10 Years Ago

  • Four Hawthornites were arrested on Jan. 15 after Mineral County Sheriff’s Deputies and Highway Patrol troopers raided a house described as “disgusting” by one of the officers involved.
  • A Las Vegas based engineering conglomerate that hopes to employ 50 people in Hawthorne, with no background checks or education requirements, will begin accepting applications for trainees in February.

20 Years Ago

  • The Independent-News debuted a new look. After printing at the Mason Valley News since the 1980’s and onto the Lahontan Valley News in the 90’s, the smaller format is now being printed at the Nevada Appeal In Carson City.
  • Dr. Yoursrin Gadallah joined the staff at Mt. Grant General Hospital. Dr. Gadallah was born in Egypt where he first began practicing medicine.
  • David West was the guest of honor at the Scout aw banquet, where he was pinned an Eagle Scout by his mother Merna West . David was the fourth son of Greg and Merna West to receive this award.

30 Years Ago

  • A 19-year-old man, Mark Conway of Yerington, was apprehended after it was reported that he was shooting at passing motorists on highway 95 near Walker Lake. He was found barricaded in the rocks west of the highway when he was arrested. He was charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, discharging firearms at motor vehicles, crimes against humanity, the elderly, possession of cocaine and marijuana, and under the influence of narcotics.
  • Clifton Bobb of Schurz was found guilty of first degree murder of Milton Earl Lee Jr. of Hawthorne. The trial was held in Yerington because the crime occurred in Lyon County.
  • Mrs. Marilyn Atkinson, owner of the H&R Block businesses in Hawthorne, had the exciting experience of having her picture taken with actor John Wayne while Maher was attending an H&R Block convention in Las Vegas. The picture was printed in the Independent-News.

40 Years Ago

  • District Attorney Larry Betty of Mineral County was elected as the Nevada District Attorney Association.
  • Gary Morrill, visiting from Reno, out fished his Grandpa, Marvin Schnicke, with a nice 4 1/2 pound cutthroat trout caught in Walker Lake.
  • Volunteers and paid crew members of the Hawthorne Fire Department assembled for a photo and those pictured were Chief Frank St. Clair, Dennis Millsap, Jerry St. Clair, LuVerne Watson, Joe Schumann, Miles Wertz, Jay Bouche, Rick Schumann, Bill Shirley, Pat Meyer, Mike Vigil, Ray Blondin, Mark Nixon, Bill Essick, Jeff Wallace, Mike Kalember, Temple Petty, Phil Cammarata, Craig Nixon, and Phil Cammarata Jr., Firefighters not pictured were Bill Williams, Pete Cross, and Tina Bell.
  • High School students pictured in the Newspaper who were receiving on the job training were Billie Ward at the Hawthorne Justice Court and Vikki Blancey assisting at Dr. Dow’s Office.

50 Years Ago

  • Because of a shortage of athletic facilities at the high school, the girls were using the Nevada National Guard Armory three days a week.
  • Cathy Gustafson and Maureen O’Connell were pictured in the newspaper working at their cooperative education position. Cathy worked at the NAD Ordnance administrative office under the direction of Gerald Baker and Maureen worked for DeLoss Weyant at the Hawthorne Elementary School.
  • Approval was given to construct a new power line in this area. Construction on a 128- mile line was started by Sierra Pacific Power Company.

60 Years Ago

  • The Mineral County Commissioners asked for ideas on road plans in an effort to to prepare a 20 year plan of further secondary highway construction in Mineral County. Proposals already designed, including road from the east side of Walker Lake, then to Thorne, road from Kinkead into Garfield Flat, then into Mina and road from highway 31, over Lucky Boy Pass to Fletcher Station, to Bodie Canyon the to California, and a road from Fletcher to Mineral County Line leading to Sweetwater area.
  • Mineral County Democratic Women’s Club was pictured in the newspaper following their annual installation ceremonies. Officers included Betty Seevers, Wilma Moody, Marge Ingle, Isabelle Aalbu, Louise Parks, Lois Kunz, Lena Hammer, Gale Kirchhoff, and Helen Burr.
  • A Federal grant of $3,300 was approved for development of a master plan for land use in Mineral County.
  • New test was given to the training program applicants by Rockingham Sleepwear Company.
  • The Serpents upset Yerington Lions 48-32, but lost to the Douglas Tigers 55-49.

70 Years Ago

  • Vera Noble, a resident of Lakeview Tract, was appointed to the position of City Clerk. Mrs. Noble succeeded Evelyn Anderson who tendered her resignation.
  • The Serpents defeated Tahoe-Truckee, 53-25 but lost to the NAD Marines 36-54 in a polio benefit basketball game.
  • Efton Swindler was nominated postmaster in Hawthorne.

80 Years Ago

  • Mineral County was at the halfway mark in the fourth war loan quota. Charlie Hendel, chairman for the fourth war loan drive, announced that he had collected over $7,000 from unsolicited citizens of the county and announced that the county would be divided for the purpose of solicitation.
  • A Birthday Ball to celebrate the birthday of President Franklin D. Roosevelt was scheduled to be held at the Hawthorne USO.
  • The new Elementary School building (frame building on A Street) was completed and preparations were being made for early occupancy, Principal Floyd Smalley announced.

90 Years Ago

  • Jay Wathan’s Night Owls planned to hold dances in the Knights of Pythias Hall following the basketball games played at the high school gym. Admission would be 75 cents.
  • Former Senator Tasker L. Oddie, now a Reno resident, drove to Hawthorne and on to Camp Ashby to see the development of the new gold camp south of Hawthorne. Oddie recalled b how he “missed the big one- and went broke” at Lucky Boy.
  • L.C. Metz, storekeeper and postmaster at Nolan Station on the east side of Walker Lake, died at the hospital in Hawthorne after being struck by a train at Nolan. Metz was crossing the tracks to reach the landing platform to deliver the mail pouch from Thorne when he was hit by the locomotive and thrown under the platform. He was taken by train to Thorne and then to Hawthorne by NAD ambulance but never regained consciousness. Metz, who was 73 years old, had spent 40 years In business and mining in Nevada coming to Mineral County during the Rawhide boom. He was survived by two daughters, Elsie Campbell Jerome, prominent Hawthorne businesswoman, and Anna Wright of Marysville, California.