Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

July 28, 2010

The northwest area of Garfield County has become the home of constant activity as facilities are developed to build the roads to and foundations for the Lower Snake River Wind Power Project wind turbines expected to go up in 2011.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 2, 1995

Garfield County Hospital District has negotiated a three-year contract with Dr. Scott Bartlow to work at Pomeroy Medical Clinic.

Garfield County Board of Commissioners decided to abandon further planning for a multi-use path from Pomeroy to the fairgrounds.

Fifty Years Ago

July 30, 1970

A long-hoped-for museum to preserve items relating to the precious heritage and history of the county moved a step closer to reality recently when an option by the newly formed Garfield County Historical Association was taken on the Schulke property at the corner of 7th and Columbia, originally part of the J.M. Pomeroy property and later the early home of the East Washingtonian.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

July 26, 1945

Fire, which broke out mysteriously in the Alva Watson barn 12 miles southwest of Pomeroy Saturday afternoon, cost Mr. Watson his life, burned about 320 acres of growing grain and 2,000 acres of pastureland. The flames, fanned by a high wind, threatened the entire county west of Pomeroy before it was brought under control and burnt itself out early Sunday morning. The fire burned up to the front door steps of the Cecil Kimble home, but the buildings were all saved by volunteer firefighters. Five general alarms were sounded for help. The third and fourth alarms came along about five o’clock when it appeared the blaze was headed toward Pomeroy after reaching the John Herres farm. Hundreds of citizens from country and town responded to the call equipped with wet sacks, shovels, tractors and plows to stop the onward rush of the blaze.

One Hundred Years Ago

July 31, 1920

By flocking to a downtown swimming-hole, where they had built a dam, the boys were about to solve the swimming-pool problem to their own satisfaction, when some grownups became interested and made an improvement, following the boys’ plan. The tailrace of the Houser mill ditch, below the falls, was chosen for the location, and a dam built across the stream that backed the water up to a depth of five feet, forming a pool about 25 feet wide and 50 feet long. Men and women and children by scores have been pouring into the little pool afternoons and evenings and from present indications its popularity as a bathing point will soon surpass that of coast resorts.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

July 27, 1895

One day last week a cow belonging to A.A. Ayers crawled in under the flour mill and got fast. She was there five days and when extricated was crazed and half dead from hunger and thirst.

Ab. Talbot, of Ilia, had a narrow escape from being killed by his cart horse running away and dragging him some distance. He is able to be about on crutches.

Seigrist, Thoma & Kassel have rented the Pomeroy flour mills for a term of years. The members of this firm are not strangers to the people of Garfield County; Thoma & Kassel having successfully operated the chop mills in this city for the past five years, while “Sig” is known to be one of the best millers on the coast.