ELKO - Nevada historian Doris Dwyer will present two programs at the California Trail Interpretive Center on Saturday, Nov. 17, and Sunday, Nov. 18. Both programs begin at 4 p.m. The free programs are sponsored by the Nevada Humanities on the Road and are suitable for all ages.
Saturday's program is a living history chautauqua of Donner Party emigrant Margaret Breen. Breen, her husband and seven children were members of the ill-fated group that experienced an extremely difficult winter in the Sierra Nevada Mountains during 1846-47. An Irish immigrant and devout Catholic, Breen worked tenaciously to ensure the survival of her family. Due largely to her efforts, the Breens were one of only two families in the party to survive without the loss of a life. Breen spent the remainder of her life in San Juan Bautista, surrounded by her family.
'Women's Voices from the Overland Trail' is the subject of Sunday's program and will include readings and interpretations of women's diaries and memoirs telling of the triumphs, trials and tribulations of the journey to California during the California/Overland Trail period, 1841-1869.
The California Trail Interpretive Center, operated by the Bureau of Land Management, is eight miles west of Elko at Hunter Exit 292. The Trail Center welcomes school and tour groups. Winter hours for the Center are 9 a.m.to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is free. Visit http://www.californiatrailcenter.org or www.blm.gov/cv5c or call 775-738-1849 for more information.
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