It’s a Wrap! RENO – The Wild West of Divorce
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Preview Night at the Hotel Mapes, December 17, 1947
Another Divorce Ranch Moment by Bill McGee RENO, DECEMBER 17, 1947 – The big news in town was Preview Night at the Hotel Mapes, the new hotel with its prime location at 10 North Virginia Street, across the street from the Riverside Hotel and Truckee River. At twelve stories high, the Mapes was…
Before Palisades Tahoe (formerly Squaw Valley) There Was Sky Tavern
ANOTHER NEVADA DIVORCE RANCH MOMENT TO REMEMBER… FLYING M E, FRANKTOWN, NV – WINTER 47/48 – Before Squaw Valley opened in November 1949, Sky Tavern on the Mount Rose Highway was the destination ski resort for the wealthy and Hollywood. Sky Tavern opened in December ’45 with a 21-room hotel, coffee shop, and bar. There…
If These Mapes Champagne Coupes Could Talk
October 2017. Friends Deb Geraghty and James Stavena surprised Bill and me with these champagne coupes they found at a Reno antiques shop. For Reno history buffs, it was an exciting find. The vintage coupes were from the Mapes estate. A few days later, I broke with cocktail tradition and served Manhattans in the…
Celebrate National Day of the Cowboy, July 22, 2023!
NATIONAL DAY OF THE COWBOY! Celebrate on Saturday, July 22, as we pay tribute to the iconic symbol of the American West. Owen Wister is said to have created the first romantic cowboy in 1902 with his best-selling novel, The Virginian. The “Virginian” was later portrayed on the big screen by Gary Cooper (1929) and Joel…
Before Squaw Valley – Sandra’s Occasional Newsletter, Dec 2021
A little bit of news… but not too much.
If This Del Monte Divorce Ranch Ashtray Could Talk
It’s just an old tin ashtray, but the stories it could tell… When fellow Reno divorce ranch history buff, Jerry Garrity, spotted this old tin ashtray from the Del Monte Dude and Guest Ranch in an antiques bazaar in Reno, he knew if anyone would love to have it, that would be me. Indeed, just…
Divorce Ranches and Las Vegas Gaming Inspire Dick Wolf
Dick Wolf preps American Babylon Dick Wolf (Law & Order) is prepping a new series, American Babylon, a period drama chronicling the story of the creation of Las Vegas. The series is inspired by the book, The Money and the Power: The Making of Las Vegas and Its Hold on America by Sally Denton & Roger Morris.…
Grab your Levis and boots! Celebrate National Day of the Cowboy, July 25
Don your Western wear and watch a classic Western movie Owen Wister is said to have created the first romantic cowboy in 1902 with his best-selling novel The Virginian. The hero, known as “the Virginian”, was brave and honorable, tough but soft-spoken. The Virginian was portrayed on the big screen in 1929 by Gary Cooper,…
My Latest for Roundup, Magazine of Western Writers of America, Feb 2020
Thank you, Johnny D. Boggs, Editor, for including Bill’s obituary in ROUNDUP, MAGAZINE OF WESTERN WRITERS OF AMERICA (February 2020) ________ Click on the link below to read… “Wrangler, writer Bill McGee was genuine cowboy” by Sandra V. McGee for Roundup, Feb 2020 More Feature Stories by Sandra V. McGee
My Latest for Roundup, Magazine of Western Writers of America, October 2018
Thank you, Johnny D. Boggs, Editor, for including my story in ROUNDUP, MAGAZINE OF WESTERN WRITERS OF AMERICA (October 2018) Click on the link below to read… “Nevada As A Place To Split” by Sandra McGee More Feature Stories by Sandra V. McGee
The Golden Age of Divorce on the Dude Ranches of Nevada
The Golden Age of Divorce on the Dude Ranches of Nevada Bill and Sandra McGee provide commentary for this podcast hosted by Sean Braswell of THE THREAD on OZY.com. (Air date: 4/2/2018) READ The Golden Age of Divorce on the Dude Ranches of Nevada LISTEN to the podcast with commentary by Bill and Sandra McGee. Scroll…
Highlights from Nevada Roundup, May 18-19, 2016
Carson City, Wed, May 18 – Signing a copy of THE DIVORCE SEEKERS for Randi Hunewill, the great-granddaughter of Neill Hakes West who owned the TH Ranch in Sutcliffe, Nevada, about 30 miles outside of Reno near Pyramid Lake . In 1929, the “TH” was the first ranch in Nevada to take in paying dudes. …
Reno’s Divorce History Captured on New Website by University of Nevada
Reno’s divorce history is now captured on one website thanks to researchers and historians at the University of Nevada, Special Collections. Responsible for the ambitious site titled Illuminating Reno’s Divorce Industry, are Donnelyn Curtis, head of Special Collections; Mella Harmon, Reno divorce historian; and Alicia Barber, Reno historian. The website covers Reno’s divorce history in…
Deb Caletti on Writing Her Divorce Ranch Novel
Deb Caletti on writing her divorce ranch novel: “FOR BILL AND SANDRA, DIVORCE RANCH ROYALTY! I owe a debt of gratitude to Bill and Sandra McGee’s wonderful book The Divorce Seekers, which was an invaluable resource for information about the Nevada divorce ranches. . . . This book is a treasure if only for the…
The Reno Historical App Puts History In Your Hands
Reno Historical App An online project by the Historic Reno Preservation Society The Reno Historical app is a free app that allows you to explore the people, places, and moments that have shaped the city’s history. Learn about the history of Reno through map-based, multimedia presentations, use social media to share your stories, and experience…
Western Writers of America, Las Vegas
Dateline: Las Vegas, Nevada, June 25-29, 2013 – Hundreds of the country’s top Western writers gathered at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for the Western Writers of America 60th Annual Convention. Western novelists, historians, screenwriters, songwriters, and the agents and editors who represent them, enjoyed five days of Western camaraderie and networking.…
Will Divorce Hotels Become the New Divorce Ranches
In 2012, I was researching the key phrase divorce ranches on the Internet and found an interesting story in the New York Times: “Quick Getaways at the Divorce Hotel” (5/27/2012). A Netherlands entrepreneur, Jim Halfens, came up with the idea… a place where a couple checks in on a Friday, married, and checks out on a…
Lily Tuck Didn’t Expect To Have a Wonderful Time Getting a Divorce
In 1970, novelist Lily Tuck stayed on the Donner Trail Ranch in Verdi to get a divorce …she never expected to have a wonderful time. Click below to read… “On Her Own” by Lily Tuck, Vogue Magazine, June 2012 Related Posts “The Six Week Cure” by Priya Jain for BUST Magazine “Betty Goes Reno”…
Tales from Reno’s Divorce Ranches on KNPR Nevada Public Radio
Tales from Reno’s Divorce Ranches on KNPR Bill McGee was interviewed by Dave Becker for “State of Nevada” on KNPR, Nevada Public Radio, March 1, 2011. He was a member of a panel of people who were part of the divorce ranch experience. PROGRAM NOTES: Back in the 1930s and 40s, Nevada was one…
“The Six-Week Cure” by Priya Jain for BUST Magazine
The Reno divorce ranch era gets the attention of the younger generation in BUST Magazine. “The Six-Week Cure” by Priya Jain (BUST Magazine, December/January 2010) when Reno ‘divorce ranches’ helped unhappily married women start new lives” by Priya Jain Related Posts “Betty Goes Reno” by Priya Jain for Slate.com Lily Tuck for Vogue Magazine Feature Stories…
Betty Goes Reno – A Visit to the Glamorous Divorce Ranches of the Mad Men Era
When the curtain fell on the third season of Mad Men, Betty Draper, our favorite housewife in distress, was on her way to Reno to get a divorce. Writer Priya Jain was curious. Why did Betty Draper go to Reno and what was a divorce ranch? The result: “Betty Goes Reno: A visit to…
Sisters Tell Tales from a Divorce Ranch on NPR
Sisters Tell Tales from a Divorce Ranch on Nevada Public Radio Beth Ward and her sister, Robbie McBride, grew up on what was known as a “divorce ranch” in Reno, Nevada. Women could live on a divorce ranch for six weeks to establish residency, then file for divorce in a Nevada court. Spoiler: These…
My Latest for True West Magazine, June 2010
Thank you, Meghan Saar, Editor, for the story in TRUE WEST Magazine (June 2010) CLICK TO READ More Feature Stories by Sandra V. McGee
Western Writers of America, Oklahoma City
Dateline: Oklahoma City, OK, June 19, 2009 – The Western Writers of America took center stage at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City for a Mega-Book Signing on Friday, June 19, 2009. More than 70 Western authors participated in the event set up in the magnificent Sam Noble Special Events Center.…