Lillian Finnegan: The Candy Dancer

Genoa, Nevada

Known as Genoa's godmother, Lillian Virgin Finnegan invented the town's "Candy Dance" in 1919 to raise money for streetlights (People paid money to attend, and home-made candy was an incentive). The dance was so successful that it was held every year to pay the electric bill. It's still an annual event.

On the 100th anniversary of the first Candy Dance a bronze statue of Lillian was unveiled. Sculpted by Debrine Smedley, it depicts Lillian wearing a dress made for dancing while holding a tray of candy.

According to the plaque on the statue base, Lillian directed her final Candy Dance in 1937 from a couch in her home. "Her terminal illness kept her from attending the final event of her life," reads the plaque, "even though she was dressed and ready."