May 9
THE BIGGEST LITTLE CITY IN THE WORLD DAY
Happy Birthday to Reno, Nevada. It was on this day in 1868 that a little town in Northwestern Nevada was officially named, Reno (after General Jesse Lee Reno, a Union officer of the Civil War). Actually, the town that was just over the border from California, already existed before this date. It was first settled by the Washoe Indians who used the area for festivals and ceremonies. Then, as settlers moved in, it was known as Fuller’s Ferry, and later, as Lake’s Crossing.
In the mid 1800s, Reno was just another settlement of silver miners. When the Comstock Lode was discovered in the Virginia City area, intrigued fortune hunters throughout the world came to the area to strike it rich.
Today, they still come to strike it rich at Reno’s glitzy gambling casinos.
Reno, Nevada, also a haven for quickie divorces (only a six-week residency is required), is known as the biggest little city in the world, the winning slogan from a contest held in 1929.
Those Were the Days, the Today in History service from 440 International
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