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Knowing Nevada: A 'Home' Means Nevada


This home has moved its way across northern Nevada over the past 100 years.{ }{p}{/p}
This home has moved its way across northern Nevada over the past 100 years.

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Make no mistake, people are moving to Reno more rapidly than in most recent history. In terms of moving, some people grab their family, pets, and belongings and then make their way to the Silver State. Movers usually have a piece of property in mind and, in some cases, some people are willing to take the walls and windows, of what they call 'home', with them.

The most recent story about physically moving homes is taking place near the front entrance of UNR. Crews are moving these homes from one end of town to another. Dodging a combination of buildings and low electric wires, some have moved swimmingly...others, have had to delay the travel to their final destinations.

This might sound strange in the modern era, but moving homes have been considered a custom in the West for more than a century.

During the early days of the Nevada territory, homes were either carried for hundreds of miles or built from scratch. Most of the Victorian style homes you can see today have the similar Victorian style with handcrafted crown moldings, long-or-tall ceilings, and timely craftsmanship.

"These home in particular were meant to hold only a single family but some were larger," says Kathy Wilson, a Reno real estate agent. She is currently selling an older style Victorian-era home on 8451 Lakeside drive and she when she accepted to sell this piece of property, she found more than she bargained for.

"This home is not in its first original condition from the late 1800's" says Wilson. "This was split in half, carried down by 20-mule train into downtown Reno. It sat on the corner of First and Center for a number of years until it was moved, yet again, to this location."

Wilson's curious interest found that there have been over four different families that have owned this piece of property. The home was just a single family style that could fit regular accommodations. It was owned by Moana Tousgood, a Virginia City resident who then sold it to the Lundsford family of Reno.

Their daughter, Rosemond Ethel Lunsford was attending UNR in the late 1920's when she met a nice fella by the name of Harry Frost. Both eventually ended up marrying. The Lundsford's ranch was eventually moved down Lakeside drive, no less than a 1/2 mile, to make the foundation for a new home that would be moved from the corner of Center street, in downtown, all the way directly south of windy hill. This home eventually became home to the Frost newlyweds in the early 1930's.

The land originally sat on 400 acres and was later split into four parcels which became The Frost ranches located along Frost lane, where Harry and his family would raise horses and spend many nights enjoying some of Reno's prominent names within the walls of this place.

Harry was the Reno Rodeo president during one of the most turbulent times in the rodeo's history. In 1962, the main grandstand of the Reno Livestock Events center burned down and in 1963, Frost took the initiative to make the rodeo happen by helping gather funds to build a temporary set of bleachers for patrons to enjoy the event. He eventually would become one of the Board of Directors. His wife, Ethel, was the descendent of the family that began the Reno Printing Company which would eventually become the Reno Gazette.

"I remember being a little girl and sitting on my grandpa's lap and saying 'boo-boo let's go see the mares'," says Mary Brady Sanders, the granddaughter of Harry & Ethel Frost. "All of us just called him boo-boo and he didn't mind it. He would saddle us up and take us around the ranch. I'm telling you, people used to line up on Lakeside drive all the way down the road just to see his horses."

She walks us around the property to tell us some of her favorite memories which were playing Reno Rodeo in the front yard.

"My grandfather was one of the board of directors for the Rodeo so it played a huge role in both his and my grandmother's life," says Sanders.

Both Kathy and Mary met recently and were connected after she did her her historical enterprises of this home. Mary and her sister Elizabeth paid a visit their grandparents old home to reminisce. Specifically, about their aunt Harrie in Doyle, who resides in another 'moved family home' from Lone Tree lane. They took bits of lilac trees that Ethel had been growing for almost 70 years and were thankful that the realtor took time to pull up the history of her family.

"I just hope the next family who lives in here gives it the love and cherishes the memories that my family made here," says Sanders.


Knowing Nevada is a historical heritage series that highlights some of the interesting, unknown, and known, tales about the state of Nevada. This series is researched and put together by our own native Nevadan, Miles Buergin. If you have any suggestions for our next Knowing Nevada, please e-mail him at: mjbuergin@sbgtv.com

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