As a Nevada resident and fourth-grade teacher, I am alarmed by the proposal to transfer the Nevada History Museum in Ely and its buildings to the Nevada Northern Railway Foundation Inc. This state-run institution has a legislatively mandated mission to preserve and share our heritage. Removing its public facilities strips it of the ability to fulfill that mission — and only the foundation benefits from receiving the buildings at no cost to the public.
The foundation’s claims of financial backing are unproven. Despite more than $1 million in funding, the McGill Depot remains incomplete. More troubling, the foundation is under a grand jury investigation — hardly a reason to entrust it with additional state assets. After five failed takeover attempts and three governor refusals, the proposal remains the wrong course for eastern Nevada.
The state has been the best steward of our heritage — ensuring that the Ely museum remains open to schools, families and communities free of charge. My students benefit directly from our partnership with the museum, which brings Nevada history to life in a way textbooks cannot. If the museum is privatized, access will diminish and costs will likely rise, robbing our children of a vital educational opportunity.
This is about preserving public access to our shared history.
I urge Gov. Joe Lombardo and our state’s leaders to reject this proposal and keep the museum under state stewardship where it belongs.
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