Virginia City vs Bonanza: A Tale of Merging Histories [Hardcover]

A fun and informative exploration of how the classic television seriesBonanzadiffers from the reality of Virginia City, Nevada.
In 1959, one hundred years after the big bonanza silver strike in Virginia City, the classic television seriesBonanzamade its debut and brought the small Nevada city to the forefront of households around the country, and into many parts of the world. The richest city in the world at the time of the Comstock Lode, Virginia City today might well be a ghost town if not for the fame spurred byBonanza.The show was so popular that it went on to air for thirteen years and even spawned a theme park.
Historical accuracy was of great import toBonanzas creator, but as the series evolved, it took on a life of its own beyond the boundaries of real-life Virginia City. InVirginia City vs Bonanza: A Tale of Merging Histories, Monette Bebow-Reinhard explores select history from the shows legendary storylines and compares it to the real history of nineteenth-century Virginia City. Readers will learn why gambling is so prominent in Nevada, how Virginia City was not necessarily developed as a cattle town, and much more, ultimately understanding how and whereBonanzagot its history right.
Through her analysis of history versus fiction, Bebow-Reinhard emphasizes the impact television had on shaping how we remember the Old West. From the beginnings on Sun Mountain to the new technology created for Virginia Citys mines to keep up with the demands of the labor forcehungry for more wealthVirginia City vs Bonanzaexamines the politics, the environmental damage, and the social and cultural settings that made Virginia City unique. Readers will witness it all: silvers inevitable collapse, the advent of tourism, the natives, the diversity, the violence, and today, the fun. A must-read for fans of televisionand history alike.