This year’s tour takes us through some of Nevada’s most delectable roadside haunts.
Whether you’re searching for sin or salvation, you’ll find it in the full tour guide here!
WEDNESDAY
September 25, 2002
1:30 P.M.-4:30 P.M.
SCA Board Meeting, Siena Hotel Meeting Room A.
6:00 P.M.-8:00 P.M.
Opening Reception: The National Automobile Museum.
Tour the fabulous Harrah Collection of vintage automobiles, while meeting new friends and greeting old ones over hors d’oeuvres and drinks from a cash bar.
THURSDAY
September 26, 2002
8:00 A.M.-6:00 P.M.
Bus Tour No. 1
The tour will leave the National Automobile Museum and head for Lake Tahoe and the Pon
derosa Ranch, home of TV’s Bonanza. The tour will then pass through Carson City, Nevada’s capital, for a look at remnants of the Lincoln Highway and casino neon. From there, the tour heads to the Virginia City National Landmark District, home of the famous Comstock Lode, for lunch at the Fourth Ward School. he Society for Commercial Archeology’s 2002 Annual Conference will investigate the unusual relationship between sin and the American roadside as it developed in Reno, Nevada. Reno’s early tourism industry evolved through its famous divorce trade and legalized casino gambling, both of which were marketed to the automobile traveler. After lunch, with guide in hand, the group is on its own to explore the historic town of Virginia City, with such attractions as the Bucket of Blood Saloon and Piper’s Opera House. On the way back to Reno, the tour will travel Geiger Grade, pass Steamboat Hot Springs, and some notable neon motel signs. There will be time throughout the day for exploring and photography. A tour guide, lunch, and snacks will be provided.
FRIDAY
September 27, 2002
The National Automobile Museum
8:00 A.M.-9:00 A.M. Coffee and Muffins
9:00 P.M.-12:00 P.M.
Symposium and Paper/Poster Session. Keynote Speaker: Alan Hess, noted architect and architecture critic. Mr. Hess has written several books that relate to the interests of SCA members including: Googie: Fifties Coffee Shop Architecture (Chronicle Books, 1986); Viva Las Vegas: After Hours Architecture (Chronicle Books, 1993); and others.
12:00 P.M.-1:30 P.M.
Buffet lunch, SCA annual meeting, and 5-minute stories
1:30 P.M.-3:30 P.M.
Paper session continues
4:00 P.M.-5:30 P.M.
Walking Tour. Leaving from the National Automobile Museum, members of Historic Reno Preservation Society will lead a walking tour of downtown Reno.
SATURDAY
September 28, 2002
8:00 A.M.-6:00 P.M.
Bus Tour No. 2
The tour will leave the National Automobile Museum and begin exploring Reno’s west side, passing motels, diners, wedding chapels, the Lincoln Highway route, and the El Reno Apartments, designed for Reno’s divorce trade by Paul Revere Williams. Lunch will be held at the California Building, the last remnant of Reno’s Transcontinental Highway Exposition of 1927 held to inaugurate the Lincoln and Victory Highways. In the afternoon, the tour will explore Lincoln Highway resources, including Armet and Davis coffee shops, on the east side of town and in Sparks. The grand finale will be a stop at the world famous highway brothel, the Mustang Ranch. There will be time throughout the day for exploring and photography. A tour guide, lunch, and snacks will be provided.
Papers
| Opening remarks and plenary session Dan Hershberger |
| Keynote address Alan Hess |
| Captive Tourists: Reno’s Divorce Industry of the 1930s Mella Harmon |
| On the Beach: Recreation and Relaxation without Humiliation Carrie Scupholm |
| Segregated Accommodations in Texas Gregory Smith |
| Sombreros, Tequila and Sin: Tourist Districts of Mexican Border Towns Douglas C. Towne |
| Cowboys n’ Indians: Western Mythology on the Nebraska Roadside Carol Ahlgren |
| Love, Sin, Sex, and Sleaze at the Drive-in James Kopp |
| Running on Empty: The Death and Life of American Roadside Architecture Timothy Davis |
| Traveling the Victory Highway: A Nostalgic Look at Northern Nevada’s Foremost 20th Century Transportation Corridor Joseph Ashley |
| A Most Serious Obstruction in the Way of Travel from Coast to Coast: Nevada’s Contribution to the Lincoln Highway Rob McQueen |