Reno loves its arches. For more than a century, the community has erected various arch structures over its main streets to commemorate special events or to promote an image.
In fact, the late Nevada historian Phillip I. Earl discovered several photographs showing an arch built in 1899 atop the Virginia Street Bridge. The span commemorated Nevada troops returning from duty during the Spanish-American War.
In 1914, Reno erected an arch over Virginia Street, this time greeting visitors passing through the city on their way to the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. A third arch was temporarily installed over the city’s main street in June 1920 to promote the Reno Rodeo.
In October 1926, a more substantial steel arch was constructed on Virginia Street at Commercial Row for an exposition celebrating the completion of the Lincoln and Victory highways, the nation’s first transcontinental roads.
In lighted block letters, the arch spelled out the name, Reno, as well as: “Nevada’s Transcontinental Highways Exposition, June 25-August 1 1927.” Two lighted torches bookended the city’s name.
Response to the new arch was overwhelmingly positive, so the Reno Chamber of Commerce and city officials decided to conduct a contest to find a new slogan for the city that would appear on the arch.
The winner, G.A. Burns of Sacramento, received $100 for his suggestion: “Biggest Little City in the World.” Variations of the slogan had appeared in various Reno-related advertising campaigns over the years but placing the wording on the arch made it forever synonymous with the city’s name.
In June 1929, the arch was renovated with the new slogan, removal of the torches and illuminated for the first time. Three years later, during the height of the Great Depression, the city announced it cold no longer afford to pay to light the arch at night.
In response, a group of local residents volunteered to pay the electric bill and once again the sign lit up the downtown sky. In 1934, the city replaced the light bulbs on the sign with neon tubing and also decided to remove the famous slogan because some business folks thought it had reached its expiration date.
In June 1935, however, following significant public outcry, the slogan was returned to the arch, which remained unchanged for the next 28 years. It appeared on postcards, in movies and books, and in thousands of tourist snapshots.
In the early 1960s, executives of the former Harolds Club casino spearheaded a drive to raise funds to build a new, more modern arch. The new one, erected in 1964, still contained the city’s slogan and name but was constructed of sleek plastic and steel.
In the meantime, the outdated, neon, 1930s arch was moved to Idlewild Park and later to Paradise Park on the Reno-Sparks border.
In 1987, the city decided it was time to update the arch again and replaced the 1960s version with the present arch. In 2009, it was further spruced up with its incandescent light bulbs replaced with LED lights that can change color (for special occasions).
As for the 60s version of the arch, a few years ago it was given to the city of Willits, California. Today, it has been reconstructed with a new message that welcomes people to “Willits: Gateway to the Redwoods.”
The historic 1930s arch was removed from Paradise Park in the late 1980s and placed in storage while city leaders discussed what to do with it. Despite discussions about putting it back on Virginia Street—making Reno a “city of arches”—it didn’t resurface until 1994, when the city allowed it to be used by a movie company, which wanted to re-create the Reno of the 1930s for the film, “Cobb.”
The film company restored the old sign and Renoites began pushing the city to find a permanent home for the classic display. In 1995, it was reconstructed on Lake Street, adjacent to the National Automobile Museum, where it still stands today.
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