10 Years Ago

  • Customers in Hawthorne expected to see their water rates increase by 1 percent a month each year for the next 5 years, sewer rates increase by $.15  month this year, and additional 2 cents a month each year for four years, and garbage service to cost 5 cents a month more this year and every year until 2018, if the plan increases are approved.
  • A crowdfunding initiative for Smile Foods, the gluten free flour company hoping to open a factory and mill in Hawthorne, failed Oct. 14 after it apparently didn’t receive any donations.

20 Years Ago

  • Former president of the Mineral County School Board of Trustees, Barbara Harnage, was honored after 40 years of leadership in the Nevada Association of School Boards.
  • Representatives from Dawson Geophysical Company presented maps and an outline of the seismograph surveys they would be conducting around Hawthorne to the board of commissioners.
  • Joe Cox and Lindsay Hurley were named King and Queen at the 2003 Homecoming festivities.
  • Alvin Brooks was named  Employee of the Year at the 2003 Awards Ceremony for Day Zimmermann Hawthorne Corporation. He had been a loyal employee for over 50; years.

30 Years Ago

  • Mineral County Assessor Shari McPherson was honored with a surprise birthday and 25 years of service luncheon held in the commissioners meeting room at the courthouse.
  • Rox Walker, a senior at MCHS was selected as the 1993 Homecoming Queen.
  • Kinross Gold USA acquired the Candelaria Mine in southern Mineral County from NERCO Minerals, and resumed operation of mining silver and gold at the famous mid 19-century silver camp.

40 Years Ago

  • The official reopening of the nation’s largest open pit silver mines took place when NERCO, Inc., and it’s subsidiaries joined with state and county officials and approximately 300 guests enjoyed an open house conducted at the mine- mill site at Candelaria and Metallic City, the latter located in Pickhandle Gulch.
  • Norma Joyce Scott was honored by the Hawthorne Business and Professional Women’s Club by being named the BPW Woman of the Year
  • Michael Lightfoot was pictured in the paper with two of the pumpkins he grew in his garden at 102 13th Street in Babbitt. The large pumpkins weighed 33 and 34 pounds.

50 Years Ago

  • Hawthorne Council of the Navy League celebrated Navy Day at a dinner at the El Capitan. Highlights of the evening were the installation of The Navy Da, Peggy Hughes, and honoring two of the oldest navy retirees in the Hawthorne area. Frank Schoenbachler joined the Navy in 1909 and served 35 years, and Julius Miller who joined in 1910 and served for 30 years.
  • Jim Brown and Don Hile offered the public rides in their new Piper Cherokee at the Hawthorne Airport for one cent per pound per passenger. This offer was made to acquaint the public with their services.
  • Toastmaster Dean Owen and Nelson Saucier were named Winn at the fall speech contest. Owen won the humorous speech contest with many of his familiar stories of growing up in a small Iowa town with his cousin Ketmit.

60 Years Ago

  • Mineral County residents felt a distinct jolt on Saturday and it was reported what it was reaction from an underground nuclear explosion which the Atomic Energy Commission scheduled on the Sand Spring Range southeast of Falls.
  • A Bishop man was fined $150 for using a slug in slot machines in Mineral County.
  • Mike O’ Callaghan was named state chairman for the Christmas seal campaign.
  • Mary LaVonne Hines of Hawthorne was the winner of $100 for the prize trout weighing in at 19 pounds.
  • Uncle Vane Day said: “ Some women blush when they are kissed; some call the police; some smile; some bite; but the worst are those who laugh.”

70 Years Ago

  • Hawthorne’s community swimming pool advanced to a point where actual shooting of gunite was scheduled to take place on Saturday weather permitting, and provided sufficient volunteer labor was obtained.
  • The original office building at Navy Ammunition Depot burned to the ground. It had been used as a clubhouse following construction of the depot, and then converted to a residence, used by several depot employees at intervals. The Allen Connelly family was living there at the time of the fire and lost many personal belongings.
  • Close to 100 friends of US Senator Pat McCarran gathered at the Shamrock Room in the El Capitan to honor the state’s senior senator at a testimony dinner.
  • A series of accidents occurred in this area over the weekend. Two accidents took place on highway 95 near town. On Saturday there were three accidents on Main Street in Hawthorne. Another accident in Hawthorne occurred on Sunday morning. There was a bad accident on the Gabbs highway, and two local residents had a collision while driving on the Fish Lake Valley Road.

80 Years Ago

  • An order from the Office of Price Administration Regional headquarters in the San Francisco area ordered that no special gasoline rations could be issued for hunting purposes and put an end to the special 200 mile gasoline ration that the Nevada office had granted to deer hunters.
  • An advertisement placed in the newspaper by the Nevada Cafe’ it stated: “We, too, are having ration troubles, and although we cannot always serve your favorite food, we are still specializing in quality food, reasonably priced.”
  • Eileen Zwiebel was chosen as “donut Queen” at the USO party.
  • Eight more Hawthorne men left to enter the military service. Local residents were Grant L. Brown, Arthur M. Moon, Willis G. Bretthauer, Herman R. Howard, Emil L. Graves, Harry Croft, John Lyon’s, and Johnny Desoto.
  • Hawthorne residents could fly to Reno in DC-3 Airlines for only $17.35 plus tax from the municipal airport.
  • Burglars entered Nelson Wagner Hardware and blew the safe open.
  • Basic High School of Henderson defeated Hawthorne High 19-0.

90 Years Ago

  • Congressman James G. Surugham (D-NV) brought Representatives W. L. Oliver of (D-AL), a member of the House Appropriations Committee to Hawthorne for firsthand view of the Naval Ammunition Depot. Oliver said he was impressed with the design and planning of the Navy’s newest production and storage facility, and especially pleased with the well protected location.
  • Now designated as Camp Hawthorne M-1 ECW (Emergency Conservation Work), the CCC camp that had been located in northern Humboldt County was on its way to Hawthorne.  Lt. R.G. Garrett and 15 men arrived to supervise construction of winter barracks in Cottonwood Canyon north of Hawthorne. Another 100 men were being transferred from Santa Rosa camp, and 88 others would be sent here from other camps to bring enrollment total to 203.