Nevada History: On The GO! – Depots of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad (Off-site, SVL)
March 1, 2025 @ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Nevada History – On The GO! (Sierra View Library)
Depots of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad
March 1, 2025
1:00 to 2:30pm
Nevada History – On The GO!
The Nevada Historical Society’s building may be closed for an exciting remodel, but you can still enjoy their fascinating lectures at the Sierra View Library during their closure. NHS Nevada History – On The GO! Series is combining their three history programs that delve into Nevada History, Lake Tahoe, and the American Gaming Archives gambling and gaming history. Make sure to visit Sierra View Library on the first Saturday of every month to learn more about Nevada’s history through these engaging talks that are geared towards audiences of all ages.
Speaker: Jean-Guy Tanner Dubé, SHPO Historic Preservation Specialist
Title of Talk: Depots of the Virginia & Truckee Railroad
Summary of Talk: When one asks about Nevada’s railroad history, immediately the Virginia & Truckee Railroad is remembered. Beginning with its first spike driven on September 28, 1869, the railroad carried the ore and riches of the Comstock Lode, the lumber and supplies to build Virginia City, connected to the Central Pacific Railroad’s transcontinental route in Reno, provided service to our state’s capital Carson City, and shipped the agricultural wealth of the Carson Valley from Minden. Anticipation of its growth lead to the creation of a subsidiary branch line, the Carson and Colorado Railroad with a connection at Mound House running to Keeler, California.
V&T’s locomotives were stars in movies, passengers gave way to railfans and tourists, riding the rails until its closing day on May 31, 1950. There is much V&T legacy that continues, so grab a free ticket to ride and see the V&T’s depots and wayside structures as we steam down the rails of Nevada history.
Speaker Bio: Jean-Guy T. Dubé works for the State Historic Preservation Office of Nevada as the National and State Register of Historic Places Coordinator. He is a member of the Friends of the Nevada State Railroad Museum, Southern Pacific Historic & Technical Society, and the Virginia & Truckee Railroad Historical Society. Dubé received the national Leicester B Holland Prize in 2017 from the Library of Congress and National Park Service. He is an author, architectural draftsman and historian. He has studied Southern Pacific depots since 1983 and is the author of Railroad Depots: A Southern Pacific Collection.
We would like to thank our partner, the Washoe County Library System and the Sierra View Library for hosting our off-site lectures.
Sierra View Library has been serving communities from Midtown to South Reno since 1987. Located inside the Reno Town Mall, directly across from the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, the library has two entrances. The front entrance allows visitors to stroll by shops and businesses in the mall, while the second entrance is accessible from the rear, south side of the mall. This back entrance has an ADA accessible lift. The address is 4001 S Virginia St, Reno, NV 89502.
