On November 5th 1969, founder and owner of the Ronzone’s chain of department stores that date back to the 1910s, Bertha B. ‘Mom’ Ronzone, passed away at the age of 84 years. Born Bertha Bishop in 1885 in Iowa, Bertha married her husband, Attilio Ronzone, in 1901. They moved to Nevada two years later and […]
Bones excavated from Cathedral Gorge in 2010 were originally thought to be bison, however on closer inspection they were found to be domestic cow with evidence that there were several different aged cows as well as other animals present. So, the museum called on colleague Virginia Lucas, archaeologist specializing in animal bone identification (zooarchaeology) at the […]
On 18th October 1968 Circus Circus Las Vegas Hotel & Casino opened its doors. Although no longer part of the frontage, Circus Circus opened with an acre of water fountains in the front of the ‘Big Top’, which is still the largest permanent big top in the world at 90ft tall. Costing $15 million, it […]
In 2011, hikers ran across Grallator tracks at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Footprints that are from an unidentified dinosaur are called Grallator, but this is not the name of the dinosaur that made the prints. It just means paleontologists don’t know which dinosaur left the prints behind! From detailed measurements and the footprint […]
October has been proclaimed Archives Month in Nevada, and the Nevada State Archives is celebrating the Sesquicentennial of the Nevada State Capitol. This video describes the Capitol’s 150 years of history through photos and manuscripts.
On 29 August 1946 the U.S.S. Nevada, the second ship to be named after our state, was decommissioned. The U.S.S. Nevada was a battleship nearly 200 yard long with a crew of 2,200 men. Launched in 1914, she was the first to have what were to become standards for US Navy battleships such as new […]
Taxidermy animals need names: contest running at Las Vegas museum (ends June 27th 2021) LAS VEGAS — What do you call a taxidermy bear? This is not a joke, but a real question being posed by the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas. In July, the museum will display six taxidermy animals that the Friends of […]
This Spring through a combination of the UNLV Regent’s Service Program, and the generous donation following the 2020 Fall silent auction by the Friends of NSMLV, the museum acquired a special record player and we embarked upon a new project – digitizing record albums! Our history collection contains many vinyl records (6”, singles, 12”, LPs, […]
On June 2nd 1966 the Four Queens Hotel & Casino opened on Fremont Street, downtown Las Vegas. The casino was named after the four daughters of the founder and president Ben Goffstein. In turn, they were named after a queen from a pack of cards: Michele (the eldest) was the Queen of Spades, Benita the […]
Margaret Wheat (1908-1988) was a self-taught geologist and anthropologist with a special interest in ichthyosaurs – the Nevada State fossil. Born to pioneer parents in Fallon, NV., she went on to study at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her field work experiences ranged from U.S. Geological Survey work to protecting important cave sites from vandals. […]
