Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

May 26, 2010

Garfield County Sheriff Larry Bowles submitted his resignation last week, stating a “medical retirement” recommended by his physician. Undersheriff Ben Keller was appointed interim sheriff.

Puget Sound Energy announced the start of construction on Phase I of the Lower Snake River Wind Project in Garfield County. The 343-megawatt project will generate electricity for more than 100,000 homes and create 175 green jobs.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

May 31, 1995

A male bear spent about an hour Sunday afternoon in a tree north of 18th and Main. Police were called shortly before 2 p.m. and it wasn’t long before a crowd gathered to see the black bear. Wildlife agent Jim Nelson had everyone clear out of the yard and about 3 p.m. the bear climbed down and took off over the hill to the north. Less than an hour later, the animal was reported wandering around in a wooded gulch north and east of the Courthouse. Wildlife agents used a tranquilizer dart on the bear and with assistance from Bill Van Vogt and Brad Gingerich, the bear was loaded into a cage and transported to the Umatilla National Forest. The bear weighed about 150 lbs. and its age was estimated at about 2 years.

Fifty Years Ago

May 28, 1970

Commencement exercises for the 66-member Pomeroy High School graduating class will be held in the gym this Thursday evening, May 28, with speeches given by the honor graduates.

Who is or what is the mysterious Super Pickle mentioned in a small classified ad in last week’s E.W.? Super Pickle is a friendly white billy goat and he came to town after being hired to conduct a membership drive for the Pomeroy Jaycees. His goal is 28 new club members and after that he will pack his tote goat bag quietly leave town, no longer defying the city ordinance that stipulates no goats or pigs. But until that time he will turn up on the lawn of a Jaycee accompanied by a sign saying: “This Jaycee Needs a New Member.” He will stay on the lawn to be fed and cared for by the household until the Jaycee secures said member.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

May 31, 1945

Not since the days of World War I has Decoration Day been so simply, sincerely and quietly observed in Pomeroy as demonstrated by the hundreds of floral wreaths that decorated the graves of departed soldiers, relatives and friends in local cemeteries. Two large baskets of flowers were placed at the foot of the memorial plaque standing on the courthouse lawn, across which were the words: “In Memory of Our Boys.”

Two concrete foundations on the courthouse lawn that formerly supported two cannons, relics of the Spanish-American war, were removed this week. The cannons and cannon balls were donated to the scrap drive about two years ago. The foundation was buried into the ground for 24 inches. The relics had stood on the courthouse lawn for the past quarter of a century.

A chinook salmon weighing 15 pounds was caught Tuesday morning in the Tucannon river by Oakley Coffin, the first of this type reported so far this season.

Everyone is invited to Mayview’s annual event, the big Grange picnic, this Saturday at the Grange Hall. The morning program will be followed by a potluck dinner at noon. In the afternoon there will be baseball and other games for both young and old, and will close with a big dance.

One Hundred Years Ago

May 29, 1920

Graduates of the class of 1920 were honored with a banquet marking the first of a series of annual affairs by the newly-organized Pomeroy High School Alumni Association.

Governor Louis F. Hart will address the pioneers at the annual meeting here on June 4, and Captain E.K. Brown, a veteran of both the Spanish-American and world wars, will speak on the 5th.

Qualification of pioneers entitled to chair awards was amended providing that no person shall be considered a pioneer for this purpose who has not attained the age of 15 years.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

May 25, 1895

The fourth annual commencement exercises of the Pomeroy high school will take place at the opera house, Wednesday evening May 29th, with nine graduates.

C.W. Miller has assumed operation of his son Fred’s large fruit farm on Snake river and is putting in a large fruit dryer. Fruit in that neighborhood was never in better condition. Cherries have been ripe for a week and the yield of peaches will be immense. The plum and apple crop will be medium.