North Carson Street looking northeast in the 1950s.
Wednesday
150 Years Ago
Lake Tahoe: That sheet of water now boasts a steamboat, the “Governor Stanford.” She makes trips to and from the Glenbrook and the California ports. She has two decks and runs a daily trip from Hot Springs to Tahoe City and thence to Glenbrook, where she makes a close connection with the C.P. and Carson stages.
140 Years Ago
Porcupine find: Three hunting dogs of D. McCarthey ran across a porcupine and came home with 4,000 quills in their noses. One dog had to be shot and the other two had to be taken to a dentist to have quills pulled at ten cents a quill. The porcupine is now in his hole laying in a new supply of quills.
130 Years Ago
Writing up Nevada: Mr. Chas. Shinn, the poet and magazine writer spent the day at the Holstein Ranch and viewing the state prison tracks. Mr. Shinn has been sent to Nevada by the Appleton’s for the purpose of compiling a book on the history of the Comstock.
100 Years Ago
It is expected that the Indian powwow will continue for three evenings. Paiutes from Winnemucca, Reno, Lovelock and the reservation are arriving daily, but the dance will be a small affair compared to the regular dance after harvest, when Paiutes from all over the state will gather. (Dispatch)
70 Years Ago
New world speed mark (Thermal, California): The world speed record stood above the 700 mile per hour mark after a swept-wing F-86D Sabre jet streaked over a desert test course at an average speed of 715.75 flown by Lt. Col. William F. Barnes.
30 Years Ago
Year-round school: Expecting changes, the Carson school board approved a mission statement in favor of implementing year-round school for three or four schools. “We can’t have schools without air conditioning,” according to superintendent Bob Scott.
Thursday
150 Years Ago
Amusing scene at the Ormsby House corner: A lady, driving a couple of fine bays and accompanied by her little son in a buggy, turned suddenly around into Carson Street and came upon an Indian who with his back turned that was stooping over to pick up a ball that one of Miles Wing’s dogs had just retrieved to him. In this posture he was caught between the two horses, which being quite gentle, were quickly brought to a walk.
140 Years Ago
Tallac, Lake Tahoe: Tallac is getting to be very toney. A lady who does not change her attire three or four times daily is not regarded as belonging to the “tour.”
130 Years Ago
A sad accident: Miss Leonora Ketchum, a bright and pretty girl of 16, was drown while bathing with two girl friends at Shelter Island Heights, near the residence of Rev. J. L. Scudder, the well-known Brooklyn preacher. The girls had ventured out nearly beyond their depth and were caught by a strong tide that carried them far from shore.
100 Years Ago
Local news: One of the thrilling features of the midway shows will be a high diver who falls backward from a platform at the top of a ninety-foot mast, turns a somersault during the descent and dives into a tank of water four feet deep. (Enterprise)
70 Years Ago
Can’t buy way out: The president has signed a bill wiping out an old law which allowed servicemen to purchase discharges before their terms of enlistment were up. The nearly forgotten law was brought to attention recently by two GIs at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, who hauled out their wallets and announced they were willing customers.
30 Years Ago
Douglas high school graduating senior scholarship and awards… (in part). Melanie Alder—Soroptimist $500 and Sertoma Youth Award (bond) $25. Steven Battcher - UOP Regents and President’s Award 1/2 tuition, Lori Baumann—Beta Sigma Phi $1,000, Kiwanis Club $500, Korean American Club $1,500, Minden Rotary $200...
Friday
150 Years Ago
The Corbett brothers: They will build a fireproof building on Carson and Spear Streets. Two of the wooden buildings which have long stood there are being removed and set up temporarily on the block which was burned when Cole Atherton’s building was destroyed. The new building is to be forty feet by eighty feet in depth and two stories in height. Messrs. Mason & Chamberlin will occupy the ground floor as a grocery.
140 Years Ago
Yanks: Yanks Station is near Tallac at Lake Tahoe. He furnishes campers outfits, takes people with his team to the best fishing and hunting grounds and can tell tourists more about the lake than any man living in that vicinity. He has made the mountains his abiding place for forty years and as a romancer and delightful storyteller he rivals Dumas. No one should visit the lake without seeing Old Yank.
130 Years Ago
All sorts: Frank Bleethen is now the agent for the celebrated Victor bicycles, which he sells for cash or on the installment plan.
The salary of Mrs. M.S. Doten was raised from $100 per month to $120. A little over a year ago the lady’s salary was raised from $85 to $100. All of which goes to show appreciation of her work on the part of the school board.
100 Years Ago
A strike has recently been made in the New Century mine at Cherry Creek, White Pine County. The ore will go over 1,000 ounces in silver and carries high gold values.
70 Years Ago
Martians (California): Miner John Q. Black said he was “darn disappointed” that the “little men from Mars” didn’t show up in their flying saucer with the retractable leg. Black and his partner, John Van Allen, had predicted the saucer would arrive at the junction of Marble and Jordan creeks at 3:30 p.m. Black claimed to have seen the saucer seven times before.
30 Years Ago
Woody loses battle: Woody Allen lost his custody battle against Mia Farrrow. The judge said he didn’t know if Farrow’s allegations that the 57-year-old director had molested their 7-year-old adopted daughter, Dylan, was true. The judge barred him from seeing Dylan for 6 months.
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.