Whether you call it Lake Tahoe, Lake Bigler or the Lake of the Sky, it is one of America’s scenic and historical gems. When people visit this wonderful lake shared by California and Nevada, many have no idea of the rich history that surrounds them from the logging of its forests to support the mines in Virginia City, to the mansions built along its shore by the rich to the steamboat that sailed its waters and the roads and railroads that brought people from all over to savor all that Lake Tahoe had to offer. Jim Bonar will take us on a trip around the lake in the early 20th century and share a collection of old photos and videos of the lake and some little-known tidbits.

Historian Jim Bonar is a retired high school teacher, ending his career as a math teacher at Sparks High School. He became interested in roads as a child in Green River, Wyoming, while watching the traffic passing through town on U.S. Highway 30. This encouraged him to study and research many western events. Jim is director and past president of the Nevada chapter of the Lincoln Highway Association. He became interested in the Western trail’s movement while studying his family history. His great-great grandfather was one of the first men to bring emigrants to the new settlement of Salt Lake City. He is a member of many local and state historical societies. He gives presentations and tours on Western many historical topics.

The video program from the family home movies begins with a “Welcome to Nevada” introduction, then moves to 1920-1930s downtown Reno and what is often referred to as the Redfield House, which was actually built by Hill’s family. The Washoe Zephyr makes an appearance along with Forest and Mount Rose streets as country roads, the Nevada Stock Farm, the family's dude ranch that ran from Gentry and Virginia down to Kietzke and Moana, the construction of Hill & Sons Motel, now the Peppermill, and outlying areas of Truckee, Pyramid Lake, Bower's Mansion, Lake Tahoe, and Mount Rose summit. Last but not least, there’s a scene of history being made.

Richard Hill was born and raised in Reno, went to local schools, attended college in Oregon and law school in Eastern Washington. He has practiced law in Reno for more than 43 years. His family moved to Reno in the 1920s when his great-uncle came here for a divorce and liked what he found. His business partners, his father August, and brothers, Fred and Charlie, joined him. The family owned a dude ranch and were active in the Reno Rodeo and the Rodeo Parade.

This program is the result of Sunny Minedew asking Pat Klos for a video idea that could be done indoors in the winter in Reno. The stained glass windows in St Thomas Aquinas Cathedral depicting the beginnings of Nevada seemed a logical start. As the project progressed, they divided into two parts: Houses of Worship and Other Places. Be prepared to see some of Reno’s stained glass gems. Pat Ferraros Klos, founding president of HRPS, former board member of the Historic Resources Commission, Preserve Nevada, Lake Mansion, Nevada Humanities, and WC Courthouse Preservation Committee, has written and lectured throughout the state on various topics. Klos, a teacher-librarian, taught in Churchill, Lyon, Pershing, and Washoe counties.

Sunny Minedew has produced more than 70 programs about Nevada through her independent company, Sun Productions. She enjoys documenting stories featuring the rural Nevda, including wild horses, ghost towns, endangered scenic places, Burning Man, native Nevadans and historic family ranches. She shares many of her stories on her You Tube channel..

Patti Bernard and Marcia Bernard Cuccaro had the unique experience of living at the prison during their formative years. Their father became Nevada State Prison Warden 1951-1959, and they have some interesting tales to be told of growing up at the institution and the inmates they interacted closely with.

Marcia Bernard Cuccaro, a 3rd generation native Nevadan attended Carson City schools and graduated from the University of Nevada. She worked as a Social Worker for the Department of Welfare, as a Rehabilitation Counselor for the Nevada Industrial Commission and later as Benefit Deliver Supervisor for the State Industrial Insurance System. She finished her career as Resource Development Manager (grants and services) for the Division for Aging Services. In all these positions, she worked with individuals struggling with a myriad of social issues – unemployment, alcohol, substance abuse, and industrial injuries which then culminated in many of those same individuals needing assistance as they aged out of the employment market and needed housing, food, transportation, medical assistance, etc. Her empathy for these individuals was created when as a young woman she grew up in the Nevada State Prison amongst many convicts

Patti Bernard graduated from the University of Nevada with degrees in education and school administration. In her early years, she taught in both Douglas and Washoe County school districts at both elementary and secondary levels. She then moved into school administration and retired from WCSD as Principal of Libby Booth Elementary School in Reno in 2004. Patti’s love of Nevada history led to her teaching classes in it, and she transitioned that passion after retirement, to engaging in historical research.  She is a past chair of the Nevada Women’s History Project, a statewide women’s history organization that researches and disseminates information about Nevada women, through biographies, oral interviews, and presentations. She now heads the oral history and research committees.