Presentation at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park

Description

Author and historian Michael Makley will present “John Mackay, William Sharon and the Fight for Comstock Bonanzas” in a free presentation at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Saturday, May 30, at 10:00 am.

John Mackay and William Sharon were the wealthiest of the men to emerge from Nevada’s fabulous Comstock Lode. They were also the most influential. Mackay, who rose from poverty, was the hero of Virginia City. He was respected by its miners and mine owners, and idolized by its children. Sharon, the brains behind the “Bank Crowd,” was generally perceived as a villain. When he ran for the U.S. Senate, Nevada’s leading newspaper, The Territorial Enterprise, characterized him as a “hyena." Makley will tell how these two Comstock “kings” battled each other, amassed their fortunes and used their wealth.

Michael Makley is the author of seven books on Western history, including five published by the University of Nevada Press. The Infamous King of the Comstock won Foreword magazine’s 2008 silver award for biography. This book will be available for purchase on the day of the event at a reduced price. Booklist called A Short History of Lake Tahoe, “a polished gem,” saying “Makley’s work could serve as a blueprint for writing relevant and engaging regional history.”

Makley's book, The Infamous King of the Comstock: Willliam Sharon and the Golden Age in the West, will be available at the park that day for a discounted price of $22.45 (regular $24.95).

The presentation is the first in the park’s Ferris Family Speaker Series, named in honor of the family of Margaret Ferris Dangberg, the wife of ranch founder Heinrich F. Dangberg. Alpen Sierra Coffee Company is providing complimentary coffee for visitors throughout the series, with baked treats from 88 Cups & More Coffee Shop. Next presentation: Michael Fischer in a Chautauqua portrayal of Home Ranch founder Heinrich F. Dangberg on June 20 at 10:00 am.