Gold mining to munitions depot, Hawthorne is rich with history
Mount Grant towers over Hawthorne, standing as a prominent reminder of the town’s gold mining history when the Carson and Colorado Railroad Co. developed a route through the region to transport minerals. The area also became home to a naval munition depot, resulting in a second population boom during World War II. Today, residential streets branch away from local thoroughfares where locally owned restaurants and shops outnumber national chains. “Mining has been going on during all of this, and there is still some of it today,” says Kellie Zuniga, a conservator at the Mineral County Museum. “Hawthorne is still here. However, it is much smaller than in the past, mostly because the mining is minimal, and the military base is all done by contracting now."
Low median home sales prices and crime scores
Minimal Traditional and ranch-style homes stand side-by-side along gridded streets. Street parking is common, although some houses have attached one- or two-car garages. The area’s median single-family home sale price is slightly more than $170,000; meanwhile, the nation’s is much higher at about $410,000. Minimal Traditionals range from $30,000 to $200,000, and ranch-style homes go for $20,000 to $320,000.
The CAP Index Crime Score in Hawthorne is 2 out of 10, lower when compared to the national average of 4.
Parks for play, veterans tribute and lakefront entertainment
Lions Park’s playground features a rocket-shaped climbing structure, to go along with a seasonal swimming pool, tennis court and a baseball field. Veteran’s Park is home to a dog park, and also spotlights memorial and windmill structures built from recycled munitions. “Most of the locals here are families that have lived here for a while, taking their all-terrain vehicle (ATV) out and driving around in the hills is common,” Zuniga says. “Many people who have children are very much involved with sports teams, mostly with the schools. Many grandparents are involved, too.”
About 12 miles away, Walker Lake’s shores are rocky to the west and sandy to the east. Campgrounds and picnic areas are near the waterfront. The last Saturday in June, Big Horn Beach hosts Walker Lake Days. The event features kayak races, food vendors and a liars boat race, where teams attempt to race boats crafted from unconventional materials.
Locally owned restaurants on E Street and minimal national chains
Safeway and McDonald’s are the extent of national chains in Hawthorne, and both are near Veterans Memorial Highway — also known as “U.S. Highway 95.” Locally owned restaurants are dotted along E Street, such as Mr. Beane’s Coffee Shop, a red barn-like establishment which serves pastries, breakfast burritos and coffee at a walk-up counter and drive-through window. Barley’s Sports Bar’s dining area has a neon glow and a live music stage in the corner.
Highway to Reno, state route to Yosemite and a hospital in Hawthorne
Veterans Memorial Highway connects Hawthorne to Reno, about 135 miles away, as well as to the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, which provides direct flights nationally and limited nonstop flights internationally. Mount Grant General Hospital is in the area as well. State Route 359, locally known as E Street, leads to Yosemite National Park in nearly 75-miles.
Schools in Hawthorne and a county-wide high school with CTE programs
Mineral County School District serves Hawthorne. Hawthorne Elementary, a kindergarten through sixth-grade school, earns a C-plus grade from Niche. Hawthorne Junior High, a seventh and eighth-grade school, receives a C-minus. The C-rated Mineral County High School serves the entire county and offers Career and Technical Education programs, including culinary arts and computer science.
