Reno Arch

The Reno Arch is an iconic landmark along Virginia Street in Reno, Nevada.

The first Arch was built to promote the Reno Transcontinental Highway Exposition that ran from July 25th to August 1st 1927, which celebrated the completion of the Lincoln and Victory Highways (today U.S. Highway 50 and Interstate 80, respectively). After the exposition the city council announced a contest to find a slogan for the new arch. On June 25th, 1929, after a Sacramento man was awarded US$100 for winning the contest, the phrase "The Biggest Little City In The World" was branded on the arch. In 1934, some residents complained about the new slogan and it was replaced with a green neon "RENO"; however, after the ensuing backlash over its removal, the slogan returned with new lettering as well as the removal of the torches. The 2nd generation was designed with '60s style plastic panels and replaced the 1st arch in 1963. The 3rd generation (which stands today) was installed by YESCO in 1987. A lot of movies named after "Reno" such as "Waking up in Reno" feature the arch prominently, as it is an icon for all Reno newcomers. Many shows and activities, such as "Hot August Nights" are done under the arch. A train track goes along the arch, but as announced in late 2005, the tracks are never used because of the new underground tracks.

References

*http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/chaseaero/2004_website_013.htm
*http://renotahoe.about.com/od/nevadahistory/a/RenoArch.htm