Austin's Venerable Reese River Reveille Returns

 

  A lot of things make Austin’s historic Reese River Reveille newspaper special.

  For one, it holds the record for once being the “oldest continuously published newspaper” in the state, appearing from 1863 to 1993.

  For another, it was generally recognized as the second-most famous newspaper in the state, after Virginia City’s Territorial Enterprise, in the 19th century.

  And lastly, from 1873 to 1878, the Reveille was edited by one of the most noteworthy frontier journalists in early Nevada, Fred Hart.

  In fact, it was during Hart’s tenure that the Reveille published the accounts of the “Sazarac Lying Club,” a social organization that conducted regular meetings during which members tried to outwit each other by telling the biggest lies.

  The rub was that Hart had made-up the club and wrote all the regular dispatches about the meetings, which, of course, never took place.

  It is with all of that in mind that in 2018, Reno historian Eric Moody, who served as curator of manuscripts for the Nevada Historical Society for 30 years, decided to resurrect the Reveille.

  In a Reno News and Review interview that year, Moody said that he acquired the trade name of the newspaper a few years earlier after being told it was available. At the time, he was publishing a magazine, Nevada in the West, which focused on Nevada history.

  “We had to do something to keep the trade name alive,” he said. “So, we came up with reviving the Reveille as a tourist-oriented publication, just twice a year now, maybe a little more often later on.”

  Moody’s revived Reveille, which he continues to produce twice annually (June and December), is a kind of magazine/newsletter offering a mix of articles spotlighting historic sites, buildings and people in and around Austin, as well as current special events and happenings in the community.

  The publication is sold in local motels, restaurants and shops in Austin or is available by subscription for $5 per year. Anyone interested can send a check to Nevada in the West Publishing, 846 Victorian Avenue, Suite 24H, Sparks, NV 89431, or call 775-762-3924.

  One of the best aspects of the publication are the contributions by several well-known Nevada historians including Stanley Paher, author of the definitive work, “Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Nevada,” the late Phillip I. Earl, who was curator of history at the Nevada Historical Society for 26 years, Jeff Kintop, former Nevada State Archivist and, of course, Moody, who had written several Nevada history books himself.

  The most recent edition (Jan.-June 2023) includes a nice story on 19th century gunfights in Austin’s famed International Hotel, written by Robert W. Ellison, author of “Territorial Lawmen of Nevada” and other works, who is another regular contributor.

  Issues also include short items reprinted from past issues of the Reveille, photos of historic buildings still found in Austin, and a scattering of contemporary advertising by local merchants including an art gallery, several bed & breakfasts, motels and restaurants, rock shops (Austin is famous for its turquoise) and a trading post.

  It’s definitely worth checking out.