View from the Past

100 Years Ago

The culmination of one of those early day mining stories which makes a man rich in a single day was reached in Fallon last Monday and the whole scene is laid in Churchill County. In 1905 Dave Craig developed some good claims in Wonder Mining district. In 1907 he sold to Spider & Wasp Mining company, realizing $50,000 in cash and receiving $100,000 shares of stock. What is the way of the average typical prospector who spends the best years of his life among the lonely hills? Dave Craig chose all that was coming to him and then some. However, the panic of 1907 hit Spider & Wasp hard until finally they employed Dave Craig to watch the mine. He kept on faithfully, with no funds coming in. He sued the company and prevailed upon Attorney E.E. Cann to take the case on contingency fee. Mr. Cann carried the case through District Court in Churchill county and then through the federal court, winning the case, receiving a one-fourth interest in the property for his services. And there the matter rested for several years. But in the spring of 1916 W.R. Ridges of Kansas and his associates appeared on the scene and wanted the property all to themselves. They made a clean cut cash proposition. So Craig and Cann accepted Ridges’ offer, and once again Dave Craig has a snug little fortune. How long will it last Dave Craig? Ask of the winds that scent the desert air. Churchill County Eagle, Saturday, June 24, 1916

75 Years Ago

Work of registering all youths who have come of age since registration day last October 16, will be accomplished next Tuesday, July 1. Mrs. Grace Paul, clerk of the draft board, will be in charge. She expects that the total registration in this county will not exceed 25.

The Fallon Eagle, Saturday, June 28, 1941

Pigeon racing has grown in popularity in recent years until it now has thousands of followers and racing lofts all over the country. Louis Cress of Fallon, himself a fancier of pigeons, explained that the numbers on leg bands indicate the racing number and bird number when it is registered and entered in a race. The letters AU mean that the owner is a member of the American Pigeon racing Union and letters may also indicate the home of the owner. The Fallon Eagle, Saturday, June 28, 1941

50 Years Ago

Pioneer Days; the Kiwanis Rodeo is set for the weekend. Barbeque beef by barbeque specialist Wes Leach will begin the annual Chamber of Commerce Pioneer Days in the I.H. Kent parking lot. The Country Playboys and the Stardusters will perform live for the Pioneer Days street dance in town. The money made from the Kiwanis rodeo benefits under-privileged children, awards scholarships and initiates needed programs for Fallon. Fallon Eagle-Standard, Tuesday, June 28, 1966

A View From The Past…stories from the Churchill County Museum & Archives, researched and compiled by Margo Weldy, Churchill County Museum Assistant