The Curious Life of Nevada's LaVere Redfield: The Silver Dollar King
The Curious Life of Nevada's LaVere Redfield: The Silver Dollar King

Author: Jack Harpster

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2014-11-04

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 1625852363

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LaVere Redfield was a prolific hoarder. When he died in 1974, his estate was estimated at more than $70 million. Executors found 680 bags of silver coins and 407,000 Morgan and Peace silver dollars in his Reno mansion. A local Reno legend, Redfield gambled regularly in Virginia Street casinos. He survived robbery and burglaries of his home, which contained false walls to store millions of silver dollars. Hating banks and paper money, as well as big government, Redfield opted to serve a prison term for income tax evasion rather than pay his debts from his ample fortune. Join author Jack Harpster for this first book-length study of this unconventional man behind the folklore and the myth.

Philadelphia Spiritualism and the Curious Case of Katie King
Philadelphia Spiritualism and the Curious Case of Katie King

Author: Stephanie Hoover

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2013-09-10

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13: 1625846088

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In the wake of the Civil War, Spiritualism--and its promises of communication with the dead--reached its peak as grieving families hoped to reunite with men lost in battle. In the face of an uncertain future, people sought comfort in the messages of mediums, and for Philadelphians, that reassurance was found in Katie King. Katie was a spirit who materialized at the seances of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Holmes--or so attendees believed. For eight months in 1874, she captivated every level of Philadelphia society, including Vice President Henry Wilson, who clamored to speak with the lovely apparition. When a believer-turned-skeptic decided to investigate Katie King for himself, the "spirit" was quickly revealed as a hoax. From the rise of Spiritualism in the city to the aftermath of the scandal, author Stephanie Hoover reveals the personalities and chicanery behind the curious case of Katie King.

Every Light was on
Every Light was on

Author: Dwayne Kling

Publisher: University of Nevada Oral History

Published: 1999-01-01

Total Pages: 454

ISBN-13: 9781564753755

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Nevada Casinos of the 1930s were rough-and-tumble businesses, deeply rooted in the frontier ethos from which legalized gaming had emerged: cheating, profit skimming, and employee theft from the house were rampant. By background and temperament, William Fisk (Bill) Harrah was ill-prepared to succeed in such a business when he opened a small bingo parlor in Reno in 1937, but by the mid-1960s his Harrah's Clubs were the most profitable casino gaming operations in America, and he had become the de facto leader of the industry. Bill Harrah's life and career were rich with paradox. The privileged son of a southern California attorney, Harrah lasted less than one term in college before sliding into a profession which at the time was largely populated with cheap hustlers and petty crooks. Harrah was honest, but he was also a drunk and a womanizer and a habitual gambler, and for years it appeared that he would never amount to much. When his second wife got him off the bottle, he focussed his attention on building his business, but he never really cared for it. Bill Harrah's passion was old automobiles: he sank tens of millions of his company's dollars into buying and restoring them. The book is both an exploration of a singular personality and a detailed account of how Harrah's Clubs became the standard by which all other gaming properties were judged.

The Railroad Tycoon Who Built Chicago
The Railroad Tycoon Who Built Chicago

Author: Jack Harpster

Publisher: SIU Press

Published: 2009-08-28

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 0809386801

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William Butler Ogden was a pioneer railroad magnate, one of the earliest founders and developers of the city of Chicago, and an important influence on U.S. westward expansion. His career as a businessman stretched from the streets of Chicago to the wilds of the Wisconsin lumber forests, from the iron mines of Pennsylvania to the financial capitals in New York and beyond. Jack Harpster’s The Railroad Tycoon Who Built Chicago: A Biography of William B. Ogden is the first chronicle of one of the most notable figures in nineteenth-century America. Harpster traces the life of Ogden from his early experiences as a boy and young businessman in upstate New York to his migration to Chicago, where he invested in land, canal construction, and steamboat companies. He became Chicago’s first mayor, built the city’s first railway system, and suffered through the Great Chicago Fire. His diverse business interests included real estate, land development, city planning, urban transportation, manufacturing, beer brewing, mining, and banking, to name a few. Harpster, however, does not simply focus on Ogden’s role as business mogul; he delves into the heart and soul of the man himself. The Railroad Tycoon Who Built Chicago is a meticulously researched and nuanced biography set against the backdrop of the historical and societal themes of the nineteenth century. It is a sweeping story about one man’s impact on the birth of commerce in America. Ogden’s private life proves to be as varied and interesting as his public persona, and Harpster weaves the two into a colorful tapestry of a life well and usefully lived.

100 Greatest U.S. Coins
100 Greatest U.S. Coins

Author: Jeff Garrett (Numismatist)

Publisher:

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780794825614

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In the third edition of the best-selling and award-winning 100 Greatest U.S. Coins, numismatic author Jeff Garrett takes the reader on a personal guided tour of the nation's greatest coinage. "Each of the 100 Greatest was voted into place by leading coin dealers, researchers, and historians," says Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker. Inside the reader will find prized and seldom-seen rarities - the unique and high-valued pieces that collectors dream about, like the 1913 Liberty Head nickel and the 1804 dollar (the "King of American Coins"). The book also explores more readily available and widely popular coins: pieces so beautiful or with such strange and facinating stories that everybody wants one. By Jeff Garrett. Hardcover, 144 Full Color Pages, Metallic-Foil Cover.

The Ikdal Family History
The Ikdal Family History

Author: Jesse Hart Rosdail

Publisher: Hassell Street Press

Published: 2021-09-09

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 9781013787836

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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

100 Years in the Nevada's Governor's Mansion
100 Years in the Nevada's Governor's Mansion

Author: Jack Harpster

Publisher: Stephens PressLlc

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 9781935043003

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The Nevada Governor's Mansion celebrates its one hundredth birthday with a look back over the 17 governors and families who have called the mansion home. - Regional Interest: Nevada

Helping Hands, Helping Hearts
Helping Hands, Helping Hearts

Author: Jack Harpster

Publisher: Stephens PressLlc

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 9781932173635

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Helping Hands, Helping Hearts shares the amazing story of Opportunity Village - one of the most unique not-for-profit organizations in the nation. Opportunity Village has often been referred to as the most popular charity in Las Vegas due to its efforts of improving the lives of those with intellectual disabilities. Author Jack Harpster provides an in-depth look at the history, current status and future of this remarkable organization.