Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

November 11, 2009

Garfield County voters approved the county hospital district’s request for $70,000 for repair and replacement of roofs over the facility and other exterior maintenance in last week’s general election, and also approved annexations of the City of Pomeroy into the county Fire District.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

November 9, 1994

House Speaker Tom Foley, third-highest elected official in the United States, addressed a crowd of 400 students and 100 residents at the high school gym when he visited Garfield County on November 1.

Gene Moos, U.S. Undersecretary of Agriculture for commodity programs and international affairs spoke to a crowd of fifty local producers this week in the courthouse under the sponsorship of Garfield County Wheat Growers.

Fifty Years Ago

November 6, 1969

Pioneer Association President Otto Fitzgerald is calling a meeting in the courtroom of the courthouse to try to determine if the talk of building a museum which has been going on for fifty or more years is just talk or if some action can be instituted. Fitzgerald stressed this is a gathering which all interested in a museum for Garfield County should definitely attend.

Pomeroy Pharmacy was entered Saturday night through a skylight and the safe door was peeled open. A similar job was done Monday evening at Tum-A-Lum Lumber Co. It was entered through a back window and tools from that store’s inventory were used.

Irvin Juran assumed postmaster responsibilities following Postmaster Ronald Chard’s retirement.

The State Department of Labor and Industries has ruled seven overhead doors at the county shop to be too heavy for hand operation and the conversion to a push button system will cost the county around $3,000.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

November 9, 1944

Checking station attendants at Pomeroy and Asotin have tallied in 150 head of elk killed in the Blue Mountains up to Tuesday evening. The season opened November 1st and closes November 12th.

Garfield County went republican in last Tuesday’s national election, bucking the national trend.

The Pomeroy Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) voted almost unanimously to purchase the Maple hall from W.L. Meyers at a reported consideration of $3,000. The hall, a recreational center, is used primarily for dances, bazaars, dinners and other large public gatherings.

An Armistice Day program will be given in the high school auditorium to which the general public is invited with music by the Pomeroy high school band, songs by chorus groups, and WWI veteran and American Legion member Oscar Miller as speaker.

One Hundred Years Ago

November 8, 1919

With a program that assures a day of rejoicing for the public as well as themselves, the members of the American Legion have made definite arrangements for celebrating the first annual Armistice Day, Nov. 11. The celebration will open at 10 o’clock with guard mount. There will be an order placing the city under martial law in Pomeroy, with military police holding the jail keys. A street parade will occur at 11 o’clock. A program will be given in the Seeley theatre at 2 o’clock, and at 6 o’clock retreat will close the military part of the celebration. Business houses are asked to close at 2 o’clock for the rest of the day. The committee promise flights unlimited in number or distance without price, giving the passenger his choice of five airships which have been chartered for the day. “The big noise,” it is confidently predicted, will center in the explosion of 2,500 pounds of dynamite, to give Pomeroy some idea of the roar at the front in France on year ago.

Garfield County was surprised upon awakening at daylight Thursday morning to find the ground white with snow and more coming down. The shower continued until the white blanket had attained a depth of five inches, a snow record for October according to the U.S. weather service. Much damage has been done to fruit trees and shade trees, which still in full leaf have broken down under the heavy burden of snow.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

November 10, 1894

Marshal Lakin has filled in and greatly improved the south approach to 9th St. bridge.

Tom Burlingame will arrive from Grande Ronde Saturday with 180 head of cattle.

Asotin County Sheriff L. Wormell stopped in Pomeroy Friday night, having in charge Lloyd the cattle rustler, who will be tried in Asotin next week.

George Light has 130 acres of fall wheat which cover the ground. Mr. Light’s grain is usually the best that is raised on the Flat.

We state for the benefit of the widows and old maids of the neighborhood that Mr. Wm. Longton is to take his departure for Missouri this week. Though we are neither one we extend our sympathy.