Don’t be my Valentine: Forget the hearts and flowers—it’s time to brush up on Reno’s divorce history 

Valentine’s Day is coming up, but if you’re looking to get your fill of all things sweet and romantic, we’ll have to direct you elsewhere.  

With love and commitment often comes divorce, and as an industry and a cultural phenomenon, divorce plays a major role in Reno’s history. 

“I don’t think we’d have the slogan ‘Biggest Little City in the World’ if it hadn’t been for the divorce industry,” historian Alicia Barber said in an interview. “We’d just be, like, a little city out West.” 

’Tis the season to get you up to speed on the topic. 

The dawn of Nevada’s divorce industry 

When Nevada became a state in 1864, it established seven grounds for divorce for residents and only required a divorce-seeker to be in the state for six months to qualify. This was a far cry from the strict divorce laws of many states—some would only grant a divorce in the cases of cruelty or adultery—and from the mores of the generally modest 1800s. 

What cemented Reno as a divorce haven was not the general modesty or strict divorce laws of the time, however. It was the headline news of Laura Corey’s 1906 divorce from the president of U.S. Steel, William Ellis Corey, one of the world’s richest men. This news triggered an influx of divorce-seekers, especially the wealthy and famous. 

Many businesses began profiting from the spike in temporary residents—but not all Nevadans were pleased with the situation. 

“There was some pushback from people who were concerned about … getting known for things that some might consider immoral,” Barber said. A 1913 bill was passed that increased Nevada residency to one year to satisfy this moral outcry from citizens. 

Just two years later, the bill was reversed, and the six-month residency was restored. 

“Those voices were definitely outweighed by those who were immediately concerned about the economic fallout of making it harder to get a (divorce),” Barber said. Economics drove Nevada to lower the residency period again in 1927, to three months, and in 1931, to six weeks. 

“What the divorce industry did in Reno was show its leaders and the broader public how much of an economic boost catering to the needs of outsiders could provide for the state or the city,” Barber said. 

Though modern “no-fault” divorce laws nationwide ended Reno’s reign as a divorce capital, the local economy still benefits from out-of-state visitors in other industries.  

“There’s always this desire to see how you can try to encourage investment and visitation from outsiders … whether it was no income tax or, more recently, having economic advantages for warehousing and logistics,” Barber said. “Sometimes that is ultimately good for the state or the city. Sometimes it might feel like it happens at the expense of people who live here. That’s just that constant balance that we’re always trying to strike in this state.” 

Ring toss 

“If you throw in your ring, you’ll never get another divorce,” said Isabelle Steers, played by Thelma Ritter, to the freshly divorced Roslyn Taber (Marilyn Monroe) in the 1961 movie The Misfits as they stood on the old Virginia Street Bridge overlooking the Truckee River. “Go ahead, honey. Everybody does it. More gold in that river than there is in the Klondike.” 

While Taber declined, instead opting for a drink at Harrah’s, the idea of throwing one’s ring into the Truckee from the Virginia Street Bridge was heavily advertised in pop culture throughout the height of Reno’s divorce fame. However, there is some debate over whether or not the practice occurred before the flux of postcards, media and literature popularized the idea—and just how many women ended up flinging their ring into the waters below. A 2015 Reno Gazette-Journal article “Fact Checker: Tossing wedding rings in Truckee a myth?“ found that the practice wasn’t as common as some in the media made it out to be. 

Though the celebratory tossing of love’s eternal symbol into the river might look crass, it is a reminder that access to divorce marked an important liberation for women. 

“I think in many ways, the divorce trade was connected to the campaigns for women’s rights,” Barber said. “I think that’s part of why it was accepted by so many Reno residents. … That was something a lot of people could relate to—and still can.” 

A growing, cosmopolitan town 

Beyond divorce, Reno gained another reputation—one reported on with surprise, as evident in the July 1922 Travel article “Aspects of Nevada’s Hybrid Metropolis—The Transformation of a Frontier Town—How the Divorce Industry Is Operated—Reno’s Reckless Past.” As said by writer William W. Greene: “The town is remarkably clean and well-kept, with many concrete sidewalks and a good deal of asphalt pavement.” 

The local amenities included more than sidewalks. By 1922, Reno boasted beautiful a train depot, a university, a Carnegie Free Public Library and numerous estates such as the (since-demolished) John Newton Evans mansion, built by a wealthy miner. 

“I think that was really why it became so fascinating to a lot of the divorce-seekers who came here. They expected to find a Wild West town,” Barber said. “Instead, it was this charming, cultural city with a river running through it, and the climate was beautiful, and there were shops and restaurants and all sorts of entertainment. It caught them by surprise.” 

As the decades wore on, the influx of divorce-seekers only increased the development and the cosmopolitan image of Reno. George Wingfield, for example, capitalized on the wealthier divorce clients by commissioning the luxury Riverside Hotel, by prominent architect Frederic DeLongchamps. He expanded the hotel in 1950 to include more rooms and a casino, where Frank Sinatra frequently performed. 

Historic divorce tour 

Here is a brief list of buildings that represent Reno’s divorce culture that you can still visit today. 

Southern Pacific Railroad Depot: Without a railroad to connect Reno to major cities across the country, the city might not have been able to attract so many divorce-seekers. “The train station itself was so important to that divorce industry,” Barber said. “People would talk about it being a place where you could ‘watch the tide come in. and the un-tied go out.’” The 1926 Mediterranean-style depot still operates today at 280 N. Center St. 

Riverside Hotel: Though Wingfield’s glorious hotel and casino no longer exists in that capacity, the six-story building stands to this day at 17 S. Virginia St., housing Sierra Arts Foundation, Wild River Grille and the Riverside Artist Lofts. 

Washoe County Courthouse: The stunning 1911 neo-classical building was the stage for tens of thousands of divorces. “These steps might truly be called the ‘great divide,’ as many thousands have tripped up united and returned divided,” said Lilyan Stratton, author of the 1921 novel Reno, about the building. The courthouse is located at 117 S. Virginia St. 

Downtown Post Office: “Gagsters claim enough alimony has come through the Reno post office to retire the War Debt,” a 1940s postcard depicting the Reno post office reads. Across the street from the courthouse, at 50 S. Virginia St., this Art Deco building now houses a large retail space and a basement-level marketplace called The Basement. 

Love will tear us apart 

Here is the easiest way to get a quickie divorce in Reno in 2024 (with no minor children and both spouses agreeing on all issues): 

• You must be a Nevada resident for at least six weeks. 

• You and your spouse must sign up for an electronic-filing account either online (www.washoecourts.com/EFiling/SignUp) or in person at the Second Judicial District Court Resource Center (1 S. Sierra St., third floor). 

• Fill out all forms under D-2 Joint Petition for Divorce, including Family Court Information Sheet, Joint Petition for Summary Decree of Divorce, Declaration of Resident Witness, Request for Submission and Index of Exhibits, and Exhibit Cover Page and Decree of Divorce. Find the forms at www.washoecourts.com/Main/FormsAndPackets. 

• Form information may be typed, but signatures must be made in pen. 

• File via mail, at the Resource Center or online. A fee of $284 applies. 

• Joint petitions are usually granted without a court hearing and quicker than complaints. 

• Free legal advice is offered through Lawyer in the Library via Zoom on Tuesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Find more information at www.washoecourts.com/LawLibrary/LawyerInLibrary.

This article was updated on April 10, 2024, to correct an error. Lilyan Stratton’s novel Reno was published in 1921, not in 2010 as we originally reported.