Steve and I have never done an overnight in Reno, Nevada. When Bob and Jenny suggested we all go to "The Biggest Little City in the World". We were in!

A little bit about our home for the night. The Eldorado Hotel-Casino (1973) was the first hotel-casino to be constructed north of the railroad tracks on Virginia Street. Because the railroad then ran above ground, and because the existing casino district was on their south side, many voiced doubts that the Eldorado could succeed. But it beat the odds, and in 1978, the Eldorado expanded. Another major expansion, in 1985, brought a new 20,000-square foot casino floor stretching the length of the entire block, while a new hotel tower brought the number of rooms to 811. The 500-seat showroom, which opened in 1997, was our ultimate destination.

Our new, wonderful friends, David and Gayle Woodruff, are historians and authors. When they visited for an afternoon, they gifted us with a link to the past that is absolutely incredible... a subscription to Newspapers.com.

"Newspapers.com™ is the largest online newspaper archive consisting of one billion+ pages of historical newspapers from 29,800+ newspapers from around the United States and beyond. Newspapers provide a unique view of the past and can help us understand and connect with the people, events and attitudes of an earlier time."

I was born a grandparent orphan, never knowing any of them. Now, as a grandmother, I have wondered about the various branches on our family tree. Today, because of the Woodruffs, I had the opportunity to meet my paternal grandfather, Raymond James Saffell. Sadly, I learned the details of his untimely death, headlined on the front page of the May 7, 1944 Des Moines Sunday Register. Through the articles, I gathered more information about my family, too.

On a very gloomy day in South Lake Tahoe, Cyndi and I accepted this suggestion, "Visit the historic ranch house for a special holiday celebration. The house will be fully decorated with historic holiday items from the collection. There will also be live music, refreshments, and a fabulous lighting of the house after dark. Free admission and festive fun for the whole family." What made it extra wonderful was the sunny, 20° warmer day that greeted us once we descended into the Carson Valley.

In 1902, the family formed the Dangberg Land and Livestock Co. and over the next few decades the second generation expanded the family’s holdings to almost 50,000 acres supporting cattle and sheep production, along with vegetable crops and other products. In 1905, the family founded the town of Minden and there, in partnership with other ranchers, established several businesses focused on agriculture, banking and a hotel. Today, the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park preserves this essential chapter in Nevada’s history. Nevada’s elite once passed through the doors of the Dangberg Home Ranch, and now we were invited to visit, too.
We began our explore wandering about on what remains of the ranch land. What a day to meander about outside.
Of the many, many times I've been to the Ranch, I've admired this large building but didn't learn its history until today. The brick slaughterhouse, built in 1918, was not the first at the Home Ranch. An 1870s slaughterhouse once stood in the fields to the south. Carson Valley's prevailing southwest winds made this new location to the north of the house a better choice. All of the meat consumed by the family and ranch workers was processed on-site, including cattle, pork, sheep and poultry. Hams and bacon were smoked in the slaughterhouse, and hides were tanned in a small structure to the side. And here it still stands, 107 years later. Wow.

Cyndi stands at the original entrance. Designed by noted Nevada architect Frederic DeLongchamps, these two brick columns were built in 1917, making a statement about the family's status. DeLongchamps designed numerous notable buildings in Nevada, including the Douglas County Courthouse in Minden, several other county courthouses, and the 1915 expansion of the Nevada State Capitol.

We entered the home, greeted by the wonderful sounds originating from the Dangbergs' grand piano. It made ogling that much more special.
I really slowed down and took the time to study all the artifacts of this family. I was pretty tickled by the Dangberg Family Christmas Stockings (1939) and the story that accompanied them.
This photo is Dinky, camped out in front of the fireplace, awaiting Santa.
These are the Christmas stockings that Santa would have found hanging on the mantle. They feature the handwritten labels prepared by the family, and represent H. F. Dangberg, Jr. ("Dad"), his wife Gertrude ("Gertie"), their daughters Margaret ("Mrs. Eppie"), Fritzi ("Fritzi") and Ruth ("Ruthie"), and Ruth's son, Charles Stephen Achard, Jr. ("Dinky"). According to Mr. Achard, Margaret got her nickname, "Mrs. Eppie," when some of her friends started teasing her about boyfriends. They made up the name "Eppie" for a fictitious boyfriend, then circulated the rumor that Margaret was going to marry him.
The descriptions were almost as intriguing as the artifacts. Written for the numerous Asian Ceramics, the plaque read, "It's possible that these small ceramic figurines were given to the Dangbergs by one of their cooks, Chinese immigrant men who sent back small gifts so as to ensure their continued employment the next season.

"Among the many Dangberg family phonograph records is one of the most famous Christmas records of all time: Bing Crosby's Merry Christmas. In fact, the family collection contains three versions of this classic compilation of traditional carols and new favorites. It was originally issued in 1945 on five 45 rpm discs.To see the actual clothing that the family wore, along with images of them in them, was pretty special.

Dwight Dangberg is seen in Nevada's Oldest Levi's, ca. 1895.
The skunk painted on the toilet lid doesn't make a whole lot of sense unless you know more about Katrina. When Katrina Dangberg (1911-1995) discovered four orphaned baby skunks, she adopted them as pets. Though having a pet skunk is uncommon, they are reputedly docile and friendly-until threatened, then watch out. Katrina named her pets Candy, Louis, Squeak and Wee. Her friends and family commemorated the four critters in gifts to Katrina, such as this felt hat featuring a skunk figure, skunk figurines, and collars with the skunks' names. And it turns out, toilet lid art. Hysterical.
The Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Ideas for 1961 made me smile. My mom was pregnant with me that Christmas. I pictured her sitting with a cup of coffee perusing this issue. Fun stuff.

If you know me at all, I was very enamored by all the Christmas card displays. Not only were there cards the Dangbergs had received, there were unused cards and extensive mailing lists for me to admire with envy.
One of the addressees, on this 1939 list, is that of Mr. and Mrs. E.D.N. Lehe whose address was simply the Sacramento Hotel. I'm not sure it's the same Ed Lehe but knowing how connected the Dangbergs were, one Mr. Ed Lehe owned the electric company before he sold it to PGE in the 1920s.