Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

August 18, 2010

With Russia’s wheat crops devastated, Garfield County producers are riding the upswing in prices worldwide. Though the county’s 2010 harvest won’t match last year’s numbers, most will have a “decent” year, according to Pomeroy Grain Growers manager Bob Cox.

A new heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit was delivered to the long-term care wing of Garfield County Memorial Hospital and installed onto the roof using a large crane.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 23, 1995

After six months, Dr. Nancy Rodway, the first full-time physician at Pomeroy Medical Clinic, has resigned and accepted a position in Ohio.

A majority of the Garfield County Road Department crew voted for the Washington State Council of County and City Employees as their collective bargaining representative.

Pomeroy Conservation District is the new issuing agency for county burning permits. Prior to the change, grass growers and others using burning in their farming program had to obtain permits from DOE in Spokane.

Fifty Years Ago

August 20, 1970

Wheat from both Garfield and Whitman county ranches is still coming in to the Pomeroy Grain Growers Central Ferry elevators and is being stored on the ground because elevator space is full and barge loading facilities are not yet completed. By Wednesday the mound of wheat had grown to 130,000 bushels.

Pomeroy Chamber of Commerce will advertise Fair Days and the Fair Breakfast with a pioneer theme, including old-time costumes by store employees and owners, parades, window displays and perhaps a skit if it can be arranged with the fair board. Garfield County Historical Association will arrange a display of antiques.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

August 16, 1945

The war is over. Japan surrendered unconditionally by accepting the counter proposal submitted by President Harry Truman in behalf of the Allied nations. Business was at a complete standstill in Pomeroy Wednesday in observance of V-J day.

The price of victory over German and Japanese aggression cost the lives of eight Garfield County men with two still reported as missing and the efforts of between 350 and 400 men and women, reveals the memorial plaque standing on the courthouse lawn in their honor. Marvin Baldwin, Kenneth Dye, Joseph Fanazick, William Fitzgerald, Roy Kimble, John Kralman, William McCanse and Bernard Russell died in action. Still missing in action are Robert Adams and John Schuelke.

The state game department liberated 610 Chinese Pheasants in various parts of Garfield County last week.

One Hundred Years Ago

August 21, 1920

Thirty touring parties composed of over 125 persons have enrolled their names on the register at the auto park during the month on August.

Remarkably well-preserved of mind and body is Leroy Hall, of Greensboro, Pa., who visited his granddaughter, Mrs. J.W. Sherfey, in Pomeroy last week. Mr. Hall closed his thirty-sixth successive annual term as a justice-of-the-peace in his town last March and jokingly declares he would still be in office if prohibition had not put him out of business.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 17, 1895

Lewis Bulen, the popular waiter at the St. George, has gone to Pullman. Miss Lizzie Corbin will take his place in the dining room.

Dr. W.B. Kassel, the dentist, is here to remain until Tuesday next. He reports business lively.

C.A. McCabe and family have returned from a three or four days’ camp on the Tukanon. Charlie, who is one of our most faithful and successful anglers, secured 380 of the “speckled beauties.”

Pension Agt. J.D. Brooks has secured a pension of $10 a month, beginning April 9, 1895, in favor of Bosley Pate, who resides on Linville gulch.

It was estimated that more than 50 men passed through the city Wednesday, bound for the Palouse country to hunt for work in harvest.

Mr. C.A. Shaffer was in town from his farm near Ping Thursday. He says reports from threshers now running in that vicinity show that summer fallow wheat is turning out about 20 bushels to the acre while spring sowing ranges from 12 to 15.

Our citizens should be careful about burning paper or other rubbish in the streets and against depositing ashes or any other refuse matter in the public thoroughfares. There is an ordinance forbidding it, but many people disregard it, and as a result our streets are littered up in an unsightly manner. If everybody will comply with the ordinance in the respect thee will be no trouble in keeping the streets of Pomeroy clean and attractive.

Say or think what you like, the “new woman,” who works at whatever her hands can find to do, is gaining on it in the matter of numbers. The government has been getting out figures collected in 1890 on that subject and in 1890 there were in the country 219 women miners, 23 women wood choppers, 20 women quarries and 58 women blacksmiths. These figures are under rather than over the true number when collected, and have increased since 1890. Include as woodchoppers the women who split kindling for their morning fires and the number would count several thousands.