itself didn’t open until June 29 because the fixtures arrived late.

For whatever reason, Quigley didn’t do well and didn’t last long. The word “vicissitudes” was used and Lulu McKissick was forced to pay past due bills for fixtures he had ordered.

The name was of the establishment was changed to Hotel McKissick in February of 1909.

It was alternatively advertised as McKissick Hotel, depending on who was in charge at the time.

Employee August Schaffer was killed in a fire which started in the basement of the hotel on February 4, 1910. The cause was ruled to be asphyxiation. Schaffer was a childhood friend of hotel manager, Lisle Jamison. The fire started in the basement kitchen area and was apparently caused by wires being crossed when Schaffer and Jamison installed new ranges. Two smoke helmets were purchased for the fire department as a result of this tragedy. Chief Webster was convinced Schaffer’s life could have been saved if his firefighters had better equipment.

Still, bills had to be paid and people had to eat. Staff hurried to repair the damage and meal service was uninterrupted.

That May, six Tonopah high school students experienced the ride of their lives when the hotel elevator lever broke and crashed into the top floor ceiling. It then dropped about five feet before the safety mechanism engaged and stopped its descent.

E. Reay Mackay, an editor at Nevada Weekly, was shot in the hand at the hotel in March of 1911. He published something unflattering about a Mrs. Mitchell and Dan Edwards defended her honor, or something.

Nevada State Journal, March 14, 1911, 1. Newspapers.com

Mackay later became manager of the McKissick and eventually married Howard and Lulu’s daughter, Ruth.

*R. L. Polk & Co.’s Reno, Sparks and Washoe County Directory 1913-1914*.

Lulu McKissick died in March of 1919 at only 46 years of age. In February of 1920, brothers Abraham and Isaac Jacobs bought the hotel from the estate.

In March of 1921, new owner and manager George J Chew announced the establishment’s name was changing to Plaza Hotel. In addition to the name change, the hotel’s exterior was painted white and it was completely remodeled inside.

Brothers Olivo and Cherubino Nannini, along with their wives Cortese and Lidia, began operating the Plaza Hotel in January of 1923.

Olivo died in November of 1936 and the family banded together to keep the hotel running. As the 1940s progressed, the Plaza began showing its age and the upper floors became vacant. The building received a $40,000 facelift at the end of 1949 and Cherubino Nannini did much of the work himself. In this photo taken in January of 1950, you can see the roofline had been completely altered.

Lidia Nannini died in December of 1967, followed by Cherubino in August of 1967. The Naninni children, who had grown up at the Plaza, stepped up to operate the hotel and bar until the mid-1970s. In November of 1974, the family agreed with the City to close the Plaza in January of 1975. The building wasn’t up to code and there was doubt it could be brought into compliance. Around 40 residents would be displaced.

The property was put up for sale with the expectation that it would be demolished. Ernest Primm, former owner of the Primadonna, was the buyer.

A public sale was held to dispose of any remaining contents June 14 and 15, 1975.

Demolition began on July 18, 1975.

Meanwhile, Primm provided vague nonanswers when asked about his plans for the property.

In October of 1977, Primm finally announced plans to build a new hotel on the old McKissick site. The Virginian was expected to be completed in about two years, even though Primm hadn’t worked out the sewer issue with the City. Plans changed, however, and the Virginian was built on Virginia Street.

Primm died in August of 1981 and his estate solicited bids for his property on Plaza Street in March of 1982. He owned most, if not all of the lots on the north side of Plaza between Sierra and Virginia at the time of his death. Eldorado Hotel Casino used that block as a parking lot for several years. In 1989, the Eldorado opened an expansion which covered the whole block outlined by Fourth, Sierra, Plaza, and Virginia.

In March of 1993, Eldorado requested Plaza Street be abandoned between Sierra and Virginia Streets. This would straighten out the alignment of Third Street and allow the Eldorado to expand southward into the parking lot. The request was approved that April.

Initially, the agreement stipulated construction would be on hold until Third Street was finished but a modification was requested in the Spring of 1994.

Construction of the addition which filled up that entire block was completed around 1996. There is now service access along the north side of Third Street.

This is how the former site of McKissick’s Opera House looks today:

Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King
Photo by Anna King

There was a time when Reno could rely on casinos to deliver much needed revenue. Approving endless expansion made sense. The pendulum is swinging, however, and now downtown needs smaller spaces to drive businesses into vacant buildings. I’m not saying it’s good or bad…but it is interesting to see Reno slowly remembering the old ways.

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