Thorne
When the Southern Pacific Railroad standard-gauged its track from Mound House to Mina in 1903-05 (former Carson & Colorado Railroad), a new alignment was created south of Walker Lake that bypassed Hawthorne and a new station was created. Thorne, as it was named, had two saloons by June 1905 and served not only Hawthorne, but also towns as far away as Aurora, Lucky Boy, and Bodie. Thorne reached its peak during World War II, when it was one of the busiest stations on the Southern Pacific, serving the Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot. During this time, Thorne was home to around 100 people. A few homes were built, but many lived in trailers. The station continued to operate until the mid-50s, but was torn down not long after. Today, not much remains at Thorne except for a wooden barn, but sign posts boasting a four-track crossing are a reminder of how busy the little townsite once was.
