Hump Day History

 

On Sunday I went to a lecture at the library, hosted by the Historic Reno Preservation Society, about our local San Rafael Park.  The speaker is the horticulturalist of the arboretum.

Initially, a small segment of what is currently the park was a cattle ranch for the Pincolini brothers in the 1890's.  They sold in the 20's to Russell Jensen, who built the first ranch house.  They had sheep instead of cattle.

Russell died in a car accident and Mrs. Jensen sold the property to Raphael Herman.  He expanded and developed the area into what it is today.  He had another ranch house built, and it was designed by Paul Revere Williams, who's been mentioned here a time or two.

I've been to many weddings there.

Raphael's sister in law was left with the ranch after he passed, she leased it for grazing and it went up for sale in the 70's.  The university wanted to purchase, but the city decided to maintain the open space.  Today, it looks much the same as the Pincolini's saw it.

Wilbur D. May lived in South Reno and wanted to make a partner park from his Double Diamond Ranch.  The city declined, but he eventually had part of his vision come true with the Arboretum, opened in 1983.

It's one of my favorite places in town.