Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

September 8, 2010

Elton Brown was honored by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife earlier this summer for decades of volunteer service to hunter and shooting education. Brown volunteered as a Washington Hunter Education program instructor for 30 years, and been active in the Pomeroy Gun Club, especially with the Pomeroy Junior Trapshooting program, for 50 years, donating not only time but money and equipment.

Garfield County Sheriff’s Department will participate in the first nationwide prescription drug take-back day.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

September 13, 1995

It’s the 50th fair at the present Garfield County Fairgrounds, so you’ll see a lot of gold sunflowers decorating the grounds, as well as on all manner of apparel.

Lightning during a storm last Wednesday night struck the Jerry Mock residence on South 8th Street and caused minor fire damage to the attic and upstairs wall. The strike hit the metal weather cap on a flue.

Fifty Years Ago

September 10, 1970

A special prize for the exhibitor of the heaviest and largest squash or pumpkin, and a Supreme Livestock Exhibitor award in the open class, are two of the new prizes being offered at the fair this year.

Enrollment at Pomeroy schools took a 30-pupil dip from last year’s first-week figures. The bulk of Little Goose dam employees have departed and to date Pomeroy has not experienced any great population influx from Lower Granite.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

September 6, 1945

John Henry Schuelke, who has been listed as missing in action following the sinking of the USS Huston in battle in February 1942, has been declared officially dead. Schuelke was taken prisoner by the Japanese and died in a prison camp in Thailand two years later on May 12, 1944.

Students numbering 468 returned to their studies in the public and parochial schools. Enrollment will be slightly higher within the next two weeks as more students enter school when they complete work they are now engaged in. The figures do not include the attendance at Mayview, which had 15 students last year.

One Hundred Years Ago

September 11, 1920

W.J. Houser offered to sell the city his right to the use of water from the Bihlmaier Spring during the summer months for $6,000, reserving only water for domestic purposes and the privilege of drawing on the general supply in case of fire. A right-of-way through the land, with a stipulation protecting his dam goes with his project. An additional $1,000 will satisfy M.H. Houser if W.J. Houser’s offer is accepted. W.H. Hutchens refused the offer of $200 made for the right-of-way through his land, which would be necessary to carry out the plan.

The Garfield County Game Association will be entertained on the Tucannon by their brother enthusiasts of Columbia County and received plaudits for being the snappiest bunch of hunters in Southeastern Washington, for with a smaller membership than the Touchet Valley organization and with far less territory for their activities, they won the inter-county hunt for predatory birds and animals by a margin of nearly 10,000 points.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

September 7, 1895

A large and eminently respectable crowd assembled at Pataha last Friday afternoon to witness the first regular bicycle races for Garfield County. The sensation of the meet was the mile race between A.E. Dickson and Lew Whitcomb’s trotter. “Am” won the race, but the horse gave him such a hot chase that he made Whitcomb an offer and became the owner of the animal the next day.

Judge Sturdevant held a short session of court here during the week. The only important case was that of Richard Casey, charged with grand larceny, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years hard labor. Casey, it will be remembered, is the fellow who stole a saddle from Johnny Dean.

A runaway which might have proved fatal to a very small boy occurred a few days ago, when Mrs. Granland’s team took a spin down Main street, with the lines dragging and the lad perched helplessly upon the seat of the vehicle. But for the timely aid of Willie Thompson, who gave chase on horseback and stopped the team before any damage was done, the result would certainly have been serious. The boy stuck pluckily to the rig and should have received words of kindness in place of the scolding it is said his relatives gave him.

Harry Abbot came up from Walla Walla and settled all speculations as to the disposition of his flour mill by leasing it to Messrs. Stegrist, Thoma and Kassel for one year.

The boys are all rustlers and may be depended upon to do what is right by their friends and patrons.