60 Years Ago – The Independent-News office and printing plant was moved to its present location at 5th and D Streets, from its former location at 643 F St.
10 Years Ago
• With recent snowfall in the mountains around Mineral County, numerous residents and visitors took advantage of the opportunity to “Play in the Snow”. Lucky Boy Grade is one of the favorite areas where everyone gathered to have on New Year’s Day and the previous weekends. Reports have been given that up to eight inches of snow had fallen on Lucky Boy and weather reporters predict that much more snow is expected to fall this weekend.
• Members of the Western Nevada College Field Studies Photography Class made their last trip of the Fall Semester December 1 to the Indian writings near Bishop, Calif. Those that attended were: John Beavers, Betty Easley; Bonnie Wolven; Ron Wolven; Anna Morgan; Shelley Hartmann; Bill Hartmann and Wiggs Matheny.
• Resolution to set aside surplus real property for expansion of existing rodeo and livestock properties an establishment of Mineral County Fairgrounds.
• Approximately eighteen properties were sold at public auction to the highest bidder to satisfy back taxes, penalties, interest and administrative costs.
20 Years Ago
• The North Central Narcotics Task Force and Mineral County Sheriff’s Department deputies made several arrests in Mineral County on drug related charges during the week.
• The local bowling team consisting of Lloyd Brown, Gary Funk, Rick Higgins and John Merrell of Hawthorne and Sterling Ripley of Tonopah, won the 1997 Team Championship in the Nevada State Bowling Tournament held in Carson City. They also set a new state record with a score of 3,680. Rick Higgins also was the 1st place winner of the Handicap All-Events bowling event at the state tournament with a total score of 2,407.
• The second annual Walker Lake Christmas Bird Count was planned for Jan. 3. Many local volunteers were ready with their binoculars for the big event.
30 Years Ago
• Security Bank of Nevada’s name was changed to Valley Bank when Security was merged with Valley Bank.
• The holiday weekend is filled with several auto accidents in this area. Christopher Valvo of Los Angeles was injured in an accident 12 miles east of Hawthorne on Highway 95; Eric Massman of Tempe, Ariz. was injured in an auto accident that occurred 26 miles north of Hawthorne; Mary Estes of Fallon had an accident seven miles north of Hawthorne for medical attention and a 1988 Pontiac with Arizona license plates was listed as abandoned when it was towed from a wreck scene on Highway 95 about 17 miles north of Hawthorne.
40 Years Ago
• The Serpents boys’ varsity basketball team defeated Indian Springs 67-65, in a game played before the Christmas Vacation. The Serpents had a game during the vacation against the Yerington Lions. The Serpents defeated the Lions 59-52.
• Bids were to be opened on a contract to complete Phase II and III of the Hawthorne Swimming Pool at Lions Park. Bids were received before, but the only bid received was rejected because it exceeded the amount of funds available.
50 Years Ago
• Two well known Hawthorne men, Emrose E. Price and William D. Hershud, met tragic death when their airplane crashed into Walker Lake while participating in a search for two California fishermen who had been reported in trouble on the lake when the motor in their boat failed.
• Kenneth L. (Pat) Mann officially assumed duties as judge of the Fifth Judicial District Court when he was administered the oath of office by Mineral County Clerk Martha G. Barlow at a ceremony held in Hawthorne.
• New postal rates went into effect raising first class mail to $0.06 an ounce and postal cards $0.05.
60 Years Ago
• Capitan William Richter, commanding officer of the Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot the past two years, departed for his home in Pensacola, Fla. He retired after a Navy career of 33 years.
• Information charging Raymond W. Schuman and Melvin L. Rowland with the murder of Vernon P. Stallard was filed by District Attorney Leonard E. Blaisdell. The two young Navy deserters were jointly charged with the murder of the Sparks Wells Cargo driver whose body was found Dec. 12 at a point 6 ½ miles north of Schurz.
• Vane Day’s Quote of the Day—“Enter the new year with enthusiasm. Nothing is more contagious. It is genius of sincerity, with success and happiness accomplishing no victories without it.”
• The Mineral County Chapter of the NAACP elected new officers. Named were Clanton Williams, president; James Davis, vice president; Vera Jenkins, secretary; Lee Watson, treasurer. Members of the Executive Board were Samuel Howard, Robert Davis, Clarence Blanks, Rev. Lawrence Daniel and Abraham Speights.
70 Years Ago
• Mr. and Mrs. Frank Marik of Los Angeles purchased the Hawthorne Bakery from Ted Miller.
• Judge Wm. D. Hatton ruled against Walter Neal in his $25,000 damage suit against city officials.
• The Mineral County DAV chapter prepared for holding of the state convention in Hawthorne.
80 Years Ago
• Congressman James Scrugham made formal request to the Secretary of the Navy to advise him of status of a planned $1,472,000 expansion of facilities at the Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot.
• An editorial in the Independent-News asserted “Some day Nevada may cease to exist as a state, rather be supplanted by the State of Reno.” The editorial complained that too many state government services were being moved from the state capitol (Carson City) to Reno.
• Sad news was received that the Interstate Commerce Commission had authorized Central Pacific/Southern Pacific Railroad to abandon approximately 50 miles of its narrow gauge line between Tonopah Junction (just south of Mina) to Benton, Calif. The southern portion of the line built by the Carson & Colorado Railroad Co. ran from Mina to Keeler, Calif.
• An allotment of almost $6,000 for construction of tennis courts and improvements of school grounds in Hawthorne and Mina was announced by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Work would be done as a WPA project.
• Serpent basketball team again defeated the Stewart Braves, this time at Stewart, by a score of 36-25.
• State Department of Vocational Education scheduled another school for prospectors and miners to be conducted at the Mina school with L. B. Spencer of Mina as the instructor for the three week course to be offered at evening classes.
