For us memoir writers, the small stuff really is the big stuff. Great stories often spring from really humble things. Mom’s pin-cushion, always at the ready to mend a tear, re-attach a button, or stitch up a hem. The smell of baking bread from the kitchen. The flat stones by the ocean that you learned to […]
Memoir Tip – Finding Time
How do I find time to write? It’s a dilemma for nearly every memoir writer. Here’s a fresh thought: instead of fighting the calendar, treat it as your friend. Remember that every day brings you 24 fresh hours. Every week, that’s 168 precious chances to find an hour – just ONE hour! – to write. Steal […]
Traces of Washoe City (Part 2)
Our last story followed the life of Lorenzo Smith, whose family settled Pleasant Valley in 1856. At the time the Smiths arrived, there was no Washoe City yet. But that soon changed. The site had all the important amenities to fuel Virginia City’s thriving mines: abundant water from the nearby lake; convenient road access; and available timber on the […]
Memoirs: Turning Fear Into Fire
Let’s face it: we memoir writers are a sensitive lot. After all, this is our life we’re writing about! What if no one likes it? What if someone says my writing’s no good? What if I piss off Great-Aunt Martha or that grumpy uncle who shows up at our house at Christmas? Worse yet, what if I […]
Washoe City: The Cemetery Time Forgot
Tracks through the tall grass say people still visit the old Washoe City Cemetery. But the stories of its dead — and even some of their names — are long-forgotten. Here’s one little-known tale that’s survived: the life of Lorenzo Smith. His family was part-and-parcel of Washoe County’s early history. And you can still find his headstone here, amid […]
A Visit to Lake Shore House
Ahh, Glenbrook. Capt. Augustus W. Pray arrived here in the spring of 1860 with N.E. Murdock, G.W. Warren, and Rufus Walton, when no tourists had yet discovered its pristine beauty. Settling in the lush grasslands beside the lake, Pray and his companions built a log cabin, dubbing the site Glenbrook in a nod to the small […]
Lost in World War I
It was going to be the “War to End All Wars.” But when America entered the dreaded conflict overseas in 1917, local draft boards all across the nation were forced to make awful decisions: choosing which of their community’s young men should be sent off to fight. Here in Douglas County, Nevada, local County Clerk […]
Markleeville: A Bit of Haunted History
There’s more than one “tale of the unexplained” floating around the old buildings in Markleeville! Perhaps it just seems like there should be a ghost in places that have seen so much life pass through their rooms. But stories about ghosts at Markleeville’s Cutthroat Saloon (Wolf Creek Restaurant) have been swirling for years: One waitress will swear to […]
Tale of the Thran House — and an Old Trunk
“I’m going to build you a grand house in Carson Valley, like we have in Germany!” promised Dietrich Thran. And a “grand house” Thran built for his wife, indeed! Completed about 1910 to 1911, the house featured stained glass over the front door, stately pillars out front, and a gigantic room upstairs for dancing. Thran […]
7 Top Quotes from “Writing a Memoir: From Stuck to Finished!”
A memoir leaves a legacy like nothing else. We’ve helped produce dozens of oral histories. But we wanted a way to help people eager to write their own memoir — or perhaps finish one that’s been languishing in a box or a desk drawer! And voila, our latest book was born. “Writing a Memoir: From […]
Carson City’s “Palace”
There was a certain “ambivalence” toward prostitution in Carson City’s early days, notes historian Peter Mires. Everyone knew it was happening, but — talking about it? That was a no-no! And some fascinating history was made by what didn’t quite make it into the record books! Practice of the world’s oldest profession in Carson City […]
Genoa’s Avalanche of 1882
Genoa, Nevada has weathered its share of disasters: earthquakes, high winds, and of course the Great Fire that nearly wiped out the town in 1910. But did you know Genoa once was struck by an avalanche? The time was 5:30 a.m. on March 16, 1882. Residents who happened to be awake at that early hour heard […]