Chuck Yeager, Moni and the Moonlighters, Wendell Huffman wrap up August at Dangberg Historic Park
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Tue, 08/15/2023 - 7:12am
Event Date:
August 23, 2023 - 6:30pm A Chautauqua of Chuck Yeager, a concert by Moni & the Moonlighters and a presentation on “Wood for the Comstock” by historian Wendell Huffman, will wrap up the month of August at Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park.
On Wednesday, August 23, from 6:30-7:30pm, Chautauquan Doug Mishler will perform as Chuck Yeager, record-setting test pilot who became the first to exceed the speed of sound in level flight.
Chuck Yeager was raised tough, independent, and strong-willed. Yeager was not a great student of anything but mechanics. Yeager barely finished high school, yet this yearning and his mechanical bent compelled him to enlist in the Army Air Corp six months before Pearl Harbor. On October 14, 1947, Chuck Yeager created history in just a 5-minute flight, as he blazed through the barrier at 1.07 MACH.
Since 1993 Doug Mishler has been nationally recognized for bringing history to life. Mishler has presented figures from Nikita Khrushchev to Theodore Roosevelt, to Ernie Pyle, and P. T. Barnum. He has made over eight hundred first-person presentations of over thirty historical figures, including Stonewall Jackson, Henry Ford, Pablo Picasso, and now Dwight D. Eisenhower, Chuck Yeager, and Gene Roddenberry.
For this Chautauqua presentation, tickets can be purchased at the event and are $10 for members, $15 for non-member adults, and free for youth 16 and younger.
This season’s Chautauqua programs are all funded in part by a generous grant from Nevada Humanities and National Endowment for the Humanities.
On Thursday, August 24, from 6:30-8:00pm, in concert Moni & the Moonlighters will bring their 1950s-60s review. Guests are welcome to dress in period attire and bring their antique cars to display around the event tent site. Tickets can be purchased at the event and are $15 for members, $20 for non-member adults, and free for youth 16 and younger.
On Saturday, August 26, from 10-11am, historian Wendell Huffman will give an encore presentation of “Wood for the Comstock."
Wendell Huffman was the curator of history at the Nevada State Railroad Museum for sixteen years until his retirement. Prior to that, Huffman was a librarian in Carson City and Norman, Oklahoma, and before that worked as a horseshoer, cowboy, logger, and truck driver. His study of the lumbering and fuelwood industries relating to the Comstock combines his interest and experience in logging and railroads.
Wendell Huffman's presentation will focus on one aspect of what it cost to extract silver and gold from the Comstock mines, and show the interrelatedness of mining, energy, and geographical factors. This event is free for all to attend.
“We’re coming toward the end of our 2023 festival season, and with these last events in August, we’re not slowing down one bit,” said Kim Harris, the park’s events manager.
Visitors should bring their own lawn chair or other seating for all events, and only genuine service animals are allowed. Guests are welcome to bring snacks and libations, as no food or beverages will be available. All events take place outdoors under a large tent. For more information about visiting the park, including guided tours, please visit Dangberg.org.
