Reno’s Axle

Reno resident Beth Miramon gained a measure of fame when she revealed that she had virtually funded Reno City Councilwoman Sherrie Doyle’s 1998 campaign. She hopes to trade on that notoriety with this book, which tells the history of Reno, through its associations with the railroad, Fourth Street and gambling. While this book is mainly a straight history of the Truckee Meadows, Reno’s Axle shines its brightest when Miramon moves from historian to analyst, as she frequently does near the end of the book. Lots of old photographs to give the reader a glimpse of Reno before the casinos pushed the little businesses, restaurants and retail stores off downtown Virginia Street. The editing is a bit rough, as self-published books tend to be, but this one’s far more thought out and well-executed than many I’ve seen. Available at Sundance Bookstore.