Historian and Author Frank X. Mullen at Dangberg Historic Park

Historian and author Frank X. Mullen will present his program “Westward Ho, Nevada” in a free presentation at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park on Saturday, August 29, at 10:00 am.

From the time of Columbus to the 1840s, Nevada was a vast blank spot on the maps of North America. In his illustrated presentation, Frank X. Mullen describes the slow process of exploration as cartographers replaced the “here be dragons” ignorance with accurate information. Mullen’s program will look at the geographic disposition of the Native Americans, the early Spanish explorations, the fantastical speculations on maps from the 1700s to the 1840s, and the treks of early travelers including the mountain men, John C. Fremont and the wagon train families before and after the Gold Rush.

Frank X. Mullen is a Reno-based newspaperman known for his hard-hitting investigative pieces. He broke stories about rural cancer clusters, dangerous Nevada doctors, and toxic clouds generated by burning munitions in Lassen County. In addition, Mullen is the author of The Donner Party Chronicles: A Day-By-Day Account of a Doomed Wagon Train. He also teaches journalism classes at the University of Nevada, Reno, lectures on the history of Nevada and regularly performs in the Nevada Humanities Chautauqua and other Chautauqua venues nationwide.

In 2002 and 2005, Frank X. Mullen was named Nevada's Outstanding Journalist by the Nevada Press Association. He holds a Masters degree in journalism and new media from the University of Nevada, Reno, has won many state and national reporting and writing awards, and is currently working on a number of books about Nevada.
This is a free outdoor event. The park is located at 1450 Hwy 88, ¼ mile north of the Carson Valley Veterinary Hospital. Visitors are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or use one of the park’s chairs. Shaded seating area available. Dogs are not permitted in the park, with the exception of certified service animals. For more information, visit dangberghomeranch.org or call 775-783-9417.

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