Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

August 31, 2011

A lot of Garfield County residents spent a hectic Sunday night helping neighbors and friends in the north part of the county put out fires after a short but severe lightning storm passed through the county. The fire burned right up to metal buildings at Dye Seed on Bell Plain Rd. as well as up to a couple of homes. Approximately 5,000 to 6,000 acres were burned as of Monday morning.

The Pomeroy swim team won its fifth straight league championship last week at Colfax, defeating six other teams competing for the trophy.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

September 4, 1996

Garfield County firefighters, aided by residents, battled wildfire that burned stubble, pasture and wildlife habitat covering thousands of acres along the northern border of the county for two days last week. Fire Chief Larry Bunch said that in his 26 years with the department, the period was “by far the toughest 48 hours we have experienced.”

After discussions with Pomeroy Police Department personnel and the city council’s police committee, Mayor Don Stellwagen made an “administrative” decision to relocate the police department to City Hall.

Fifty Years Ago

September 2, 1971

Cleanup is underway at Robert Dye Seed Ranch Inc., where the seed processing plant and offices were destroyed by fire early Sunday morning. The plant—the largest Kentucky Bluegrass seed plant in the world—will be completely rebuilt.

National trick log rolling champion Jerry Phillips of Walla Walls and Penny McCall of Lewiston have been booked for the Garfield County fair and promise a thrilling show in a tank erected for the event. They’ll bring their own logs.

Total enrollment in Pomeroy Public Schools this year in all classes including kindergarten is 787, compared to 820 last fall. Enrollment figures are not final as about 25 to 30 students have not yet returned to school because of the late harvest and other problems;

Grain on the ground—now in seven piles in the county—continues to mount as harvest draws to a close. All are wheat except one small pile of barley at Pomeroy. At Pomeroy the big pile near the highway holds 178,000 bushels and the smaller pile across the tracks has 92,000 bushels of wheat. Central Ferry’s piles total 225,000 and a pile at Dodge holds 52,000. This, in spite of nearly 400,000 bushels already shipped out this year.

Ray McKeirnan sat in the Lewis-Clark sports arena winners’ circle for the fourth time this season as he raced to victory in the 25-lap hobby main Aug. 25.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

August 29, 1946

Chancy Blachly, a prominent farmer of the Mayview district, was painfully, though not believed seriously injured, by an enraged bull who knocked Mr. Blachly to the ground, gored and stepped upon him fracturing three ribs and otherwise bruising a helpless man.

With the opening of school next week, fifteen buses will again begin hauling school children to and from school from the rural districts of the county.

Zelma Dunlap and “Wyoming Eagle,” the educated, registered pinto stallion, most amazing and appealing to persons of all ages, as well as Allen and Marge Ensley, of Colfax, expert horseback riders and trick rope artists rated among the best in their line in the west, will entertain Pomeroy at the fair.

One Hundred Years Ago

September 3, 1921

Wheat went up to a dollar Tuesday in Pomeroy, but dropped to about 90 cents for the best wheat on Wednesday. Practically no sales are reported.

Leslie Ruark, 13 years old, worked 35 ½ days harvesting for J.B. Tucker and W.W. Richardson and received $3 a day for his labor. The men who employed Leslie say he gave them good service and earned every dollar they paid him.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

September 5, 1896

Auditor Sanford is seriously ill with some stomach complaint. Miss Sallie Allen is the competent and obliging Asst. auditor during the illness of Mr. Sanford.

There is considerable complaint in this community of sore throats, and it is feared that some cases may develop into diphtheria.

J.A. Mills is very sick with typhoid fever at his home in this city.

Jochin Lubking’s farm house 6 miles west of town was burned to the ground last Thursday, while the family were all away from home except Mrs. Lubking. We did not learn the extent of the loss, but nothing was saved. Through the heroic efforts of Mrs. Lubking a considerable portion of the household effects were removed from the burning building, into the yard, only to be wiped out by the increasing flames. We are pained to learn that the lady was badly burned about the arms and face during her brave but futile efforts to save her home from total destruction. Mr. Lubking, who is running a thresher in Whitman Co., has been telegraphed for.

Charles Kneen and N. Berkley shipped 94 head of fat hogs from Ilia last Sunday.

Matt Dixon, who has been traveling in the southern states for the past year, is now in Phoenix, Nevada. He says times are hard there and that he would not advise a man with a family to leave this country if he can make a living here.