90 Years Ago – Report had it that two undercover agents of the federal prohibition service visited Hawthorne and sampled the different brands of liquid joy on sale at the arsenal city. It was likewise rumored that the strangers’ activities aroused suspicion and next morning they were held up in the best Wild Western manner, their evidence “confiscated” and roads leading from Hawthorne indicated. They were said to have departed and not heard from since.

10 Years Ago:

  • Once again, Hawthorne Army Depot was participating in Golden Cargo 2009, a national military training exercise lasting two weeks. Golden Cargo 2009 was in the latest in a series of annual training operations sponsored by the Joint Munitions Command. Army Reserve and Navy Reserve units joined together in the training exercise that utilizes Army depots of Hawthorne, Nevada and Sierra, at Herlong, Calif. The troops would be traveling by convoy transporting military ammunitions from the depot in Herlong to Hawthorne.
  • A competitive auction of lease parcels for geothermal energy resources on federal public lands in California, Nevada and Utah generated $9,098,304 in revenue for 255,347.158 acres. The high bid per acre was for a Nevada Parcel at $3,800 per acre by Ormat Nevada Inc. The highest bid paid for a parcel was $2,649,150 by TGP Development Co. LLC. for 5,045.168 acres.

20 Years Ago:

  • Eyes of the Hawthorne residents were to be set on the highways watching for the pro-arena and monster trucks that would be pouring into town for the big “King of the West” Sports Spectacular that was to be held at the Hawthorne Centennial Speedway located at the north end of town.
  • The U.S. Army Project Manager for Non-Stockpile Chemical Material successfully transported over 17,000 M687 155mm binary projectiles containing M21 OPS canisters from Deseret Chemical Depot located in Utah to Hawthorne Army Depot for recycling and disposal.

30 Years Ago:

  • Two men were arrested by Mineral County Sheriff’s deputies, one in Hawthorne and one at Mina, and it was learned that one was wanted in Ohio on multiple charges and the other was an escapee from a North Carolina prison. Picked up in Hawthorne when a report was received that a man was prowling near the southeast corner of Fifth and H Streets was a man identified as Kenneth Wayne Short. A check with criminal record sources identified Short as being an escapee from the North Carolina institution who was notified he was being held in the local jail and authorities came from that state to take custody.
  • Congresswoman Barbara Vucanovich announced that the Walker River Indian Reservation had been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

40 Years Ago:

  • A female adult identified as Sandra Varner of Oregon and two male juveniles were arrested by Mineral County Sheriff’s Department for defrauding an innkeeper in Hawthorne. The arrests were made south of Coaldale Junction, following a high speed pursuit.
  • The Hawthorne Stingray Swim Team won honors at the Kiwanis Invitational meet in Winnemucca. Matt Arant of Hawthorne received the trophy for making the highest in points for the boys 13- 14 years of age.

50 Years Ago:

  • Mr. Robert Gill, commander of the American Legion Post 19, announced a flag burning ceremony in front of the monument at the cemetery. Anyone who wished to dispose of a flag was requested to bring it the American Legion Hall prior to the ceremony. The public was invited to attend and observe the proper way to dispose of a flag.
  • The last one-teacher school in Mineral County School District closed its doors at Scheelite and will not re-open in September. This was necessary as the Nevada Scheelite Company would be moving its plant to Fallon and students that did attend school in Scheelite would reside and attend school in Fallon.

60 Years Ago:

  • An order had been handed down by the federal power commission approving a rate increase for electric energy sold by California Electric Power Co. to the Mineral county power system and the Hawthorne naval ammunition depot. The new rates, amount to about 12 per cent increase over rates which have been in effect for several years.
  • Southern Pacific Railroad Company had paid its first installment of 1958-59 fiscal year taxes to Mineral County under protest. This action was construed by some as an indication that S.P. was considering following the lead of Union Pacific in instituting legal action against the state and counties for what the utility terms inequities in tax valuations.

70 Years Ago:

  • A crew of 12 men began construction last week on an approximate nine mile stretch of new power lines between the famous old gold camp of Bodie and Del Monte in Bodie Canyon. This is the first new line constructed by the Mineral County Power system since 1945 when a line was put in from Del Monte to Lucky Boy summit.
  • Formal application was made to the State Elks Crippled Children’s Hospital association for the proposed hospital to be built in Hawthorne. According to the reports of delegates who attended the Elks Convention in Las Vegas, Hawthorne had a good chance to obtain the Nevada State Elks association project.

80 Years Ago:

  • The town of Hawthorne, after almost sixty years of existence, was to have a fire truck at last. Announcement was made at the meeting of the volunteer fire department that a deal had been closed for the purchase of a Ford chassis suitable to meet the requirements of a light truck and that a fire truck body was being specially built for the truck.
  • A rich body of gold ore was uncovered at La Panta, about twelve miles south of Hawthorne, according to reports brought to Hawthorne. The ore had been uncovered for twenty-two inches and was in a sugar quartz formation similar to that in which exceedingly high values in gold had been mined in the past years in the district. From the rich pannings made it had been estimated that the ore would maintain an average value of $1,000 a ton.

90 Years Ago:

  • The “Oasis” Hawthorne’s newest and niftiest ice cream parlor was ready for business. It occupied the north porch of the Adams and Miller store building. It was equipped with the most up-to-date fountain in the state and would be all its name implies.