10 Years Ago – Search for missing pilot Steve Fossett who had taken off from Flying M Ranch, located in Lyon County about 9:30 a.m. on Monday, September 3, and was scheduled to return by noon. When he failed to return on time the authorities were notified. Receiving the call in Hawthorne, Sheriff Ed Smith summoned the Mineral County Search and Rescue to get ready to join the search. All week long a thorough air and ground search was conducted in the mountains and deserts in Mineral County by the Nevada National Guard, Nevada Civil Air Patrol, Mineral County Search and Rescue, Lyon County Search and Rescue and volunteers, Mono County, Washoe County and a special unit from Klamath Falls, Ore. who was called in by Barron Hilton. 45 air craft aided in the efforts to locate Fossett. (Fossett was located in the Sierra Nevada’s of east-central California13 months after his disappearance).

10 Years Ago

• September 15, 2007 the Hawthorne Army Depot celebrated its 77th Birthday.

• Western Nevada College photo class was escorted on Mt. Grant for some photo opportunities. Entering at Cottonwood Canyon and exiting out through Cory Canyon they would escorted by Dennis Bunch, Glenn Bunch and Art Scott who were also looking for the lost pilot of Steve Fossett.

20 Years Ago

• The student count on Sept. 2 was 1,019 district wide. The schools were to have the “official” count day on Sept. 19.

• The 7th Annual Mineral County Fair was being held with exhibits of crafts, flowers, baked goods, vegetables and fruits. The big International Pro Rodeo, sponsored by the Mineral County Horseman’s Association was set to be held on Saturday, the 13th.

• On Wednesday evening, Sept. 3 flash flood water caused severe damage to the road in Alum Creek Canyon, a few miles south of Hawthorne. Thunder clouds formed all afternoon and about 5:30 that evening, a four to six foot wall of water rushed to the valley floor carrying about six inches of mud, rocks and drift wood over State Route 359.

30 Years Ago

• Rear Admiral Robert Ailes, U.S. Navy, made a tour of the Naval facilities still active at the Hawthorne Army Ammunition Plant.

• Mineral County High School Serpents opened the 1987 football season when both the varsity and junior varsity chalked up victories over Lowry High School of Winnemucca. The Varsity edged the Buckaroos 15-12 and the JV’s stopped the Winnemucca Juniors 12-6.

• The Walker Lake Unit of Nevada Civil Air Patrol was being reorganized in Hawthorne.

40 Years Ago

• Local softball fans were treated to some of the best softball playing in the country when they watched the Regional Playoffs in the American Softball Association, a Division, with teams from Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada competing right here in Hawthorne. The Miami Sawaias of Miami, Ariz. won the championship and eventually went on to win the National Finals with big wins over Florida and California to become National Champions.

• The Serpent Football team was defeated by a strong Fallon Greenwave team 26-0.

• The Annual Pete Castellani Memorial Stock Car races were scheduled to be held on the weekend on the Hawthorne Speedway.

50 Years Ago

• A big all-day event to celebrate the 37th birthday of the Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot was held at the Sportsman’s Beach at Walker Lake. The day’s events were complete with a water skiing competition, games for all ages and a big fireworks display to climax the program that night. Everyone had a great time.

60 Years Ago

• Lewis Lloyd of Fallon was the victim of an armed robbery in board daylight on the Pole Line Road about 15 miles south of Hawthorne between the hours of 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.

• Mr. and Mrs. Joby Lewis owners of Hawthorne’s Monte Carlo, offered $500 as the prize in a contest to name Hawthorne’s main street. Judge Vane Day made the suggestion and also sought approval from the county commissioners to hold the contest.

• A. W. (Al) Miles, well-known Hawthorne businessman, purchased the interest of A. D. (Al) Bailey in the Bailey-Miles Buick Company in Hawthorne. The firm then became known as the Miles Buick Company.

70 Years Ago

• The 1947 MCHS football team started practice for the year with many seniors and lettermen returning. Henry “Lefty” Mayer was head coach and was assisted by Virgil Franklin and Frank Seevers. The first game was set to be against the Ely Bobcats.

• The Walker Lake Club was burglarized during the night and two hours after the incident was reported the next morning two men were arrested at Sparks as the suspects.

• Knights of Pythias and Pythians Sisters Lodges made final plans for holding the state conventions in Hawthorne.

• The FWA granted $5,750 to Mineral County schools to make plans for needed expansions of facilities.

80 Years Ago

• Applications of nine Mineral County residents were approved by the county commissioners to receive old age pension under the new law federal Social Security program. First approved was A. H. “Patsy” Patterson, long-time law enforcement official, whose 81 years easily met the 65-year age requirement. The first nine applicants approved were eight men and one woman.

• Mineral County High School opened for all the fall term with 55 students registered. 40 boys and 15 girls. The freshman class was the smallest, for the first time in many years with only ten students, while other three classes had 15 each. A class in vocational carpentry, commonly known as “shop” was being added at the high school. Enrollment at Hawthorne Elementary School was 64, one more than the 63 total at the Mina Elementary.

• The Independent-News was publishing in installments, the Reconnaissance of Mining Districts, published by the U.S. Bureau of Mines after completion of detailed information prepared by William O. Vandenburg, who spent several months in the field and researching records.