A presentation of the Nevada Historical Society, High Noon with Neal Cobb is a monthly history series that delves into Nevada topics with local experts. Neal Cobb is a passionate historian and honorary curator for the Nevada Historical Society. Each month he is joined by a different guest presenter.

Folklore is embedded into the mystique of the Wild West. The region’s stories of its early founders, accounts of remarkable events, and legends about its ghosts frame the West and its history. As Nevada’s earliest traditions took shape, there was a celebration of deceit — tall tales, practical jokes, journalistic hoaxes, and burlesque lies. These were not intended in any evil way; humor was essential, giving us a folkloric legacy built on laughter. In this presentation, historian and author Ron James explores how all this first took shape as Nevada transformed from territory to state.

James is a retired Nevada state historic preservation officer who has administered the agency for three decades. He served on the National Park System’s Advisory Board and as chair of its National Historic Landmarks Committee. Ron was the national I.T.T. Fellow to Ireland, 1981– 82, studying at the Irish Folklore Archive. He was inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame and received the Rodman Paul Award for Outstanding Contributions to Mining History.

In 2016, James was elected to the Gorsedh Kernow, the bardic council of Cornwall, taking the name Carer Henwethlow, “Lover of Legends.” His many books include the recent Monumental Lies: Early Nevada Folklore of the Wild West. He is currently working on a sequel to his book The Folklore of Cornwall: The Oral Tradition of a Celtic Nation, which was a finalist for the prestigious Katharine Briggs Award of the Folklore Society.

Register to join High Noon with Neal Cobb on Zoom. Recordings of past episodes are available on the library’s YouTube channel.