The Nevada Historical Society's building may be closed for renovation, but you can still enjoy their excellent lectures at the Sierra View Library during their temporary closure. NHS Lecture Series: History on the Go will feature three history programs: Nevada History, Lake Tahoe, and American Gaming Archives Fireside Chat. Come to Sierra View on the first Saturday of every month to learn from these engaging talks for a wide audience.

June 6, 2026

Title of Program: Nevada’s Age-Old Question: Dayton vs Genoa

Speakers: Michael Fischer, Jeff Kintop, Stan Paher and TBA panelist

Summary of Program:

This is a special two-hour program that will look at the age-old question of whether Dayton or Genoa was the first settlement. Our distinguished panel will talk about the available historic documents, newspaper articles, and limited diary entries, the establishment of a mail station and route between Salt Lake City and Sacramento, and the cast of characters who worked and lived in the Carson Valley and Gold Canyon areas.

We have a distinguished historian panel that will tackle this question. Each member has spent years looking into this topic. Here’s your chance to find out if this on-going debate can be resolved. This will be an engaging Nevada history program that you don’t want to miss. Our historian panel includes Michael Fischer, Jeff Kintop, Stan Paher, and a TBA panelist.

Speaker Bios:

Michael Fischer is a retired dentist who has many years of experience in private-sector cultural affairs management. Fischer serves on the boards of the Douglas County Historical Society, the Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society, and the Nevada Agricultural Foundation. Fischer’s interest in Nevada history began as a child when his family visited historic sites around the state.

Jeff Kintop has worked in Nevada History for 45 years. He retired from the Nevada State Library, Archives, and Public Records in 2018, where he worked for 35 years, starting as an Archives Assistant and retiring as Administrator of the Division.

Native Nevadan Stanley Paher is the author of 19 books on Nevada, Arizona, and Death Valley. As an author-publisher, collector of rare books, maps, and photographs, Paher has kept alive the history, lore, and spirit of Nevada and the Southwest.