Nevada History and Culture on the ONE
By Staff of Nevada Humanities
Want to learn about Nevada history and culture? Click on the ONE! The Online Nevada Encyclopedia (ONE) is a free and easy to use online resource about Nevada history and contemporary culture. This multimedia educational resource explores the history, politics, heritage, and culture of the Silver State. If you have access to the internet, you can dig deeper into all things Nevada at onlinenevada.org.
You can find a wide range of information about Nevada on the ONE. Here are just a few examples of Nevada facts pulled from informative articles on the ONE.
Photo courtesy of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
Hoover Dam. Located on the Colorado River at the southern tip of Nevada and the Arizona border, the Hoover Dam construction was started in 1931. The concrete features of the 726.4-foot high dam were completed in 1935. 5,000 men had built a structure greater in volume than the largest pyramid in Egypt.
Photo courtesy of Alan de Queiroz.
Ecological Islands. Spring mounds in the White River Valley in eastern Nevada rise up above the sagebrush and greasewood lining the valley floor.. The unusual soil of these mounds makes them ecological islands of mostly low-growing plants surrounded by a shrub-dominated “ocean.” The soil is made up of calcium minerals that seeped out of the waters of old springs. Nevada’s ecological islands come in many different forms and are found around the state.
Elvis impersonator at the opening of a McDonald's on the Las Vegas Strip. Photo courtesy of Sarah Nichols through the Creative Commons License.
Elvis Impersonators. Despite his death by a drug overdose 46 years ago, Elvis Presley “The King” remains a surprisingly enduring Las Vegas icon. Soon after his death, Elvis impersonators surfaced and became dominant fixtures at resorts throughout Nevada. Fans flocked to catch a flickering feel of one of Elvis' famed stage shows.other reasons. And yes, you can still get married with an Elvis impersonator on hand (add $50 for a real minister) at the Elvis Chapel.
Part of the Native American rock art panel at the White River Narrows Archeological District.
Photo courtesy of Alanah Woody.
Rock Art and Petroglyphs of Nevada. “Rock art” is the collective term for a variety of forms of visual representation made on natural rocky surfaces (boulders, cliff faces, cave walls, etc.) and are found throughout the world. Petroglyphs are made by a reductive process, in which they are cut into the rock by engraving, pecking, incising or abrasion. Nevada rock art is found in a wide variety of landscapes and locations throughout the state. Rock art has been created in Nevada for as long as the region has been occupied by people. Many Native Americans believe that their ancestors were created here at the beginning of time, but most archaeologists agree that people have lived in Nevada for at least 10,000-12,000 years.
"The Man" being burned, marking the end of Burning Man in 2014.
Photo courtesy of Duncan Rawlinson through the Creative Commons License.
Burning Man. Burning Man is an annual gathering of thousands of people in Nevada's Black Rock Desert the week before Labor Day. Journalists, scholars, and filmmakers who have chronicled Burning Man agree that the event defies classification. The nature of the event may vary from year to year or from person to person, emphasizing both the individual and communal experiences.
The Online Nevada Encyclopedia (ONE) is a multimedia educational resource produced by Nevada Humanities as a part of our mission to connect and transform communities by sharing and amplifying the stories, ideas, experiences, and traditions of the diverse people of Nevada. Check out the ONE!