Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

December 19, 2012

Pomeroy Senior Center's annual Christmas dinner and program entertainment will be provided by Wyatt Keller on saxophone, Vegas Vecchio on piano, vocalist Max Ruchert, Jacob Hirsch on piano, Maria Gordon on piano and vocals, and Jim Scott on saxophone. The Golden Girls will close out the program following dinner, and the Christmas raffle baskets will be awarded.

The Pomeroy Pirate wrestling team traveled to Cathlamet, Wash., to compete over the weekend in the Down River Challenge Tournament. The Pirates, one of 14 teams to compete, placed fourth. Winning top honors in their respective weight classes were Wyatt Jenkins (170) and Havin Heytvelt (138). Jenkins was also named the Outstanding Wrestler.

Twenty-five Years Ago

December 24, 1997

What Christmas Means to Me-Mrs. Ruchert's third grade class wrote that Christmas means families getting together, eating Christmas dinner and decorating the tree with tinsel. It also means children sitting by the fire listening to Christmas stories, making gingerbread houses. But the best part is when Jesus was born.-Sarah Herres.

Rowena Bell's Telephone System-Charlotte Clark James, who is a resident of Memory Manor, celebrated her 102nd birthday last Thursday, Dec. 18. Her daughter and son-in-law Elaine and Wayne Emmel of Spokane and her granddaughter Connie Sullivan of Pomeroy were at Memory Manor to help Charlotte celebrate the festive occasion. Mrs. James was born in Eugene, Ore., in 1895. She had two sons, one who is now deceased, and three daughters. She also has 11 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and numerous great-great-grandchildren.

Fifty Years Ago

December 21, 1972

Coyotes have become a topic of discussion in Garfield, Asotin and Nez Perce counties for past several weeks ever since a conservationist wrote to the Lewiston Tribune saying "she didn't see any harm in a coyote killing a calf." The letter came at a time when coyotes are said to be the thickest in years in Garfield County, and over in Asotin County, the Cattleman's Association president called for a moratorium on hunting until nature becomes balanced again, ending the problem of coyote predation. Several calves were killed in Garfield County during the recent cold snap. Doug Stiffarm, state game department wildlife control agent for Garfield and Asotin counties, said coyote control in winter is mostly limited to coyote poison stations on private lands and trapping. Stiffarm, speaking before the Garfield County Cattlemen last Thursday, said ranchers here are fortunate to have Jim Scoggin and so many other trappers and predator hunters.

The easternmost site-the one farthest from Pomeroy, was chosen Monday as the site of the new Steptoe Canyon Bridge at Clarkston. The site-15th Street-is actually only two miles east of the other two sites considered, Dry Gulch-Evans Road, two miles west of 15th St., Clarkston, and Elm Street, between the other two. The 15th Street site at Clarkston's west city limits was chosen by the Washington State Highway Department and approved by the state Highway Commission in Olympia. The highway department said they picked the 15th St. site because it gives the best alignment and allows for a grade separation between the highway traffic and a relocated railroad on the north side of the Snake River.

Seventy-five Years Ago

December 25, 1947

The Christmas Ship, sponsored by the governors of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska, is to leave coast cities the middle of January. Various items of clothing, wheat, cereals and other foods will be included in the 10,000-ton ship bound for distribution to Germany and Austria. To date, citizens of Garfield County have provided over a carload of wheat. The recent drive brought 3,200 pounds, including some foods along with the clothing. The American Legion auxiliary just made 11 quilts which have been sent to the ship. Cash donations amounted to $960 with only a few contributing. Lyle Beavers, treasurer of the community drive, will gladly receive other gifts.

Tuesday the Pirate basketball squad went to Walla Walla to try to defeat the St. Pat's Irish-something no team had done this year. The Pats are particularly tough on their own floor, having won every game at home for the past several years. Already this year they had beaten Pasco, last year's state "A" champions. Pomeroy got off to a fast start and were ahead 9 to 3 the first quarter, but at the half, the Irish had brought their score to 17 and the Pirates to 15. At the end of the third quarter Pomeroy held a one point lead, 28 to 27, and when the gun ended the game had managed to hold grimly to their lead, winning 33 to 32.

One Hundred Years Ago

December 23, 1922

Another tax talk featured a meeting of the commercial club at the Revere Hotel Monday, when J.O. Long advocated a change in the state aid road law, which would eliminate state management of the fund raised by the county state aid levy. Mr. Long said that in 1921 Garfield County received from the permanent highway fund $12,222, and had put into the fund as a result of the lax levy, $20,031.49. He believed that auto license fees and gas tax should be made to take care of all highway maintenance, and that the county be left to finance, manage and build its own roads. Opposing Mr. Long's plan were G.W. Jewett, who state that three counties-King, Spokane and Pierce-paid half the road taxes and that the small counties would suffer a material loss by establishing a county unit.

Charles S. Barrett, president of the National Farmers Union, whose appearance here had been looked forward to with much interest, especially by the farmers, spoke at the Seeley theatre Monday evening, before about 200 persons. Because of the bad roads farmers were unable to get to town, and for the most part the audience was made up of town people. Mr. Barrett declared the Farmers Union to be the greatest farm organization in America, have five times the influence in congress than all the other farm organizations combined. He said the farmers can get any legislation they want by properly backing up the union and making their demands through it.