60 Years Ago – During a routine inspection by an expert lumber representative of the U.S. Army’s Corps of Engineers, part of the lumber at the Naval Ammunition Depot was found to be invested with an insect tentatively identified as the Lyctus Beetle.

10 Years Ago:

  • A national sporting event for the Tournament of Champions / Pro-Am Armwrestling was held in Hawthorne at Barley’s Sports Bar. More than 100 entries were on tap for the National Champion Title with participants coming from all over the United States.
  • A bear was struck and killed on Highway 95 near the gravel pit area at Walker Lake. Apparently, the bear was crossing the highway while going or coming from Mt. Grant to Walker Lake. Being killed on Depot property, the bear was loaded into a pickup and taken by John Peterson, Natural Resources Specialist at the depot to the Nevada Department of Wildlife facility in Yerington.
  • SOC Hawthorne had recently increased the Hawthorne Youth Football League’s (HYFL) 2009 operating budget by $500. General Manager Cliff Cichowlaz presented cheer coordinator Crystal Sasser and Stephanie Hart, board secretary a check to help with this season’s uniforms.

20 Years Ago:

  • The United States Army Industrial Operations Command (IOC) announced that Day & Zimmermann Hawthorne Corporation was selected as the contractor to provide the Conventional Ammunition Depot Operations and Demilitarization services mission assigned to the Hawthorne Army Depot.
  • Hand crafted items, fruits and vegetables, baked good, vinegar recipes and many other entries in the county fair were shown on display in the community center.

30 Years Ago:

  • The Santa Fe Mine located between Luning and Gabbs on Aug. 18 celebrated its first year of production of gold from the property and with it commended the employees for completion of a full year of operation without a lost time accident.
  • A 19-year-old man who had pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to discharge a firearm at or into a vehicle was given a three-year suspended sentence and placed on probation for a like period by District Judge William Beko.

40 Years Ago:

  • Possibility that another medical doctor may establish practice in Hawthorne was discussed at an informal meeting held at the courthouse. Participating in the discussion with Richard W. Heffner, M.D., were county commissioners and other county officials, trustees and staff members of Mt. Grant Hospital and other interested citizens.
  • At the Mineral County School Board meeting, members voted to allow the Community Action Center (CAC) to continue plans to open the old gym as a recreation facility. A year’s lease agreement, with conditions agreeable to the district and the Consolidated Agencies of Human Services, CAC would be the basis of final school board approval, it was stated.

50 Years Ago:

  • A bright fiery object in the sky was definitely believed to have been a meteor was seen by Mineral County residents. The object was viewed by many shortly before nine o’clock and was variously described as a flying saucer, a crashing airplane or a missile, in numerous phone calls made to the sheriff’s office. Later in the night it was reported a meteor had been sighted in the sky in a path from Washington to Arizona.
  • Hospital authorities issued a warning to the children in Hawthorne who may have been eating fruit from local fruit trees. Most of the fruit trees in Hawthorne were sprayed with poisonous insecticide sprays and unless the fruit was washed before it was eaten serious illness may have resulted.

60 Years Ago:

  • Bonanza Air Lines announced intention to terminate air passenger, mail and freight service into Hawthorne on Sept. 27 was expected to meet with opposition. A representative of the airline appeared before the board of commissioners and made known the company’s plan to discontinue the local service and to terminate use of the county-operated field north of town. Expressing displeasure at what was described as somewhat abrupt action on the part of the airline, the board agreed to ask the opinion of the Nevada Public Service Commission.

70 Years Ago:

  • Application blanks for the NSLI special dividend to be paid to present and former policy holders was now available to veterans, it was announced by the local VFW. To assist the local veterans, John Franklin Shain Post No. 2313 Veterans of Foreign Wars had set up a booth at Joe’s Tavern in Hawthorne and another at the Babbitt Library.
  • United States Senator Pat McCarran was to visit Hawthorne and appear at two public gatherings where he would discuss national legislation and administrative policy of vital interest and concern to this locality.

80 Years Ago:

  • Mineral County was thirteenth among Nevada’s seventeen counties in assessed valuation of property for taxation, according to a report that was made public at Carson City. The valuation for this county was $4,117, 446. Mineral’s big neighbor county of Nye, with its large town of Tonopah, exceeded Mineral by only $24,040 in taxable property.
  • Mrs. J. G. Rand, born Clara Hawthorne, now living in at Idanha, Ore. according to letters addressed to county auditor and recorder J. J. Conelly, was inclined to believe that she may still have an interest in property in Mineral County once owned by William A. Hawthorne, her grandfather, for whom the town was named. Connelly stated that the county records indicate that every transaction by Hawthorne, his sons and other heirs was legally and properly made and that no technicalities were apparent by which the granddaughter might have any interest in any property formerly owned here by Hawthorne.

90 Years Ago:

  • Harvesting of the “Hearts of Gold” cantaloupe crop was started in full swing over the weekend in the Fernley and Fallon sections with the first carload shipment made from Fernley, billed to Detroit, Mich. The consignment was from the Frank McCulloch and C. W. Stock farms.
  • A galaxy of fifty Hawthorne beaus and belles partook of Bodie’s pompous hospitality. Hollywood had not yet arrived but the visitors were out for a lark and the best good time ever was the unanimous verdict.