Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten years ago

August 29, 2012

With the 2012 harvest in Garfield County just about done, Pomeroy Grain Growers general manager Bob Cox’s evaluation is that it’s “another good year” for county farmers. Bob estimated that 85% of the fields had been harvested as of last week and that everything should be “in the bin” by Labor Day. Though 2012’s yields are “not quite as good” as the record yields of 2011, they’re still above average. And prices are $2.00 higher this year, and the $9.00 Portland quote is “an incredible white wheat price,” the manager said. A lot of the boost in wheat prices can be attributed to the drought affecting most of the U.S. “Corn is king” in the grain markets, in terms of volume and price, Bob pointed out, and the lack of a good corn harvest has helped the wheat price.

Twenty-five years ago

September 3, 1997

Virgil Kimble celebrated his 90th birthday by eating Sunday dinner at the home of his son Larry and family. Virgil’s daughter Edna Lou Ringer of Penn Valley, Calif., came to help him celebrate. Stella Kimble and Ardis Weimer were also guests that Sunday. Other relatives were still harvesting and could not come on that day. Virgil has enjoyed the hobby of rock collecting for many years. He still enjoys his collection, but does little getting out and searching for rocks these days.

The Morgan family reunion was held at the Pomeroy Senior Center on a recent Sunday. Lorraine said many of their people were busy with harvest this year and could not attend so the attendance was not as large. She said most of the people were from away and she enjoyed the day, but Lloyd and Maxine Morgan were the only ones who had ever lived here.

Fifty years ago

August 31, 1971

A veterinarian from Washington State University Tuesday night blasted the Corps of Engineers and other agencies for failing to make a basic study of the gas bubble disease and said the Corps won’t find a solution until it does. Dr. Thomas Graham Bell, from the department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, said those who have been working to solve the gas bubble disease problem in Snake River fish admit they still do not understand what causes the problem.

Citizens of Pomeroy, Dayton, and neighboring towns will have an opportunity to see a complete performance of America’s largest tent circus, Carson & Barnes, when it unloads near the Dayton Football field on Sunday to feed, water and rest the animals, in conjunction one performance is planned at 2:00 p.m. Feed and rest stops are always necessary and required by law on long trips across the country. The show moves on 34 big transport trucks, along with 30 house trailers, pickups, and living cars.

Seventy-five years ago

September 4, 1947

A meeting of department superintendents and officers was held in the courtroom Tuesday evening where final plans were conducted for the fair which will include races and amateur rodeo events. One of the changes was the planning for the exhibition of community booths. The same plan will be followed as in 1946 with a fee of $15 given each organization for the establishment of a booth, in addition to prize money of fist, second and third.

A thief attempted to crack the safe in the office of McCabe & McCabe, attorneys, on the second floor of the post office building some time Thursday night without success. Pat McCabe, deputy county attorney, upon reaching his office Friday morning, discovered the front door of his office ajar and upon entering found the safe containing valuable papers belonging to clients but worthless to anyone else, had been tampered with. Entrance to the office, the evidence shows, was gained by the use of some thin instrument that unlocked the Yale lock without damaging the door or the lock itself. The main door to the safe did not have its combination set, but the inner door to the safe, locked with a key, defied the efforts of the thief.

One hundred years ago

September 2, 1922

Principal A.L. Cabbage, of the Pataha school, reports the largest general enrollment since the beginning of the world war, with a record enrollment, 13, in the high school.

Lewiston will host the pioneers of North Idaho and the Inland Empire. This will be the first pioneer reunion of this magnitude ever held in this locality and many of the old pioneers are planning on attending. Persons interested in north-western history have been invited from all over the Northwest and many have accepted the invitation. It is peculiarly fitting that the city of Lewiston should be the leader in this movement, as it is the center of historical interest in the Northwest. It is one of the first settlements and it was the center of the great gold rush of the 1860s.

Lewiston was the first capital of the state of Idaho. The whole Lewiston valley is replete with tragic and heroic memories of the old timers.