Historic Dangberg Ranch picked among favorite Nevada places

CARSON CITY — For the second year, online voters picked the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park in Minden as one of six standout sites in the 2013 Nevada Treasures in the Discover Your Nevada contest, officials announced Monday.

The Nevada Northern Railway in Ely, the Star Hotel and Basque Restaurant in Elko, the Lost City Museum in Overton, the Nevada State Museum in Las Vegas and the Pahrump Valley winery were also picked, said Claudia Vecchio, Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs director.

Three of the six Nevada Treasures defended their 2012 title through active social and viral marketing outreach. Dangberg, the Star Hotel and Basque Restaurant in Elko and the Nevada Northern Railway in Ely all won in 2012.

The contest, now in its second year, is administered by the Nevada Commission on Tourism and is designed to raise awareness of Nevada’s extraordinary assets among Silver State residents, ultimately driving travel within the state.

The Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park preserves and interprets 150 years of history in Nevada's Carson Valley. Tours of this historic house museum are available by reservation, and special exhibits and events are staged throughout the year. The site is home to eight historic structures built between 1857 and 1917, along with a huge collection of artifacts dating back to 1819.

The buildings and the collection help tell the story of the four generations of the Dangberg family. The ranch founder, Heinrich Friedrich Dangberg, was a German immigrant and one of the first settlers of Carson Valley. Dangberg and the family company, the Dangberg Land and Live Stock Co., were influential in the development of Carson Valley and founded the town of Minden in 1905.

Guided tours are offered Wednesday through Sunday. Reservations are required. For more information and to make reservations, call the park at 775-783-9417. Reservations by e-mail must be made two weeks in advance.

Special events are staged throughout the year and schools are invited to make arrangements for educational tours. See the official website here.

The 2013 contest comprised a four-week process whereby people nominated, then voted for their favorite Nevada Treasures in the state’s six tourism territories: Cowboy Country, Indian Territory, Las Vegas Territory, Nevada Silver Trails, Pony-Express Territory and Reno-Tahoe Territory. Nominations began July 3, followed by two rounds of online voting. The final voting round closed at 5 p.m. Aug. 2.

“Nevada has so many interesting towns, historical sites and natural wonders, it truly is a place for discovery,” Vecchio said. “The winners represent urban and rural areas, showcasing the incredible offerings found throughout the state.”

The 2013 contest was conducted via Facebook, providing an enhanced opportunity for sharing recommendations and viral marketing by nominees. This platform allowed residents, business owners and Nevada fans to rally behind their favorites via critical social networking channels.

For more information about the 2013 “Treasures” and traveling in Nevada, visit www.TravelNevada.com.

The Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT) is part of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. NCOT promotes and markets Nevada as a tourism destination for domestic and international leisure and business travelers through its marketing and advertising programs and by coordinating partnerships between public and private entities. NCOT also administers grant programs for local entities to market travel and tourism offerings and publishes Nevada Magazine.