Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

August 3, 2011

Leslie McManus, editor of 40,000-subscriber “Farm Collector” magazine, was a guest of David and Nancy Ruark at the Eastern Washington Agricultural Museum last week.

Rocky Heath of CEP Recycle, Walla Walla, collected eight bins of electronic recyclables, mostly old television sets, during Garfield County’s E-cycle Day.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 7, 1996

Pomeroy will be the site of one of the six public hearings scheduled by the state Department of Ecology on its proposal to substantially reduce grass field burning in eastern Washington.

After 27 years as a commissioned Washington State Patrol trooper, Mike Cassetto retired from the force to take a civilian position as a vehicle inspector for licensing out-of-state rigs.

Fifty Years Ago

August 5, 1971

Three Pomeroy Explorer Scouts, Gary Cole, Chris Cardwell and Greg Scott, left Friday for the 13th World Jamboree Aug. 2 through Aug. 10 in Japan. In Lewiston they joined 24 other boys and four scout leaders from the area. A banner painted by Mrs. Mearns Gates depicting the story of Lewis and Clark as they explored the majestic mountainous area of the Northwest will hang over the entrance of the campsite of Troop 1153.

No huckleberries have been found in the Blue Mountains this year, according to the Pomeroy District recreation report.

Lightning caused 13 fires Tuesday morning in the Pomeroy District of the Umatilla National Forest. Most were located between Godman and Maloney Mountain. All classed as spot fires, 11 were extinguished Tuesday and two expected to be out Wednesday.

The Garfield County allocation of two new wheat varieties have been harvested. Luke yielded 63.8 bushels per on 35 acres and indications are that Paha, still being harvested, was yielding 60 bushels per acre. Both varieties were yielding plump kernels and seed of high quality.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

August 1, 1946

Numerous fires last week destroyed approximately 1,165 acres of standing grain in the county valued at no less than $70,000, and between 127 and 150 telephone poles and three miles of line in the Dodge area.

Elevator storage space for the bumper wheat crop being harvested will be insufficient to store the 1946 crop, estimated to yield 2,500,000 bushels, if freight cars are not available to haul wheat to terminal storage points on the coast.

Blue Mountain Canneries expects to complete a record pack of Green Giant peas in their Pomeroy plant by this weekend, 275,000 cases of 24 cans each, the largest number the firm has processed in a single season since locating in Pomeroy five years ago.

The Pomeroy Pharmacy, which has operated its modern fountain for the past nine years, has sold its fountain equipment to E.G. Greene of Moscow, Id., who will install it in the Orioles Nest on the University of Idaho campus.

Cars driven by John Cardwell and Neil Keatts crashed head-on on a sharp turn in the road between the Tom and Henry Keatts farms last week. While the cars were badly damaged, fortunately both men escaped with minor bruises and cuts. The two had agreed during the day that they would go to Lewiston that evening to visit their wives and newly born babies in St. Joseph’s hospital. The first one who completed his day’s tasks was to drive over to the other’s place and together they would proceed to Lewiston. Both finished their work about the same time, and bang! they met in the highway. As a result of the accident, their visit was postponed a day.

One Hundred Years Ago

August 6, 1921

Heading, threshing and cleaning barley averaging 20 sacks to the acre, at the rate of 1,200 sacks a day, Walter Richardson’s grain-gathering plant was moving along as free from any impediment or obstruction as a boat on a smooth sea. The 32-inch separator driven by a steam engine still operates a government-made cleaner.

Mr. and Mrs. J.A. Armstrong have about decided to accept an offer of $3,600 for six young foxes born last May, from the man who sold them the pair of foxes producing the litter. Figures show the offer would provide $1,000 more than the amount of Armstrong’s original investment, leaving on hand the old stock—a fine pair of silver grays, and proven exceptionally prolific.

Crops are turning out well in yield and quality. Prices slumped after touching a dollar earlier in the week.

Palmer Bros. Circus is billed to appear in Pomeroy Friday of next week in two performances. There will be a street parade at 10:30. Features advertised are trained horses, wild animals, horseback riding, clowns and birds.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

August, 1896

Master Willie, 6-year-old son of James McKee of Mayview, dropped in and visited the Washingtonian force Monday. Willie has finished his 3rd reader, and is an all ‘round bright lad. He says he is a Republican.

Seely Blachley lost a valuable young workhorse last week from so simple a thing as a sore on top of the neck, caused by the collar, from which the shoulder and neck swelled to such an extent that death followed.

Coyotes are quite numerous on Meadow Gulch this summer.