Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

October 7, 2009

The final Environmental Impact Statement for the Lower Snake River Wind Energy project is available now. Puget Sound Energy, Inc., the project applicant, proposes to build and operate approximately 795 wind turbines in Garfield and Columbia Counties.

A letter to the editor pointed out the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) has donated over $16,000 to projects in the community in the past two years.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

October 5, 1994

The coal bin on the corner of Columbia and Twelfth Streets provided heat one final time when it was razed by the Pomeroy Fire Department in a controlled burn, the first step toward clearing the block in preparation for a retirement housing development.

Wheat growers in Washington produced twenty-five percent less wheat in 1994 than 1993, according to the Washington Agricultural Statistics Service.

Fifty Years Ago

October 2, 1969

Only a road washout or a new time schedule would have kept the St. John Eagles on their long victory trail as the determined Pirates humbled the Pride of the Palouse 23-6 in a wonderful upset victory last week at Pomeroy. The thriller ended a 37-game winning streak for the Eagles, it being the first loss ever in 11-man football for the visitors.

Voters will decide whether or not the city buys a new fire truck to implement the city’s twenty-year-old lone pumper. The situation involves the city dropping to a lower fire rating if another truck is not purchased, causing fire insurance premiums on many businesses and homes to increase. It was pointed out that if the rating was ever lowered it would be a difficult task to raise it again.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

October 5, 1944

The Pomeroy Jaycees are all set for the grand Harvest Festival celebration on Saturday, October 7th.

Gus Lybecker, superintendent of Pomeroy schools, was re-elected president of the southeastern Washington district high school athletic association for the thirteenth time at a meeting held last week. Schools represented were St. John, Colfax, Prescott, Walla Walla, Dayton, Clarkston, Asotin, Anatone, Pine City, Waitsburg and Pomeroy.

Petitions are being circulated throughout the county asking the county commissioners to submit to the voters of Garfield County at the November election the proposal of bonding the county for $60,000 for the construction and equipment of a general county hospital, $50,000 for a building and $10,000 for equipment.

The Crystal Café closed for the past two weeks for renovation will reopen for business tomorrow. Ted Webb, proprietor, announces that the special for the opening day will be a turkey dinner and all the trimmings for $1.00. Juicy steaks with mushroom sauce will also be a special.

One Hundred Years Ago

October 4, 1919

The Pomeroy High School will publish an annual this year by the senior class under the supervision of Mr. Austin of the department of Mathematics. It is the first production of this nature that the high school has put out, as the Ala Ik Kan, the monthly paper has formerly substituted. This annual will afford both pleasure and thought to the readers because of the “peppy” and enthusiastic spirit with which the student body regards it. Their best efforts and zeal will be put forth to make it a success, but this can only happen if the townsmen will cooperate with the students.

Every pupil in the public school, unless he has a doctor’s certificate showing that his is physically unfit, is required to take physical training. Physical examinations will begin next week.

The team attached to the sprinkler wagon took a spin down Columbia street Tuesday, leaving their driver, Richardson, dangling from the iron pipe through which the water is run into the wagon. Turning at Second street the “off” horse fell, the wagon tipping upon them. The horses were pretty badly scratched up, the wagon tongue broken out and the seat torn off.

Theft of goods in transit is becoming almost unendurable, some of the local merchants declare. The local freight agent admits that goods arrive in bad order, many of the boxes having been broken and some of the contents lost. A box received by the Emerson-Hull Company had lost four pairs of shoes, but for the same foot. Evidently the thief in the case was not very particular as to what he got hold of. Other businesses losing goods include E.O. Crump, W.L. Meyers and the Cardwell store.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

October 6, 1894

Marshall Lakin has been having an interesting time of it with drunks and hoboes. Chas. is wide-awake and keeps our streets clear from all such nuisances.

Frank Story has leased the Red Elephant stable.

Three public women in this place were arrested Thursday charged with conducting a house of ill fame and bound over to the Superior court in the sum of $100 each.

Tom Burlingame is at home again, having delivered his band of cattle to Montana. Tom is still in the market for cattle and will buy everything that comes his way. He will winter over in this county and ship next spring.

Notice is hearby given that the question of issuing bonds for the purpose of funding the outstanding indebtedness of Garfield County, Wash., will be submitted to the voters of said county at the general election to be held Nov. 6th, 1894.