10 Years Ago
• At the Mineral County School District on Thursday, Aug. 16 the main focus was on the hiring of a new superintendent for the district.
20 Years Ago
• An amber alert was broadcast over the radio and TV about the kidnapping of a 10 year old girl from Riverside, California. Around 2 p.m., Jim Price of Hawthorne spotted the vehicle driving north on US 95 out of Hawthorne. Price reported the vehicle to Trooper Wurster who notified the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office and Walker River Tribal Police. A short time later the suspect was taken into custody and the girl was taken to Reno by FBI agents to meet with her family. It was stated that “Jim Price is the real hero here.”
• Tamarisk Removal around Walker River channels has begun.
30 Years Ago
• The second annual “Hawaiian Day” celebration was held at Hawthorne. Several events were featured in the program including mud volleyball games, “rib cook off” contest, and the celebration ended with a big “Hawthorne Picnic” style Iuau.
• ProAm and Expert BMX races made a big scene at the Hawthorne BMX track at the National Bike League Nevada state qualifying races.
• The annual President’s Cup golf tournament was held at Walker Lake County Club at the base.
40 Years Ago
• Walker Lake Volunteer Fire Department added an extra “watch” in an effort to apprehend persons guilty of stealing gasoline from the community firetruck.
• Mineral County Commissioners were to meet with members of the town advisory board to discuss matters including property cleanup, conditions of the town dump, town water, fire truck and streets.
• The Mineral County Democratic Central Committee invited the community to attend their annual picnic at Lions Park.
50 Years Ago
• There was an increase in the total number of registered voters in Mineral County for the primary election. It was the highest total of registered voters (3,552) since all time highest out of 1954 (3,611). The total number of registered voters in Babbitt numbered 681.
• Harley Harmon announced that he and a group of Southern Nevada businessmen and public officials would be touring the state to encourage cooperation between business people. Group was scheduled to visit Hawthorne and tour the Naval AmmunitionDepot.
• A young man was arrested following an investigation by local sheriff‘s officers when a row of blue chip stamps from the Save-U-More station were reported stolen.
• The Tumbleweed Dress Shop in the Babbitt Shopping Center advertised a “Going Out of Business” sale, and everything in the store was half price or lower.
60 Years Ago
• The Independent-News printed a sketch of a proposed recreation facility at 16-mile point at Walker Lake. It was estimated that the complete recreational, boat launching and picnic area would cost about $15,000.
• Winners of the “Scotch Foursome” nine hole golf tournament were Gladys Baxter and Earl Boardman with a net 37 1/2 and second place with a net 38 were Eve Boardman and Horace Baxter. The announcement included that “both teams were popular regulars and it couldn’t happen to a nicer cupal-a-couples.”
• Two range fires flared up near Hawthorne and were extinguished by firefighters of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. The first blaze was near the Scanavion Ranch along the Mono County Line and 15 miles south of Mark Twain Camp on the Pole Line Road.
70 Years Ago
• Sheriff Deputies were on the lookout for William Merle Martin who was listed on the FBI’s ten most wanted list, and was reported as being in Nevada. Roadblocks were being set up when the wanted man was last seen traveling north in a dark sedan.
• The baseball league made a report of summer activities including photographs of some of the highlights: Prentice Gazaway of Motel team coming into third with Jimmy Kinsfather of the Yankees catching, and Victor Trujillo catching for the Economy team with Rushkirk Rouse of the Elks at bat.
• Bonanza Airlines announced that the twice daily flights to Hawthorne could not be resumed before September because of the short operating personnel.
80 Years Ago
• Merle Swanson received a fractured skull, collarbone and ribs when he fell more than twenty feet while working as a construction worker at the Naval Ammunition Depot.
• Following continued health inspections by the state, health department recommendations were made to the district attorney to close two stores and two restaurants unless the owners immediately corrected conditions in violations of statutes.
• Formation of a new school district in Nye County was completed and temporary buildings were to be installed to serve the residents of Gabbs.
• The Navy started construction of house trailer parking facilities to accommodate 300 trailers at the south end of Babbitt.
90 Years Ago
• Valuation of Mineral County dropped from $5,571,343 to $5,447,563. Railroad valuation continued to be the great part of the county total, the assessment for 1932 being $3,856,074.
• Voter registration in Mineral County showed a gain over 1930, increasing from the 1930 total of 1,015 to 1,156 in 1932. Republicans with 587, still held a slight edge over Democrats with 510, but Democrats showed gains of 21 over the 1930 total while the Republicans lost two. Likewise, those in the miscellaneous category dropped from 61 to 59.
• The Federal government’s cost of enforcing the dry law in Nevada was the highest of any state in the nation, according to the U. S. Prohibition Director who spoke before the national convention of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in Seattle, Washington.
