Book excerpt: This guide highlights the architectural and historical significance of more than sixty important homes, ranch houses, and buildings in Reno, Nevada. Known as The Biggest Little City in the World since the 1930s, when quickie divorces and casino gaming were legalized by the Nevada Legislature, Reno has reinvented itself several times during its nearly 150 years of history. Founded in the 1860s on the banks of the scenic Truckee River in Northern Nevada, Reno has had a fascinating journey, from its beginnings as an Emigrant Trail outpost, to its role in the mid-1930s invention of the hotel and casino industry. Cattle barons, mine speculators, and bank presidents in 19th century Reno built their mansions on the high bluff above the Truckee River, surrounded by extensive gardens, transforming the arid little town into what author Walter Van Tilburg Clark called The City of Trembling Leaves. Also featured is the beautiful University of Nevada, Reno, campus, with its Neoclassical buildings designed by Reno s most prominent architect, Frederic Delongchamps. Enhanced with both historical and contemporary photographs, the book includes maps, a glossary of architectural terms with local examples, and a list of architectural styles found in Reno.