Nevada celebrates 150 years as a state; Parade on Saturday

The rush was on in 1864 to make Nevada a part of the union. Congress was in a hurry to have the support of the Republican dominated Nevada territory for President Abraham Lincoln's reelection. The three electoral votes Nevada would bring helped bring the end of slavery when Lincoln was re-elected just 9 days after Nevada became a state.

There were only 40,000 people living in Nevada at the time which was well below the required 60,000 people needed to become a state but that fact was overlooked since Washington, DC wanted the state so badly. The 1859 discover of silver at Virginia City made the region one of the wealthiest in the West. The money and votes from Nevada helped bring an end to the Civil War.

On October 31, 1864, since time was so short, the Constitution of Nevada was telegraphed to Congress. It became the longest telegram on record at the time, costing the "astronomical price" of $3,416.77.

October 31, 2014 is Nevada Day, the 150th birthday for the state. On Saturday, November 1, the state will celebrate with a parade and other events around the capital. There will 200 entries in the parade, including bands, floats, horses, politicians, kids groups, businesses, service clubs and many more. Rotarians from South Lake Tahoe will be in the Rotarian float, Time for Rotary. There will be a hot air balloon launch at 8:30 a.m., weather permitting. A 10 a.m. flyerover by military aircraft will signal the start of the parade at the corner of William and Carson Streets. It will proceed down Carson Street and end at the Carson mall. View the parade route on line.

View the complete lineup.

FamFest will take place near the parade route from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Music, arts and crafts, music and games will be on Curry Street.