Nevada Magazine Covers Mining's Past & Present

An overview of Coeur Rochester, Inc.'s Nevada mine, northeast of Lovelock.

Nevada Magazine’s November/December 2013 issue, featuring former president Abraham Lincoln on the cover, is now available on newsstands throughout Nevada. In it are parallel feature stories: one about the logistics of modern mining in the state and a partner piece that focuses on Nevada's mining history and how the innovative and lucrative Comstock district propelled Nevada into statehood on October 31, 1864.

Lincoln was president during the Civil War, when Nevada become a state, earning it the "Battle Born" moniker. This is the second of eight Sesquicentennial Special Editions the magazine will produce through November/December 2014. The State of Nevada celebrates its 150th birthday in 2014.

Also highlighted in the issue are the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Museum and Visitor Center, Fort Churchill State Historic Park, Sand Springs Pony Express station, the Frank Sinatra Jr. kidnapping of 1963, a roundup of 2013 Nevada Books, and The LINQ, an open-air retail, dining, and entertainment district now under construction on the Las Vegas Strip.

The magazine is currently offering a number of great holiday gifts, including the Historical Nevada book, the 2014 Nevada Historical Calendar, and our special 75th-Anniversary Edition of 2011. Find out more at nevadamagazine.com, or by calling 775-687-0610.

150th-Anniversary License Plates

Governor Brian Sandoval has announced that the Nevada 150th-anniversary license plates will be available at metropolitan DMV offices beginning July 29, and rural offices beginning July 31. The Governor also announced that as of July 9, DMV offices will begin accepting orders for personalized 150th license plates. The license plate is a precursor to the year-long celebration of the 150th anniversary of Nevada’s 1864 statehood.

"The 150th license plate is an important part of recognizing our state's 150th anniversary," Sandoval says. "The proceeds from the plate will go toward supporting the year-long celebration, and I am thrilled that at the end of this month, motorists will be able to show their support for our great state."

Standard plates cost $33.50, plus a $20 annual fee, and personalized plates cost $68.50, plus a $30 annual fee. Revenues from the Nevada 150 license plates will generate funds to support projects and events related to the Nevada 150 celebration.

Click here for more information on standard or personalized 150th-anniversary license plates.

Historic Bowers Mansion Opens For Tours

The recently renovated historic Bowers Mansion in Washoe Valley will reopen for tours on May 18 for the first time since 2009. Two $100,000 grants from the State Historic Preservation Office Commission on Cultural Affairs were received for the seismic and structural rehabilitation of the mansion. In addition, the mansion’s spring-fed swimming pool will reopen June 8. The William N. Pennington Foundation donated $150,000 to renovate the Bowers Pool, which has also been closed since 2009.

There will be a series of programs entitled “Programs on the Porch” at 7 p.m. Friday evenings May 31-June 28. Washoe County Parks Ranger Jerry Buzzard will host the programs, which will include music and guest speakers and are free with donations accepted.

WHERE: 4005 U.S. Highway 395 North, Carson City, NV 89704 (21 miles south of Reno on old US 395).

WHEN: Tours are Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through September 29. Tours are on the hour at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m.

COST: Adults, ages 18-61, $8; children 6-17, $5, seniors 62+, $5; children 5 and younger are free.

CONTACT: Group tours can be coordinated by calling 775-849-0201.

Bowers Mansion offers a rare glimpse into Nevada life during the 1860s. The mansion was built in 1864 by Comstock millionaires L.S. “Sandy” Bowers and his wife, Allison Oram. Their story reflects the rags-to-riches-to-rags tales so commonly associated with Nevada’s first silver boom. Along with the history, visitors are sure to enjoy the beauty of the mansion’s sixteen rooms, each elegantly furnished with Victorian antiques.

For more information, visit washoecounty.us/parks.

Sandoval Declares October Nevada History Month