Recently, we found a cute little park in Reno – Stewart Park on Wells Avenue and Stewart Street. What caught our attention was the stonework walls surrounding three sides of the park. This wall strongly resembles the stonework produced by the area’s Native American stonemasons.
This park started out life as a gravel pit, metamorphosed into a garbage dump and then transformed into a park that benefited the community.
This park has served the community well – providing basket ball courts (long gone), tennis courts, a play ground and during the 1950s, it hosted an ice skating rink during the winter. In the 1971, the park was flooded so that the citizens could cool off during a heat wave.
Even, nearly 100 years after its creation, the park is still used by many of Washoe County’s residents. When we were there, we saw families picnicking, children playing, people sprawled on the grass enjoying life. This is a park that still has a place in the hearts of the people using it.
Stewart Park was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and was finished in 1937. Our belief that Native American stonemasons created the beautiful walls surrounding the park on three sides, is based on the fact that the Civilian Conservation Corps – Indian Division (CCC-ID) employed approximately 85,000 Native Americans in Nevada, many of whom were talented stonemasons.
Plus, in Nevada, the WPA and related New Deal agencies (Such as the CCC-ID) frequently employed Indigenous stonemasons. Many of these employees were trained at the Stewart Indian School in Carson City.
Previously, we have found two New Deal projects with stonework, stonework that we believe the Native Americans serving in either the CCC or the CCC – ID created. One project is in Storey County, Nevada and the other project is in Lamoille Canyon in Elko County.
These projects are the Geiger Grade Lookout and Park and the clubhouse for the Lamoille CCC Camp (See https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/geiger-grade-lookout-park-virginia-city-nv/ and https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/lamoille-canyon-ccc-camp-lamoille-nv/).
This means it is entirely possible that the area’s Native American stonemasons, employed by the WPA, were responsible for the stonework at the park. Hopefully, there is a paper trail listing the stonemasons who created this wonderful wall.
Sadly, in the summer of 2015, park officials painted the rock walls as a means to discourage graffiti. Naturally, the paint ruined the historic nature of the terracing and covered the stonework. After numerous objections by concerned parties, the City of Reno indicated the rock walls would be returned to their original condition. On our visit to the park, it appears as though the City lived up to its word and the stones are once more visible.
This park deserves all care and consideration as a valuable community resource. The people in Washoe County have demonstrated their commitment to the park through projects such as restoring the masonry in the stone walls sponsored by the West of Wells neighborhood group and the rephotograph project sponsored by the Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation.
Definition: Rephotography—or repeat photography—is the act of photographing the same physical location twice with a time lag, creating a “then and now” diachronic view. It is used to track landscape evolution, urbanization, and social change through side-by-side comparisons or by blending old and new images.
If you are in Reno and have time, stop by Stewart Park – enjoy the quiet it affords and examine the stonework. See if you agree with our assessment that the stonework is that of the area’s Native American stonemasons.