September 12 , 2019
Thursday morning, bright and early, we departed Tonopah for Gerlach, about 280 miles to the North. Easy run on paved highway all the way. As we approach Walker Lake you can see hundreds and hundreds of bumps in the hills. These are ammunition bunkers of Hawthornes main commerce, the Hawthorne Army Depot.
HAWTHRONE
Hawthorne (38° 31' 27.9" N 118° 37' 27.1" W) was named and selected as a division and distribution point by H. M. Yerington for his Carson & Colorado Railroad in 1880. In 1883 it became the county seat for Esmeralda County but then lost it only to become the County Seat of the newly established Mineral County.
In 1926 a munitions explosion somewhere in the East caused the military to select Hawthorne for a new munitions site. Today munitions manufacturing and storage is Hawthorne's main business.
The photo below shows a very early Hawthorne and the main intersection of E Street & 5th Street, today's Memorial Highway (Rt95).
Hawthorne (38° 31' 27.9" N 118° 37' 27.1" W) was named and selected as a division and distribution point by H. M. Yerington for his Carson & Colorado Railroad in 1880. In 1883 it became the county seat for Esmeralda County but then lost it only to become the County Seat of the newly established Mineral County.
In 1926 a munitions explosion somewhere in the East caused the military to select Hawthorne for a new munitions site. Today munitions manufacturing and storage is Hawthornes main business.
Sitting on the shores of Walker Lake it is a central point for vacations and Nevada
boating activities.
Like most old towns in Nevada, Hawthorne hosts the Mineral County Museum.
Unlike most there are many good examples of life in old Nevada
There is a lot of Aurora life on display
Many items are as clean as the day they were in use.
Another example of old Nevada life.
And yes, they even have an old motor car on display.
Another Hawthorne attraction is the Ordinance Museum
The museum is dedicated to weaponry of all types.
Their tank is a major outdoor vehicle open to the public.
Dave just had to get inside for a tank tour.
Most specimens came from The Hawthorne Army Depot.
Others came from the nearby Walker Lake Navel Station (don't know where the blue man came from)
Inside is even more weapons beyond imagination
From guns to helicopters and engines.
Rockets, Bombs and an Israeli Cruise Missile.
Big pieces and little pieces are everywhere
Things like this missile are all hands on display.
Leaving Hawthorne heading North you wind along the western shore
Ancient Alien Theorist say there is a secret UFO base at Walker Lake.
But in reality all we could find was this sign
.
SCHURZ
North of Hawthorne we passed through the town of Schurz, Nevada (38° 57' 17.7" N 118° 48' 46.8" W). Getting closer to civilization Schurz is a very small town with real people and fireworks stands and Rockchuck, the only rock shop we found open and attended.
While the outside resembles many of the rock shops we passed along the way
the inside proves to be a different world all together.
