50 Years Ago – Hughes Co. Buys Three More Claims- Hughes Tool Co., prime corporation in the Howard Hughes industrial empire, acquired three additional patented mining claims in Mineral County in the past year but gave no indication of any plans to develop or operate mining properties located in this county. The Hughes Company had previously acquired, late in 1968, 33 patented claims and some other mining property in this county. These acquisitions included 16 patented claims in Camp Douglas southeast of Garfield Flat, six patented claims compromising what is known as Garfield Mine and another 11 claims in the same general area.

10 Years Ago

  • Lifestyle Matters- Diabetes is becoming an American epidemic. In 2008, nearly 24 million Americans or about 8 percent of the U.S. population, had diabetes. This represents an increase of more than 3 million cases over two years, according to data from the Centers For Disease Control. In addition another 57 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition that puts them at increased risk for developing diabetes. In 1998, Nevada had one of the lowest rates of diabetes among the states, but a decade later our state had joined the rank of states with the highest rates of diabetes in the country. We who live in Mineral County appear to be at a particularly higher risk.
  • Depot Employee Receives Suspicious Letter- An employee of Hawthorne Army Depot (HWAD) opened a letter containing a white powdery substance. The depot immediately implanted its emergency procedures. Employees working in the immediate area were evacuated and appropriate decontamination procedures were performed. Mt. Grant General Hospital treated and released the employees who were in the area where the envelope was opened.

20 Years Ago

  • Lady Serpents Bust Mustangs- The Lady Serpents traveled to Lovelock to take on the Mustangs in a conference game. The Serpents faced their third conference game of the week against Lovelock who lost to Wooster by ten the previous week. The Serpents turned on the jets in this one, racing out to a 37-8 first quarter lead. The Serpents got 12 points each from Delicia Jernigan and Amanda Stinson in the period. Ashlee Orndoff and Sidney Orndoff each had three assists in the first quarter. The Serpent defense was tough, causing numerous Mustang turnovers. The Serpents allowed 43 points total by the Mustangs in this game, but still came home with their third conference win 78-43.
  • Cheerleaders Helped Dispose of Christmas Trees- The MCHS cheerleaders came to pick up older Christmas trees for the small fee of only $5 any day and time of your convenience.

30 Years Ago

  • Southern Pacific Railroad Line Being Abandoned From Thorne to Mina- Although the Southern Pacific Railroad Co. had made no public announcement, locally, the anticipated abandonment of the rail line between Thorne and Mina had actually commenced. Pacific Hide & Fur Co. of Great Falls, Mont. had the contract to remove the rails and ties from the 38-mile sector of the Hazen-Mina branch of the Southern Pacific line. It was understood that the remaining 100 miles of line between Thorne and Hazen would continue operation as some shipments of ammunition from the Hawthorne Army Ammunition Plant were made by rail, and there was also rail traffic between Wabuska and Hazen.

40 Years Ago

  • You Pay Only for your Own Registration- Don’t feel you are being asked to pay for another person’s boat registration renewal if you received someone else’s in the mail recently in addition to your own from Nevada Dept. of Wildlife- – because you are not. The department’s license office had discovered that a yet undetermined number of the 26,754 annual boat registration renewal forms were packaged two-per envelope instead of one as programmed and they asked that all who had received more than their own return them to NDOW as soon possible. “The problem apparently arose in Carson City where the computer printed forms were automatically placed into mailing envelopes”, said a representative of the Department’s Reno office. “since we had no way of knowing how many renewal forms were sent in error and exactly whose went astray, we asked that those who received extras please return them with their own completed boat forms in the return envelope.”

50 Years Ago

  • Parking Cars in Alley Prohibited- The Mineral County Sheriff’s Department, in cooperation with the Hawthorne Fire Department, requested all persons refrain from parking vehicles in alleys. “It is impossible for the fire apparatus to get through the alleys in some areas due to vehicles parked on both sides” said the sheriff’s office. Hawthorne Town Ordinance provides that no vehicles will park in alley ways effectively immediately, all vehicles parked in alleys and other “no parking” areas would be ticketed, officers said.

60 Years Ago

  • Slippery Highways Blamed for Several Car Accidents- The Hawthorne area had experienced a number of motor car mishaps, some of them serious, because of the snow and ice on the highway. A man of Hawthorne was taken to Mount Grant General Hospital for treatment as the result of an accident, on Highway 95 about 23 miles north of Hawthorne. The vehicle he was driving skidded on an icy stretch of pavement and went over a 15-foot embankment. That same day, a Reno man skidded from the icy road a short distance this side of Schurz. He and his passenger were taken to Fallon hospital for treatment.
  • Junior Bowling to Be Resumed- Junior bowling, sponsored by NAD Employees Services Board and Sanctioned by the American Junior Bowling Congress, were resumed this week at the Babbitt Bowling Lanes. This bowling was open to children of all station personnel in the age group twelve through eighteen years of age. The fee was 50 cents per person for the entry fee.

70 Years Ago

  • Cub Pack Held Card Party- Cub Scout Pack 337 held a public card party this week, at the Babbitt Recreation Hall to raise funds for support of cub work. Playing started early that evening and the admission charge was just 50 cents per person. Prizes were awarded for card games and there was a door prize. Refreshments were served as well.

80 Years Ago

  • More Training for Firemen- Instruction course was held for volunteer firefighters. The fire captain who conducts courses in technical and practical training for fire fighter groups throughout the state of Nevada as part of a program maintained by the state department of vocational training, division of trades, and industries, arrived in Hawthorne to again offer the course locally. The fire captain was instructing the marine fire fighting brigade at the naval ammunition depot, and classes for instruction at the Hawthorne Volunteer Fire Department by the veteran instructor, who for 25 years was a member of the city of Los Angeles Fire Department prior to retirement.
  • Restaurant, Bar at Gallo’s Inn Enlarged; Many Changes Noted- Keeping pace with the building progress in the community, or setting it, as it was advertised, in his slogan, Mike Gallo completed the finishing details on the enlargement of the restaurant and bar facilities at the Gallo’s Inn. Most of the remodeling was done during the holidays with major alterations completed for New Year’s Eve.

90 Years Ago

  • Highway South of Here Open to Public Now- The Hawthorne-Kinkhead stretch of the north-south highway has been completed and is now open for travel, having been accepted by the highway department superintendent, John C. Rodder. He personally conducted the ceremonies of opening the new road by tearing down all the detour signs and announcing he was well pleased with the entire section.