Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

August 10, 2011

Bank of Whitman’s Pomeroy branch, along with twelve other locations, was closed Friday, August 5, by the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions. Eight other branches were assumed by Columbia State Bank, including an office in Clarkston.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 14, 1996

Takuya Maegawa, 16, a member of LABO cultural exchange group (Japanese equivalent to 4-H), is a guest of his host brother, Jonathan Bragg and family for several weeks.

Pomeroy Fire Department was kept busy last week and over the weekend with five field and two vehicle fires.

Members of the 3D, a group of local women who work toward diet or weight maintenance through discipline and discipleship, donated food products equaling weight lost to the Garfield County Food Bank, an aggregate total of 527 pounds.

Fifty Years Ago

August 12, 1971

High temperatures in the 90s or better have been with the county nearly a month as Tuesday marked the 27th straight day of such temperatures recorded at Pomeroy.

City policemen have announced they will begin enforcing the bicycle safety law because of several near-accidents in the past few days said to be caused by violations of the law, which requires lights and reflectors on all bicycles. Conviction under violation of the law carries a fine of $10 per bicycle not in compliance.

Ray McKeirnan drove to his third hobby main victory August 4 at Lewiston.

Ground beef, 3 lbs./$1.89; spareribs, 59¢/lb., whole or half ham, 59¢/lb., Campbell’s tomato soup, 9 for $1 at Thrift grocery.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

August 8, 1946

Work will begin immediately on the building of a race track and facilities for holding a two-day rodeo in connection with the fair this fall on the thirty-acre tract of the former Bartlow place east of town. Plans include building a grandstand to accommodate over 1,500 people with additional portable grandstands.

Eight itinerant harvest hands, addresses unknown, were locked up in the city jail Saturday evening, taxing its capacity beyond accommodations and in what Chief of Police Tome Bunch described was the largest single number of night boarders ever to make the “jug” between sunset and sunrise. All were charged with being intoxicated. Sunday morning, when the eight men regained their senses, all wished to be liberated and upon posting a $10 bond to appear in court Monday morning, were released. Six of the men had the required bond money but two were minus sufficient funds to gain their freedom. They, however, passed the hat around in the crowd and made up the deficiency required by those whose funds were low and they, too, were liberated. As expected, not a single one of them turned up for a hearing in police court, and as a result forfeited the $80 bond money.

With harvest season at hand during when costly machinery is left standing in the fields, making it more of an incentive for thieves to operate during the night, and the dryness of all vegetation that ever presents a fire hazard, Sheriff Bill Ground and his deputy, William Scribner, have again been patrolling entire county in the view of protecting property, and if possible to prevent grain fires.

One Hundred Years Ago

August 13, 1921

The first damage to harvest machinery by fire occurred Thursday when a separator owned by Louis Lauer was burned as the result of a smut explosion. The derrick also, and 269 sacks of wheat were burned. Ralph Lauer was on top of the separator oiling it and was thrown off and his hands and arms badly burned. One of the men working with the machine started to bring Lauer to the doctor and tipped the car over. D. E. Smith came along in his car and gave them a lift. E.E. Powell, one of the half-dozen men responding to the country fire alarm, hope that more interest will be shown if another fire occurs.

Teal’s Camp—the most popular resort in the mountains—was visited Sunday by about 100 people.

The J.N. Cardwell & Sons store is being improved by the addition of fixtures on the second floor, which hereafter will be devoted to ladies goods. Dressing rooms and fitting rooms, cabins for storage and display of ready-to-wear goods are among the additions. The men’s suit department is being moved to the first floor, and is also being equipped with dressing rooms and display cabinets.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 15, 1896

Harry Hull put a .22 caliber bullet through his hand Monday. Another case where the gun was loaded.

Teachers’ examination is in progress with an unusually large number of teachers in attendance.

It’s amusing to see the festive tramp “hit the road” when he is told that there is work for more men in our harvest fields.

A disastrous fire occurred at John Swank’s at the head of Linville Gulch, Thursday. The barn and granary containing several tons of headed wheat, three sets of harness, a cart, fanning mill, etc., and three calves were burned in the barn. The fire spread out through the orchard and timber culture, doing considerable damage to the trees. The fire is supposed to have been started by children who were known to be in the barn a short time before it was discovered.