Alicia Barber: Collaborator and Cultivator of Place
- Author
- Women of Diversity Productions Inc
- Published
- Sun 27 Jul 2025
- Episode Link
- None
What sparks a community’s love for its own story? In this episode of The Women Who Saved History, Claytee White and Su Kim Chung sit down with Alicia Barber, a public historian, writer, and founder of Stories in Place, to find out how she has redefined what it means to preserve Nevada’s past. Alicia shares how childhood road trips across America ignited her passion for place and how her fascination with Reno led her to turn the city into both a doctoral focus and a lifelong mission. From launching digital platforms like Reno Historical and Reno Divorce History to collaborating with local agencies to fund and share overlooked narratives, Alicia has made public history both accessible and vital. She also opens up about her transition from academia to independent historical work, the creative ways she’s navigated funding challenges, and what makes preserving Nevada’s stories so personally meaningful. Tune in to discover how Alicia is helping Nevadans connect more deeply with their places (and each other) through history!
Key Points From This Episode:
- Founding Stories in Place: Bringing history into the public sphere.
- Childhood road trips that sparked a lifelong love of place for Alicia.
- Finding Reno and making it the focus of her doctoral work.
- Discovering public history and oral history through mentorship.
- Working with the National Park Service on storytelling for sites.
- Becoming an independent public historian through necessity and passion.
- Preserving history through creative, collaborative funding.
- Creating digital tools like Reno Historical and Reno Divorce History.
- Making local history accessible to students, residents, and policymakers.
- Challenges of funding and the undervaluing of historic preservation.
- Growing public interest and progress in Reno’s preservation efforts.
- Significant historical locations in Reno that are close to Alicia’s heart.
- What makes public history in Nevada so rewarding for Alicia.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Historic Reno Preservation Society
'Time & Place with Alicia Barber' on KUNR
University of Nevada Oral History Program Transcripts
Nevada Museum of Art: Essay - A Legacy Revered
‘Through the Lens: Honoring the Architectural Legacy of Paul Revere Williams’
