LaVere Redfield

The history of Arrow Creek Park is very interesting in that it is tied to a man described as Reno’s version of Howard Hughes…an eccentric millionaire by the name of LaVere Redfield. Unlike Hughes who was born into money, LaVere Redfield was born into a poor family but amassed millions during his lifetime through his own business prowess and penny-pinching ways. As a result, he died in 1974 leaving a substantial amount of land (including the land on which Arrow Creek Park is located) and other assets in Reno worth $70 million.  

A shrewd businessman, philanderer, gambler, hoarder, and extremely frugal, LaVere initially earned his money by investing in the stock market during the Great Depression. While many people lost everything in the crash of the stock market, LaVere became fabulously wealthy. He moved to Reno from California in 1935 to avoid the personal income tax that was being put in place in that state. In fact, Nevada seized the opportunity of California’s income tax to attract millionaires to our state with a “One Sound State” campaign promoting Nevada’s lack of state income tax, corporation tax, and inheritance tax.