Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten years ago

May 30, 2012

With the recent presence of wildlife in the city, Department of Fish and Wildlife officer Jim Nelson has a simple recommendation: Call the Sheriff’s office and then just stay away. The moose that roamed around the west side of the city on May 17 killed a dog after the moose was spooked by sight-seers, Jim said. The wildlife officer said that wild animals can usually be ushered out of town if they aren’t threatened by crowds. About a week later, a black bear was spotting in town but left before crowds had gathered.

The Gospel-Country Bluegrass band “Forgotten Freight” will return for its fourth concert to Pataha Flour Mill. Jon VanVogt said “popular demand” brings back the five-member band that represents a cross-section of the Moscow and Potlatch communities. Members of the group include Tim Kinkeade on rhythm guitar; Susan Firor, bass fiddle; Lenny Johnson, banjo; J.D. Wolforst, dobro; and Stuart Osborne, fiddle and guitar.

Twenty-five years ago

May 28, 1997

The community picnic sponsored in June by the Mayview Grange will be held Sunday, June 1, at the hall on Kirby-Mayview Rd. Please note that the organization has changed the date from its traditional first Saturday in June because of graduation at Pomeroy High School. The program will begin about 12:30 p.m. and the picnic will follow. Organizers urge residents to attend church and then “come out to the hall for an afternoon of food, races, a fish pond, a baseball then a softball game. Something available for all ages. Spectators needed!” Mayview Grange Hall is located on the road to Lower Granite Dam. The public is invited and you need not be a Grange member to attend.

Thursday, June 5, will be the annual spring workday on Centennial Blvd. Work will begin at 8 a.m. on the block in front of Pomeroy Foods and proceed east until completed at the Rose Garden on 18th St. We invite your participation in this very social and fun time. There will be lots of talk and banter, jokes and laughs and, of course, some honest-to-goodness work will be done.

Fifty years ago

May 25, 1972

Amos Bartlow narrowly escaped death Tuesday morning while operating a wheel tractor at Pinelow Nazarene Campground on the shores of Deer Lake, north of Spokane. Bartlow was backing the tractor away from the lake, with a load in the bucket when the tractor overturned, throwing him into the lake and pinning him under the tractor with the wheel on his head. Pomeroy Church of the Nazarene Minister Rev. Mel Rayborn happened to turn toward the lake just as the tractor tipped over and ran to give assistance. Although unable to move the tractor enough to free Bartlow, Rayborn was able to dig mud from under his head and move him enough to get his head above water. Other men came to help but it was not until another tractor was brought to the scene that Bartlow was freed and removed from the water. In the meantime, different men took turns holding his head above water while rescue efforts continued

Red tulips and petunias have been planted around the post office flag pole by members of Petal Pushers Garden Club. The flowers include a new variety of red tulip, Amourette, and El Toro red petunias.

Seventy-five years ago

May 29, 1947

From present indications, it appears that pea canning operations will get under way at the Blue Mountain Canneries, Inc., on or about June 16, reports Frank Jackson, local manager for the company. Weather conditions have brought the canning season on about two weeks earlier than usual. Last year the plant began operating on June 30. Should rain fall on the growing peas within the next few days cannery officials hope to have a run of at least 40 days.

It appears strange that all of the governments that grow upon the capitalistic form of government, such as the United States enjoys, are trampling each other to be the first at the lending counter to borrow our money, or better still, to get on relief. Their dislike of the capitalistic form of government evidently doesn’t extend to the dollar that such a system is able to produce.

One hundred years ago

May 27, 1922

The World war veterans join with those of the Civil war in Memorial services with a more personal and sympathetic feeling than they knew five years ago. As they miss and mourn for their own lost comrades, they realize a little the grief that the loss of thousands in the other war brought to every community. They have a reverence for and a nearness to the aged veterans that they did not have before, and if they have imagination they will look forward and see themselves advanced in years and will wonder if their own services will be remembered. They may be sure that they will not be forgotten. America never forgets her soldier sons.

Mrs. Kathleen Ayres is a great booster for gasoline service stations. Mrs. Ayres last week broke the San Francisco-Portland record by piloting her four-cylinder Buick coupe between these two cities in 22 hours and 43 minutes. Her time cut down the best previous motor car record by three hours and eight minutes, and bested the Southern Pacific’s crack train “The Shasta”, by five hours, 47 minutes. Stops were made at Corning and Roseburg Standard Oil service stations for Red Crown and Zerolene, and the prompt attention given by the service station attendants cut many minutes off the running time. “And minutes are valuable little things, especially in establishing records,” said Mrs. Ayres.