In the booming days of America’s Old West, the Washoe Club was Virginia City’s most elite private social institution. A membership-only organization born out of Nevada’s fabled Comstock Lode, this “Millionaire’s Club” attracted a mix of mining magnates, artists, and intellectuals who sought to rub elbows with other ‘men of importance,’ and relish in the luxuries brought with the territory’s silver bonanza. The club opened its doors on B Street on June 1, 1875, in an opulent space with plate glass windows, upholstered furniture, and a mantle brimming with beautiful,…
