Reno Arch

Coordinates: 39°31′41″N 119°48′49″W / 39.528122°N 119.813662°W

Daytime view of the current sign.

The Reno Arch is an iconic landmark in Reno, Nevada spanning Virginia Street at the intersection with Commercial Row. The arch as visible today is the 3rd installed at this location. The original arch was built in 1926 to commemorate the completion of the Lincoln and Victory Highways. The current arch was installed in 1987 and retrofitted with new lights in 2009. The arch is a prominent feature of downtown Reno, and for most of its history has featured the city's motto, The Biggest Little City in the World.

History

The first Arch was built in 1926 to promote the Nevada Transcontinental Highway Exposition that ran from July 25 to August 1, 1927, which celebrated the completion of the Lincoln and Victory Highways.[1] Through Nevada, these routes were built along the corridors of modern U.S. Route 50 and Interstate 80, respectively.[2][3]

Reno Arch at night

After the exposition the city council decided to keep the arch as a permanent downtown gateway, and announced a contest find a slogan for the new arch. G. A. Burns of Sacramento won $100 for his slogan, "Reno, The Biggest Little City in the World." The slogan first appeared on the arch on June 25, 1929. In 1934, some residents complained about the new slogan and it was replaced with a green neon "RENO"; however, after the ensuing backlash over its removal, the slogan returned with new lettering as well as the removal of the torches. In 1963, the original steel arch was replaced by a "mod" style arch with 1960s-style plastic panels and a rotating star. The third version (which stands today) was installed by YESCO in 1987.[1]

The original arch (as it stood before the 1963 redesign) has been moved around downtown Reno over the years. Since 1995 it has been located on Lake Street, just south of the Truckee River (39°31′33″N 119°48′35″W / 39.525718°N 119.809785°W).[1] The second generation arch was donated to the city of Willits, California, where it now stands with different lettering.[4]

On Tuesday, November 17, 2009, the City of Reno celebrated replacing the 2,076 incandescent 11-watt bulbs in the Reno Arch with highly energy efficient 2.5 watt LED bulbs. The old incandescent bulbs were given away to spectators to commemorate the event.[5]

Legacy

Movies set in Reno, such as Waking up in Reno, feature the arch prominently, as it is an icon for Reno newcomers. Many shows and activities, such as Hot August Nights, are held under the arch.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Reno Arch history downtown". newtoreno.com. Retrieved 3 July 2011.
  2. ↑ "The Lincoln Highway in Nevada". Lincoln Highway Association. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  3. ↑ "Nevada in Maps - Nevada Highway Maps 1917-2005". University of Nevada Reno. December 11, 2007.
  4. ↑ Guy Rocha - Historic Myth-a-Month #125
  5. ↑ New Reno Arch light bulbs just the start of energy saving plan

External links