The meaning of ‘Battle Born’
Nevada, which became the 36th state in the U.S. on Oct. 31, 1864, is known as “Battle Born” because of actions that took place during the Civil War.
The process of Nevada gaining statehood was initiated so its three electoral votes would be in play for the 1864 presidential election. The idea was to help President Abraham Lincoln’s reelection bid and add to the Republican congressional majorities at the time.
While Oct. 31 every year marks the exact day that Nevada became a state, Nevada Day, a legal holiday, is observed on the last Friday of October each year.
The Strip and Fremont Street Experience include numerous souvenir shops catering to visitors who want something Las Vegas-related to commemorate their trip.
In Henderson, at The District’s outdoor shopping mall next to Green Valley Ranch Resort, there’s a different type of souvenir shop, this one more geared toward Nevada residents.
The store — Home Means Nevada Co. — opened about a year ago and features Nevada-themed clothing, gifts, baseball caps, trinkets, magnets and wooden kitchen cutting boards in the shape of the state.
“Home Means Nevada” is the official song of the state, which today is celebrating it’s 158th birthday.
The store is the brainchild of Nevada transplant and former snowboard industry salesman Scott Dunseath, who operates two other Nevada-themed stores in the Reno area. The first opened in 2008 and was called Reno eNVy.
“I wanted to create a Nevada lifestyle brand,” Dunseath said. “Looking around, I realized that there was no other Nevada-themed apparel out there, other than team sports apparel.”
Tiring of the travel necessary for his previous career as a salesman, Dunseath stumbled on the Reno eNVy idea one day nearly 20 years ago while reciting his mailing address out loud.
“I was telling a friend of mine what my address was, and that’s when I realized that the state abbreviation for Nevada sounds like ‘Reno envy,’ ” Dunseath said. “I started making Reno eNVy shirts and hats for my friends, just for fun.”
During the spring of 2005, Dunseath had a bunch of T-shirts made that he decided to sell at a Reno festival.
“That weekend, we sold about 60 pieces,” Dunseath said. “That’s when I noticed that people seemed to be into the concept. I remember a lady approached me that weekend and said, ‘This is really cool, you’ve got the tiger by the tail.’ That sort of gave me the confidence I needed to take it further.”
That’s essentially when Dunseath decided he’d get out of sales and into business for himself. Since the Home Means Nevada Co. rebrand a decade ago, the business has continued to flourish, he said.
One of the big reasons, Dunseath said, is that Nevadans are proud of where they live.
“People love Nevada,” he said. “There’s great pride here, and that’s just growing more and more as people move from California and decide to retire here. Nevada has, for a long time, it seems, been our little secret, but the secret is getting out.”
Among those who moved to Nevada for her retirement is Cheryl Leith, who arrived in Reno with her husband in 2010 after leaving Nashville, Tenn.
Leith has been working for Dunseath for nine years. She moved to Henderson last year to manage the new store.
She still speaks with a Southern drawl, but she long ago was charmed by the state she now calls home.
“The store has been extremely popular so far,” Leith said. “So many tell us they’re so happy to find something about Nevada, not just Las Vegas. Every time people go to shop for something, it’s ‘Las Vegas’ right in their face. I think everyone in the greater Henderson area had something under their Christmas tree from our store last year.”
While walking around the store, it’s not difficult to spot an outline of Nevada’s shape, which is displayed on shirts, hats, crop tops, shot glasses and other items.
Many of the clothing items reference Nevada’s “Battle Born” heritage, while others mention its mountainous terrain.
“I think part of the reason why people here love Nevada so much is that we’ve been teased about Nevada so much,” Dunseath said. “We’ve been told Nevada is just a bunch of hillbillies or that we’re living in the desert, and why would we want to do that. We’ve been privy to how cool the Nevada lifestyle is way before anyone else.
A California native, Dunseath came to Reno in 1986 to attend UNR and liked it so much there that he never left.
Like most states, there’s certainly a regional rivalry between those living in the Reno area and those in Southern Nevada, which is perpetuated by the heated sports rivalries between UNR and UNLV.
Largely for that reason, Dunseath said, there aren’t many blue clothing items that sell well at the Henderson store and likewise aren’t many red clothing items that sell well at the Reno stores.
“It’s a rivalry, but it’s in good spirits,” Dunseath said. “I’m coming down for the (UNR vs. UNLV) football game in November. I’ve never been to Allegiant Stadium, so that will be exciting. At the end of the day, we’re all Nevadans.”
In the coming years, Dunseath said it’s possible he might open an additional store in the Las Vegas Valley, possibly in Summerlin. But it’s not likely that you’ll see a Home Means Nevada Co. store on the Strip or at the Fremont Street Experience.
“We’re not a Vegas souvenir brand; we’re a Nevada brand for Nevadans,” Dunseath said. “We’re not going to compete with the three Vegas T-shirts for $10, which is what you have on the Strip. We’re selling our products not to tourists, but to people who live, breathe and have pride in Nevada.”