Looking toward the east at the Carson City Airport in 1960.
Saturday
150 Years Ago
A wedding: David Sessions and Mary Noteware were married at her father’s home at Tahoe City by Rev. Allen. Early in the bright and balmy morning, Mr. Evan David, a trusty driver came handling the ribbons over his team of four white horses and mounted on the front seat of his Concord carryall and took in a party of ladies and gentlemen bound to see our old local item editor, David Sessions, made the husband of Mary Noteware…
140 Years Ago
Pacific coast items: Sarah Winnemucca proposes to open a school at Lovelock.
Fighting the grasshoppers with arsenic seems to be the most successful method.
The people of Choteau, Montana Territory offer to give a lot and rough lumber to build a house to any physician who will locate among them.
130 Years Ago
All sorts: A Carson girl was sent home by the officers because she rode on the street after dark without a lantern on her wheel.
70 Years Ago
Swimming pool ready: The Carson City municipal swimming pool will be ready for use next summer. Bids for the bond issue are scheduled to be opened at the Aug. 8 meeting of the city board of trustees. Jack Cooney, architect for the pool, reported he would have plans for the pool in the city clerk’s office for inspection by contractors. The pool will be ready by next summer.
60 Years Ago
Carson 4th picnic: Band music, flying flags and banners, games and entertainment under perfect skies combined for a “glorious 4th” at the Potter Ranch in Kings Canyon. More than 750 Carson City citizens and their families joined in an old-fashioned picnic on Independence Day.
Sunday
150 Years Ago
Faro suicide: Charles Meyer, a blacksmith at the Silver Hill Mine, attempted to commit suicide with a colt revolver. Upon hearing the shot, several persons rushed out to find that the ball had struck a rib and bounced off. He is a gambler; his months wages are quickly bid off against faro. He said if he didn’t win this month, he would blow his brains out. There is little probability of recovery. He was a 50 year old German from Ohio. (Virginia City Chronicle)
140 Years Ago
Fire in Carson City: List of losses — The fire had cut everything down on the French Hotel block, except Kitzmeyer’s brick building and Coffin’s law office. Chedic’s grocery store was still standing because it was made of adobe. The block across the street was a stretch of ashes.
Firemen: The work of the firemen was in the highest degree commendable. The water was not to be had, except in limited quantities, but the firemen stood by their hose and made a fight. At first, there was hardly enough water to reach more than 20 feet, but when the water was finally turned on, the rotten pipes could not carry the force and burst every few minutes (continued).
130 Years Ago
Carson boiling with patriotism: The town was ablaze with decorations. The idea was to give each state a gunshot, but the members of the battery were unable to restrain themselves and in their patriotic ardor they let go about a ton of powder — the sound could be heard to Reno.
70 Years Ago
Banks to close on Saturdays: Nevada banks will be closed on Saturdays. The only exception to Saturday closing will be when the preceding Friday or succeeding Monday is a legal holiday. When this happens, banks will remain open Saturday. The closing action is being taken under provision of a law enacted by the 1955 legislature approving such a policy.
60 Years Ago
Reno-Sparks area water warning: It is almost as essential to conserve water this summer as it was during the drought years of the early 1960s, according to the president of Sierra Pacific Power Co. He said the company would continue an appeal this summer to utility customers to use only water really needed, “even though there is no severe shortage of water in the mountains.”
Monday
150 Years Ago
Varioloid: Parson Kelly says that the varioloid babies (a mild form of smallpox) up at his house are getting along splendidly. In about 10 days, after the little ones are all well-rid of their calamity, and the house has been fumigated, then the new speckled domain will return with glee to the bosom of his wife and child.
140 Years Ago
Fire in Carson City: Individual efforts — The citizens gallantly seconded the firemen, and every man worked with determination. Gov. Adams took off his coat and worked at the hand engine for nearly an hour. H.M. Yerington sent the I.E. James along the freight track with 1,000 feet of hose and along with D.A. Bender helped to man the trucks and engines. M. O’Hara procured a ladder, and when he found it was too short, threw a wire over a chimney and scaled the roof of the bank, then with a squad of men with water furnished from Oliver Roberts’ house and covered over Keyser & Elrod’s. Judge C.N. Harris, Johnny Morris and George Stewart kept up the work on the roof of the state printing office, and Judge Harris extinguished the fire on the roof of Witherell’s house (continued).
130 Years Ago
All sorts: Grover Cleveland is again a father — a little girl.
Catfish are biting at Washoe Lake.
70 Years Ago
Legislators love gambling taxes: A Newsweek’s July 11 issue describes the mass market nature of today’s gambling. “Crowded bingo parlors in New Jersey, jam-packed horse and dog tracks all over the U.S. The eager groups around the Reno slot machines and crap tables, were evidence that Americans — skillful, greedy, or both — were ready willing and able to buy a chance to win money.”
60 Years Ago
Photo caption: The last of 300 school desks, taken from the historic Fourth Ward School in Virginia City have been returned as preparations are being made to restore the old structure as an addition to the “museum” status of other buildings in the town. Harold Sales of Lawrence Mayflower Moving in Reno unloads the desks. The move took some two weeks using equipment donated by owner Al Puliz and the Lawrence Mayflower firm.
Tuesday
150 Years Ago
A grand picnic: The Germans are making arrangements for a picnic at Charles Schultz Ranch. Messrs. Wallis, Decker, Uhl, Kitzmeyer and others will go to the ranch next Sunday and select a suitable place for the picnic. The Germans are always happy at a reunion of this kind, and no doubt it will be a magnificent affaire.
140 Years Ago
Fire in Carson City: The Rinckle Block saved — When the flames from Livingston’s saloon threatened to attack the Rinckle building, the heat was so intense that it was deemed impossible for men to keep the hose on the balcony. Then George Morrison asked the men to keep him wet down with the hose, and he climbed to the top of the roof with another hose, rolled himself in the gutter of the roof to keep wet, was covered with a wet blanket and with gloves on his hands and his face muffled, he stuck by the hose until the building across the way fell. He saved the block with his determination (continued).
130 Years Ago
A narrow escape: Roy Mighels of the Appeal composing force is rusticating at the lake and attempted to reach Tallac from McKinney’s with two horses near Emerald Bay. The trail was blocked by a large tree that had fallen into the lake. The sides were so steep that the only course left was to swim the horses out into the lake around the tree. He was on one horse leading the other. The horse in the rear pulled back and dragged him into the water. As he fell, the horse came on striking with its forefeet while swimming and sent him under water. He was struck several times in the body by the horses’ hooves. He finally got loose and abandoning the horses reached the shore exhausted and bruised. He was all right at last account.
70 Years Ago
Death of Dr. W.H. Atherton, 50-year old Carson chiropractor. Dr. Atherton was born in Des Moines, Iowa and received his school there. He came to Carson City in 1947 and was immediate past commander of 40 et 8. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Clara Atherton of Carson City, a daughter and three grandchildren.
60 Years Ago
Advertisement: “Carson Theater — ‘Non But the Brave’ with Frank Sinatra, Clint Walker, Tommy Sands and coming soon … ’Island of the Blue Dolphins,’ a girl’s incredible adventure on a lost island, with Celia Kaye and Larry Domasin.”
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.