BATTLE MOUNTAIN - As Nevada's 150th celebration of statehood, also known as the sesquicentennial, gets in to full swing, the Bugle is debuting a special feature.
Starting in this issue (Page 16) and twice a month for the next year, the Bugle will be running a page full of interesting stories gleaned from the pages of northern Nevada newspapers.
It's a special feature put together by the Nevada Press Association to celebrate the state's 150th birthday and note the important events newspapers documented. The series is called "Before it was history - it was news."
Barry Smith, executive director of the NPA, has spent untold hours at the state library and archives in Carson City collecting stories and photos of interesting events that chronicle the state's history.
"I found it fascinating," Smith said. "I think people will enjoy reading this."
The series serves to remind Nevadans of the role newspapers and reporters and editors played in covering the news of the day.
The page that kicks off the series in today's Bugle recalls the infamous First National Bank robbery in Winnemucca. The story first appeared in the Silver State newspaper in September of 1900.
The "desperadoes," as the newspaper described the robbers, got away with an estimated $15,000 from the bank. A posse was soon in hot pursuit of the robbers in the direction of Golconda.
There's also a photo of the Wild Bunch, a group of dapper looking bad guys in derby hats. The posed photo belies the reportedly ruthless character of the notorious group.
"Throughout the sesquicentennial year, we'll run a page in the Bugle every other Tuesday dedicated to northern Nevada's sometimes rough and tumble but always interesting history," editor Steve Lyon said. "I think readers will find the stories and photos enjoyable. We want to show off how newspapers chronicled the important events of the day."
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