View from the Past

100 Years Ago

W.E. Armistead and N.B. Ellery of Reno spent Wednesday and Thursday in town looking into the matter of the erection of a fine modern hotel, for which there has been a crying demand by the business people of Fallon for a long time. Mr. Ellery is an architect and exhibited tentative plans and sketches. The proposed structure would be a credit to any city in Nevada, and certainly looks good to Fallonites. When the 1915 state fair was secured for Fallon, it was expected that a hotel would be erected in time to accommodate the visitors. Then there is the Lincoln Highway traffic to be taken care of and nothing will bring our town and community to the front so much with this class of travelers as a first class hotel.

Churchill County Eagle, February 26, 1916

Rex Theatre presents the Paramount attraction “The Sea Wolf,” Jack London’s greatest novel filmatized. In seven acts, the photo-production stands high in the annals of notable achievements in motion picture art, featuring Hobart Bosworth and an all-star cast. It is noted as one of the greatest features ever produced. Prices 10 and 25 cents.

Churchill County Eagle, February 26, 1916

75 Years Ago

A WPA project for the construction of approximately two miles of Fallon sidewalks was announced this week by city engineer A.C. Hahn. The cost to property owners of the new sidewalks would be about one third the normal cost of such construction as only cement, hauling gravel and forms will be charged, with the WPA furnishing all the labor. The Fallon Eagle, Saturday, February 22, 1941

Cranberry growers may find new profits from a recent discovery that the skins of the berries yield ursolic acid worth $80 an ounce. From the seeds an oil can be made that has more vitamin A than any known vegetable oil. The Fallon Eagle, Saturday, February 22, 1941

50 Years Ago

Kenneth Parsons is not a man to admit something cannot be done. When Parson’s father-in-law voiced the opinion that a tractor he owned in Pinedale, Wyoming, and wanted brought to Fallon couldn’t be driven down, Parsons proved him wrong by driving the tractor 753 miles from Pinedale to Fallon in 42 hours of driving time. He left Pinedale in 22 below zero weather, and except for overnight stops, kept plodding steadily along. The wildlife along the route fascinated Parsons as much as his strange mode of transportation seemed to fascinate them. Four herds of elk at Bear Summit stopped to watch him and two bucks, a doe and a fawn this side of Wells paused to observe his progress down the highway, curious looks on their faces. Parsons, who thoroughly enjoyed the trip, says that when they no longer need the tractor down here, he will drive it back to Pinedale.

Fallon Eagle-Standard, Friday. February 25,1966

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