10 Years Ago 10 Years Ago
(From the Files of June 14, 2007)
• For the past week U.S. Marines from Camp Pendleton, Calif. have been in the Hawthorne area taking advantage of the Hawthorne Army Depot facilities, nearby desert and mountain terrains and the Hawthorne Airport. The Marines arrived in Hawthorne last week and immediately commenced their desert and mountain warfare training. The U.S. Air Force assisted the Marines in their training.
• Hawthorne Volunteer Fire Department hosted the 72nd Annual Nevada State Firefighters Association. Firefighters all over the state will converge in Hawthorne for meetings, training and fun. Activities and events that took place were: Arson Investigation Class, fire sprinkler simulator, emergency vehicle driving course, trap shoot and golf. The NSFA Training Committee has a great line up of classes that include live fire training. This year’s training will also include new simulators such as: The Nevada State Fire Marshall and the Nevada Board for the regulation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas introduced the LP Gas simulator, West Wendover Fire Department introduced their new Live Fire Burn Trailer, NAS Fallon Fire Department brought their ARFF Simulator.
• U.S. Marines of the 3rd Marine Division and Regiment were training in Hawthorne recently and also participated in special activities around the community. One of these activities was visiting the Hawthorne Primary School and reading to the kids. Those Marines who took part in the activity were: Lance Cpls- David Polson, Christopher Sadoski, Tanya Davis, Kerry Warren, Mark Attridge, Cpl Brain Tuthill and Master Gunnery Sgt. Mike Williams.
• Ron Lovejoy of Mina received his diploma from Placer Union High School on June 2. Lovejoy enlisted with the Army as a sophomore in High School, went to war and became a Prisoner of War in Korea. He took responsibility to go back to school and get his diploma, even if it was a few years late. (Our thanks and congratulations to Ron.)
20 Years Ago
• Fifty-one seniors and seven graduating adults received diplomas at commencement exercises held at Mineral County high School.
• Forty-four Eighth Graders were promoted from the Hawthorne Middle School. There were three students promoted at the Schurz Grade School exercises.
• A great American Heritage was brought back to this area when Wes and Carol Spalding of Death Valley arrived in Hawthorne for a Sunday night’s stay. The Spalding’s boarded their covered wagon that was powered by six trusty burros. They were traveling to Reno Wild Horse and Burro Show. They were writing a book about their adventures to be published by a national magazine.
30 Years Ago
• Commencement Exercises for 63 graduating seniors was held at Mineral County High School. Matthew Chase was named Valedictorian of the Class of 1987.
• Nine seniors graduated from Gabbs High School and Chris Usry was chosen as valedictorian.
• 64 Eighth Graders were promoted from the Hawthorne Elementary School.
• The 1987 racing season at the Hawthorne Speedway was started and the top drivers of the race were: “Flying Floyd” Griffin, Willie Ferrier, Mike Weier, Leonard Hornbarger, Arion Fagg, Scott Halse, Randy Canady and Andy Cramer.
40 Years Ago
• Ninety-seven seniors at Mineral County High School received diplomas and 102 Eighth Graders received Graduation Certificates.
• Miss Karen Hobbs of Hawthorne was chosen as the 1977 “AAUW Girl of the Year.”
• Television assessments were set at $15 per year, an increase of $3 from the previous year.
• Articles in the newspaper recalled two Hawthorne pioneers who passed away 20 years ago that week. Mrs. Neva Ferretti, who had lived in Hawthorne most of her life and was elected to represent Mineral County in the 1929 Session of the Nevada State Assembly, died in Reno and Guy A. McInnis, who lived in Hawthorne for over 60 years, also died in a Reno hospital. Guy was also very active in civic affairs in this community, having served as a county commissioner, school trustee and also a member of the local Selective Service Board.
50 Years Ago
• Joseph Berlat of Hawthorne as installed Nevada Department Commander of the Disabled American Veterans.
• Donald Tippin of Tippin Gas and Appliance was elected president of the Nevada Liquid Gas Dealers Association.
• Local women bowlers took several honors at the state tournament held in Reno. Hawthorne teams took first in both the B and C divisions, with two other Hawthorne teams finishing third and fifth place in the C Division all-events, and Marion Russell third in the B Division team were Kathy Moore, Alice Craft, Velma Brown, Marion Russell and Wilma Hill. Members of the C Division teams were Pat Cox, Asalee Baldry, Rose Nelson, Dorothy Jones and Ruth Welsh. Taking third in the in the C Division was the team of Dee Barlow, Kay Bunch, Cora Marshall, Darlene Genders and Patty Bisiaux.
• Former Governor Mike O’Callaghan was named Director of Emergency Planning for Region 7 with head quarters in Santa Rosa, Calif.
60 Years Ago
• District Judge William D. Hatton announced his retirement from the bench after serving the Fifth Judicial District for over 22 years.
70 Years Ago
• Hawthorne’s newest local establishment was opened. A modern and complete ice cream parlor and recreation center for children, with its own ice cream manufacturing center. Known as the Brown Owl, occupying the former Turf Club building at 6th and F Streets. There were no gambling devices and no liquor permitted on the premises.
• Harrah’s Club baseball team of Reno defeated the Hawthorne Merchants 17-14 in a 10-inning game.
• Mineral County High School Serpents lost their baseball game to Reno 9-1.
• The Junior Class at MCHS won the Interclass Track Meet held at the high school.
• Baseball reached a new high and a lot of old men did a lot of reaching too, when the “All Stars” met the Merchants in a practice tilt in Hawthorne. The game was called at the end of the sixth inning on account of darkness and account of lack of reserves for the “All Stars” who had gone through a roster of 22 players.
Major Olin Beall stole the show with his air-tight pitching, striking out nine Merchant sluggers in five innings. “Lefty” Mayer of the “All Stars” hit the longest home run of the season. Outside of a few errors the “old men” played all around the highly touted Merchants. The Merchants won 10-5.
Besides Beall and Mayer, those who gave immeasurable support to the “All Stars” were L. Kessler; Savage; McKenna; Tucker; H. Kessler; Kolin; Rich; Ruward; Burke; Contero; Purrell; McFarland; Riddle; Seevers; Smith; Hall; Hobbs; Bender; Fortenberry and O. Gladstone.
Pulling the Merchants out of a tight spot were Garrett; Posdell; Williams; C. Gladstone; Hynd; King; Land; Owen and Pond.
80 Years Ago
• Minimum wage law for women working in Nevada passed by the 1937 Legislature went into effect. Law required that women be paid $3 per day for eight-hour day, and $18 weekly for a 48-hour work week.
• Dewatering of the Simon Mine was started by the Bryan Mining Co. which replaced the Simon Silver-Lead Mines, Inc., as operating company.
• Charles “Alabam” Tiller announced he had taken over the Walker Lake Club and planned to reopen the bar.
• American Legion Post 19 conducted Memorial Day services at the Hawthorne Elementary School auditorium. George McCracken, principal of Churchill County High School, delivered the address of the day.
• Dud Lewis and J.P. Powers families reported success of a home-made system of recovering gold and silver at Aurora. They were digging up that once served as the “foundation” for board sidewalks and screening it through a rebuilt bed springs and recovered coins of varied denominations, also a valuable ring.
• Graduation exercises were held for eight pupils who received diplomas from Hawthorne Elementary School. They were Mathew Baker; Charles Bernreuter; Elaine Conelly; Kathleen Glenzer; Marion Griffin; Lloyd Hughes and Mary Smith. County Clerk D.M. Buckingham was the speaker for the occasion.
• Mina Elementary School held graduation exercises and diplomas were presented to three graduates: Sarah Eckley, Inez Leyva and William Thompson by the Deputy State Superintendent of Public Instruction Raymond Killian who also was the principal speaker at the exercises.