View from the Past

100 years ago

Sue the Government — Taking of testimony in a damage suit for $750,000 against the United States Government, brought by the Natron Soda company and Hortsman & Co., two Nevada concerns that formerly operated on the Nevada soda lakes in the Fallon district, was started in San Francisco Monday. The soda company, owners of the lakes, claim their business was ruined when the fresh water from the Truckee and Carson rivers was impounded at the Lahontan dam and allowed to circulate through the districts in canals. The water seeped from the canals into the soda lakes it is claimed, raised the level of the lakes sixteen feet, and washed every trace of soda from the lakes. The soda lakes are in craters of extinct volcanoes and were charged with soda before the fresh water seeped in as it is claimed. Many experts are testifying at the hearing.

The Churchill County Eagle Saturday, July 28, 1917

75 years ago

Baseball Game in Fallon Tomorrow – Fallon baseball fans will have a good dish of their favorite sports menu here tomorrow afternoon when the Fallon Merchants will play the Weinstock-Lubin team of Sacramento for the second time this season – and will try to take revenge for the defeat handed them by the visitors earlier in the summer. The game will start promptly at 2:30. It is not definitely known if Gus Arnie, Merchants’ manager, will be here for the game, but the team will be on hand and either Danny Evans or Jack Gould will start on the mound for the home boys. The Merchants beat the Reno Ball club at Moana Park, Reno, last Sunday, 8 to 5, with Gould pitching all nine innings. Fallon has drawn Giant Shops of Sparks for an opponent in the first game of the annual tournament that starts in Reno next week and will go through to the finals if a victory over the Giant Shops team is secured.

The Fallon Eagle, Saturday, July 25, 1942

Winters Warns of Danger of Fire on Range, in Forest – A warning of an extreme fire hazard, created by reason of the fact that there is a great quantity of old, dry grass and weeds on the ranges of the state, has been voiced by Judge E.E. Winters, district attorney of Churchill County. Winters says that considerable damage has already resulted from range fires in this and other counties, and that he believes further losses can be largely prevented if attention of the public is called to what is required with reference to camp fires, cigarettes, cigars and pipe tobacco “heels” which are responsible for so many man caused blazes.

The Fallon Eagle, Saturday, July 25, 1942

50 years ago

Changes Sought in Co. Road Names — An informal petition was presented, requesting the changing of two county roads. The petition requests the change of Portagee Lane to Portuguese Lane and the change of Moiola Lane to Cemetery Road. The Commissioners will make a formal answer at the August 7 meeting. Earl Stuart, road superintendent, reported the county library parking lot would require 1,017 square yards of pavement. It will cost about $2,200. Commissioner E. Warren Hursh gave a report on the progress of the surplus food program prior to the close of the meeting.

Fallon Eagle-Standard, Friday, July 21, 1967

A View From the Past….Stories from the Churchill County Museum Archives, researched and compiled by Brianna Schwab, Churchill County Museum assistant.