Downtown Carson during the Nevada Day Parade in about 1950.
Saturday
150 Years Ago
There are 36 saloons where spirituous liquors are kept for sale with the city limits of Carson – 36 or more that serve 3,600 inhabitants.
140 Years Ago
A tattooed baby: (Baltimore) Laura Lavarnie, one of the three tattooed women in America, and well known to museum frequenters, gave birth to a boy. The child’s skin bears the same marks, or tattooed figures as the mothers… they are the same colors as the marks on the mother’s body, blue and red.
130 Years Ago
Another boarder: The Ormsby House has secured a steady boarder. Walter Chedic, the proprietor, and his wife are parents of a boy who weighs nine pounds.
110 Years Ago
Advertisement (originally called the Ormsby House): “Park Hotel, Joe Rochon, proprietor, Second and Carson Streets. The hotel has been thoroughly renovated throughout and is clean, neat and homelike. The tables are provided with the very best that the market affords. Rooms are large and comfortable. First class bar and free bus that meets all trains – most reasonable rates.”
100 Years Ago
Advertisement: “Geo. H. Meyers, wholesale and retail dealers. Choice family groceries.”
Sunday
150 Years Ago
Advertisement: “Frisbie’s Restaurant and Oyster Saloon! Corner of King and Carson Street, Carson City. Open day and night. The proprietor has reopened the ladies’ oyster and ice cream saloon…”
140 Years Ago
In brief: The trout have begun to ascend the Truckee River in large numbers. The anglers catch them as far up as Verdi, which would indicate that their passage is not regarded by any formidable obstructions in the river.
130 Years Ago
Coast news: George Horton has been convicted of burglary in San Jose. He peddled potatoes as a means of assisting him in robbing houses.
Miss May Clark, schoolteacher was tried for inflicting severe corporal punishment upon a pupil. She was promptly acquitted, and the judge, jury and defendant were loudly cheered at the conclusion of the trial. (Washington)
70 Years Ago
Naming Corbett Street: It was named for John O. Corbett, one of the founders of the city. He, Curry, Thompson, the Sears brothers, Phillips and Musser were among those who laid out Carson in the early days. The Corbett family also owned the Corbett House and Corbett’s Feed Station both across from the old Mint, now the Nevada State Museum. The hotel burned down in the late 1890s.
40 Years Ago
Advertisement: “Sahara Tahoe, Hotel and Casino, Lake Tahoe —Roger Williams and Donna Fargo appearing nightly.”
Monday
150 Years Ago
Row up town: A massive fellow under the influence of gin annoyed the barkeeper at Vic Muller’s saloon. He wanted money by pawning his watch for seven dollars and a half. The next time he came into the saloon and was raising Old Ned, the sheriff surprised him and carried him off to jail. He was tried in Justice court and fined $30. Being unable to pay he was sentenced to 15 days in the county prison.
140 Years Ago
In brief: The C.P. R.R. men are quite alarmed over the snow sheds falling in on the trains.
John Mackay’s hammer and pick have turned up again in the Ophir cropping’s. It was not the true pick as Mr. Mackay always carried his tools home and deposited them under his bed.
130 Years Ago
All sorts: The Box Factory is working on a special order for a carload of orange boxes, 6,000 soap boxes for a Sacramento firm and 4,000 pickets.
70 Years Ago
Advertisement: “Carson Theater, a bang-up musical western, ‘Calamity Jane’ with Doris Day and Howard Keel; Cartoon – news.”
40 Years Ago
Streaking: Saturday was streakers’ day. Nude roamers raced through a jumbo jet, a women’s lib demonstration in London, the LBJ Library and a Hollywood game show, password.
Tuesday
150 Years Ago
Local railroad: The Virginia and Truckee was safely engineered through the late great storm. The worst piece was that lying between Franktown and Mill Station. The snow drifted on the track as high as the window of the car but shoveled out by the army of men employed at that point. (Virginia Enterprise)
140 Years Ago
The wash-out: The V.&T. at Thomson’s Creek was delayed due to a washout. The bridge support had sunk to an extent that the track was depressed several inches. Tom Clark, the engineer, offered to bet a month’s salary that he could pull upon the throttle and go over it at lightning speed, but the conductor did not think it advisable to take the risk.
130 Years Ago
Leeching the slime: It is proposed to work the slimes at the Morgan and Eureka Mills on the Carson River by the leeching process, it is much cheaper than machinery. When silver could be sold for a decent price, three slimes could be worked over at the mills at a profit of $1 or so by the ton.
70 Years Ago
Mills Park improvement: The Carson City’s Park Commission met for the first time this year to reorganize and start plans for Mills Park work. They asked the city to include money for the park in the new budget and passed a resolution to have a dirt road through the park for an access road, a well to furnish drinking water and the placing of a picnic area around the proposed well.
40 Years Ago
Symbionese Liberation Army/Patricia Hearst: The fourth communique concerning kidnapped Patricia Hearst stated she was safe, but the inadequacy of the $6 million food giveaway program was in question. Governor Ronald Reagan ¬¬¬urged all Californians to join the Hearst family in their long wait with a special time of prayer for Patricia.
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.