Historic preservation on parade

Instead of just talking about the community’s unique past and role in history, the city is inviting people to see it firsthand during Boulder City Historic Preservation Day.

“Historic preservation is an important component of our community’s success,” said Michael Mays, the city’s community development director. “To borrow a phrase from (Historic Preservation Committee) Chairman (Alan) Goya, ‘It’s about telling the story.’”

Scheduled for May 11, the daylong event will allow people to tour several historic properties, hear from area historians and authors, see street theater and participate in a parade.

“This year is very exciting because it is a citywide event where we our having multiple venues, including the not-often-seen, newly remodeled Bureau of Reclamation,” Goya said.

Mays said the city is partnering with several groups, organizations and businesses to provide a well-rounded view of the town’s history.

“I think it’s important to be connected to the community by understanding how the community came to be,” he said. “Because Boulder City is so rich in history and has a lot of exciting stories to tell, it’s not just for residents.”

Mays said he hopes that people from the Las Vegas Valley participate so they can “understand the history and unique character of our community.”

Events and activities will happen throughout the day and can be visited in any order, but Mays suggests that everyone start at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power building, 600 Nevada Way, between 9-10 a.m. to pick up a map and schedule of sites and activities.

Also, there will be representatives from the city, Historic Preservation Committee, Boulder City-Hoover Dam Museum and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power who will speak about historic preservation activities in the community.

Among the buildings and facilities that will be open for visitors are the water filtration plant at 300 Railroad Ave., the Bureau of Reclamation building at 1200 Park St., the Nevada State Railroad Museum at 601 Yucca St. and Bullock Field (old airport hangar) at 1401 Boulder City Parkway.

“This is also a chance to get inside the historic Bullock Field hanger and imagine what it could be,” Goya said referring to the city’s request for proposals to repurpose the property.

Boulder City High School, 1101 Fifth St., will host an open house from 2-2:30 p.m. allowing visitors to see the recent changes to the campus.

A parade will start at 3:45 p.m., traveling along the city’s original parade route from the high school to downtown, ending on Arizona Street in time for The Dillinger Food and Drinkery’s annual block party, which kicks off at 4 p.m.

While most of the sites can be visited in any order at any time, there are a few timed events, including an 11 a.m. presentation at the old airport hangar by Mark Hall-Patton, museum administrator for the Clark County Museum system, who will talk about the history of aviation in Nevada; and 2:30 p.m. program at the high school by Dennis McBride, director of the Nevada State Museum, who will share stories of the city’s pioneers.

Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Silver State Chapter, will provide brief street theater presentations about Ida Browder, who built the city’s first commercial building, approximately every 15 minutes in front of the building at 550 Nevada Way.

Ray White, historian for the Boulder City History &Arts Foundation, will speak about how the water filtration plant at 300 Railroad Ave. operated.

Additional information about Historic Preservation Day is available on the city’s website, bcnv.org.

Hali Bernstein Saylor is editor of the Boulder City Review. She can be reached at hsaylor@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9523. Follow @HalisComment on Twitter.