10 Years Ago

  • In a meeting on November 13, the Mineral County Board of Commissioners cut the field of potential successors to Mineral County Sheriff Mike Dillard down to five. The board is expected to appoint a sheriff to serve the final 14 months of Dillard’s term on Wednesday.
  • Dozens of people crammed into the Hawthorne Convention Center on Nov. 17, winding through tables laden with crafts and around displays of decorations, looking to  get an early start on their Catholic Ladies Guide annual Christmas bazaar.   

20 Years Ago

  • The Schurz Firefighter Strike a Team returned from a Southern California fire. At the time, it was the largest wild land fire in California history. Those from Schurz were:William Frank Jr., David Schildt, Curtis Irwin, George Pontoon, Eric Kotka, Chris Woodard, Joe Anelli, Randy Varain, Victor Williams Jr., Sean McIntee, Jim Alworth, Brian Cooper, Kimberly Williams, Laurie Thom, Joshua Morales, Galen Castillo, Brett North and Pat Stork.
  • The Boy Scouts Troop 32 and Cub Scouts pack 32 were successful in their Scouting for food  program. They collected over 356 of food.. the food was donated to the Hawthorn office of CAHS.
  • Dave Ferguson and Jean Peterson kept Independent-News readers entertained with their exotic hunting expedition to Kyrgyzstan, a country in Central Asia with a population of about 5,5 million, bordered on the south by China and the north by Kazakhstan. They were hunting for Marco Polo sheep.

30 Years Ago

  • The Lady Serpents Volleyball Team won the Central Nevada Division Championship and were defeated in conference play. Members of that playing team were Echo Dillard, Kari Emm, Juli Fisk, Gina Gomez, Courtney Isom, Larry Jackson, Sarana Jackson , Theresa Montoya, Michelle Mullins, Angela Munger, and Dawn Winters.
  • The First Annual Mineral County Sheriff’s Department Steel Plate Shoot was held at the Hawthorne Army Ammunition Depot pistol range. Individuals and teams compete in the shoot out coming from several communities in the state.
  • Hawthorne received the first winter blanket of snow on Nov. 12. Throughout the early morning hours the community and surrounding area were graced with a good rain followed by the snowstorm. More than three inches of new snow fell. 

40 Years Ago

  • The Nevada Commission on Tourism visited Hawthorne as part of a series of meetings they are holding throughout the state to allow areas to share information about their local attractions, events, and concerns.
  • Members of the MCHS Boys varsity basketball team were: Doug Elder, Ken Graham, Alan Hodges, Dion Jones, Kevan Kovacs, Leonard Peña, Rocky Flanery, Ralph Forrester, Stephen Greenway, Troy Meier, John Morris, and Glen Weakly.
  • John Lockwood, representing the Walker River Boxing Team knocked out his opponent in  the first round of a bout in a match held in Jerome, Idaho. He came home with the “Best Bout” trophy.

50 Years Ago

  • The Walker Lake Auto Racing Association held its annual awards banquet and awards were given to the following for the point standings; Jim Scott, Marvin Clark, Montooth, and Dennis Kirk, “Mac” McPherson received a pen set for “outstanding flag man.”
  • The Mineral County High School student’s association planned a cleanup of Sixth Street from A to E Street because of the student’s concerns about litter in the community.

60 Years Ago

  • A new article in the Independent-News outlined the progress at the Rockingham Sleepwear plant in Hawthorne. Pat Funk was pictured in the paper placing pajamas in cellophane bags.
  • An open letter to residents of Mineral County was printed in the newspaper requesting assistance to purchase new lighting fixtures for the public library. The cost of the fixtures was $561.
  • A new beacon light was installed at the airport.
  • Uncle Vane Day said: In Babbitt the other day I heard this remark; “ If you keep your mouth shut you can’t help but note no one is likely to jump down your throat.” That reminded me of “Uncle Fleet” who said, “It is far better to say nothing and be a thorough fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”

70 Years Ago

  • The  NAD diesel power plant men were honored in the newspaper for working over 10 years at the Depot without a lost time accident. The men pictured were Elmer Bryn, Ed Williams, George Willed, Ed Fitzgerald, Keith Montgomery, Boyd Jensen, Melvin Donaldson, Horace Baxter, Harvey Richards, and Jim Smelser.
  • Five supervisors at the Naval Depot were also honored for over five years without a lost time accident. Honored by Capt. W. S. Mayer, Jr., CO of the Naval Depot were; Horace Baxter, Leadingman, Boiler House, Victor Desiree, Leadingman, Machine Shop, Alvin F. Hughes, Leadingman, Road Maintenance, Harold E. Norseth, Quarterman, Maintenance of Buildings & Grounds, and Fred Ruward, Leadingman, Boiler House.
  • Mail no longer was being carried to and from Hawthorne by railroad— new truck service was instituted by the post office department.

80 Years Ago

  • Mrs. Anita Tennison  was appointed Mineral County Clerk and Treasurer by unanimous vote of the Mineral County Commissioners.
  • Mina residents voted 77-5 in favor of a $20,000 bond issue to buy Spearmint Springs and pipe water into town.
  • The Hawthorne High Serpents defeated the Douglas Tigers 25-5 In football.

90 Years Ago

  • St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Mina received its first paint job in 20 years.
  • The Summerfield-McKinnon election contest was postponed until December 14 because McKinnon’s attorney, H. R. Cooke of Reno, was participating in a case in Carson City involving the closed Wingfield banks.
  • Esmeralda County Commissioner William Flavey sent a letter of protest to state Public Works director, Robert Allen, reporting complaints of Goldfield unemployment men who complained that the contractor on the Coaldale-Basalt highway construction job was bypassing Nevada residents when hiring workers.