Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

June 1, 2011

Pomeroy High School will graduate 20 members of the Class of 2011 in its 120th commencement ceremony.

State 1B championships were won by the Pirate boys’ 4x100 relay team and pole vaulter Brielle Hocking, who cleared 9’6” with room to spare.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

June 5, 1996

A fire last week at the Falling Springs Rd. clean-up site caused the destruction of a John Deere 892 track-type backhoe-excavator valued at an estimated $230,000.

Pioneer Days will feature a Kid’s Parade, old cars, horse-drawn equipment and old farm tractors, followed by the Food Fair, Covered Wagon Races, vintage movies of Pomeroy, tours of the Pataha Flour Mill and more.

The Class of 1996 graduated 43 members, the largest number since the early 1980s when enrollment was higher due to dam construction workers.

Fifty Years Ago

June 3, 1971

Performing here on Friday, the DeWayne Brothers Big Top (tent) circus, combined with the traditional three rings, is quite rare, as several circuses only perform in auditoriums.

The Mayview Picnic, an annual affair for more than half a century, is one of the few remaining events of its type in this area. As in past years, the picnic will be spiced up with Old Time Fiddlers, games, sports, and a dance in the evening. Everyone is welcome to attend…the old adage is true–the more the merrier.

The Garfield County Cattlemen’s Association are cooperating with Dr. Berger Keatts and Dr. Larry Koller to assure adequate veterinary service in the county during Dr. Bill Shumaker’s illness.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

May 30, 1946

An old-fashioned rain, one of those soaking kind, began falling over the entire county Sunday night and continued throughout Monday, breaking a dry spell that had many a husbandman down in the dumps in fear that a few more days of dry weather would seriously cut crop yields.

Orville Freeman sold a small batch of high-protein wheat in Pomeroy Monday to the government for $2.02 a bushel, believed to be the highest price wheat sold in the county in the past 25 years.

More than 2,000 persons viewed the mobilized equipment exhibition sponsored by the army ground forces while here in Pomeroy.

M.N. (Doc) Jeffreys, early pioneer of Garfield County, has a record showing the exact date when and where the three beautiful spruce trees growing on the courthouse lawn were procured. On May 13, 1908, while Frank Messenger was sheriff and he was county assessor, they went up the Pataha creek above Columbia Center as far as they could to find spruce trees. They dug up several native spruces about two feet high and planted them where they are now.

One Hundred Years Ago

June 4, 1921

Heading for a picnic at Jewett Grove on the Grouse Flats, a number of automobiles loaded with Pomeroy men and women will leave at 4 a.m. Sunday morning. One party will leave at 1 p.m. Saturday and camp overnight on the Wenatchee.

D.E. Kelley, a few days ago, cut the pipeline which supplies the Bucket Tramway with water. Pacific Coast Elevator Co. owner of the tramway, has filed an injunction against Mr. and Mrs. Kelley.

A band of gypsies made their appearance at the auto campground Sunday evening and were given half an hour in which to get out, by Sheriff Dixon, to whom the neighbors made the complaint.

About one hundred delegates to the district convention of the Women of Woodcraft to be held on Monday and Tuesday will come from western Idaho and eastern Washington towns.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

May 30, 1896

Everybody getting ready to attend the circus.

The Washingtonian goes to press a day early this week in order that our boys may see the elephant and observe Memorial Day.

Frank Mathewson, son-in-law of Mrs. Grandland, who resides at Central Ferry, is under arrest, charged with an attempt to poison Mrs. Grandland and others. He will be examined in Justice Brown’s court on Thursday. The Grandlands claim that Mathewson had plotted to kill Mike Belmer, also, and that Belmer’s grave is already dug, ready to receive the victim.

Frank Young with Ben and William Ish, have gone to Spokane with three or four horse-loads of bacon.

C.M. Ish succeeded in hiving two swarms of bees a few days ago that came from a tree near his house in Beckwith Gulch.

Now comes the Summer Girl, looking for soft snaps and picnics. She is clothed in flashy-colored clothes, large red hat and has her mouth full of chewing gum. Her heart is light, or nothing seems to worry her as long as she can find some smooth-faced dude to buy her gum. Such things will not always last.

Persons gathering stock off the range should remember there is a penalty for driving others than their own further than the first corral on their route.

Lee Smith is the proud owner of a brand-new suit of clothes.

Cyrus Hand, M.A. Hand and wife, and Clarence Foster went to the mouth of Deadman last week fishing. They report having had a fine time, catching over 400 fish.