Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

February 20, 2013

Pomeroy Pirate wrestlers Wyatt Jenkins, Ryan Smith, and Austin Reisdorph won class championships at the State B wrestling tournament at the Tacoma Dome on Friday and Saturday. Jenkins won the 170-lb title, Smith earned the 160-lb championship, and Reisdorph claimed first in the 220-lb class. With teammate Clayton King contributing, the Pirate team placed third in the team standings.

Four Pomeroy High School graduates were named to Washington State University's President's Honor Roll for academic excellence during the fall semester. Named by the school were Brian John Gates, Nettie Anne Heytvelt, Rachel Rene Ruchert, and Phillip James Stilson. To be eligible for the honor roll, a student carrying at least nine graded hours must earn a 3.75 grade point average or better for the term, or maintain at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

February 18, 1998

Local youths and their parents will kick off a planned "30-Hour Famine" event in Pomeroy while gathering Monday, Feb. 22, at the First Christian Church. The meeting, called "30 Days Before 30 Hours," is for all junior and senior high school students and their parents, according to organizer Alynda Benson. The 30-Hour Famine calls for students to go without food for 30 hours on March 20 and 21 to help fight hunger and poverty around the world. Participants ask family, friends and neighbors to sponsor them with pledges as they go without food to identify with those who are hungry. Through videos, games, special events and involvement in local community projects, they learn about hunger and what they can do to help others.

J.D. Brown was elected to a 3-year term as supervisor on the Pomeroy Conservation District board at the annual Farmer's Day on Feb. 2 at the Garfield County Fairgrounds. Brown was also elected by board members to serve as chairman of the board for another year. Bob Bingman was named vice chairman and James Ruchert was elected secretary-treasurer.

Fifty Years Ago

February 15, 1973

Eddie Baker and his son Jim Baker have been selected as 1973 Garfield County Cattlemen of the Year. The Bakers, and their wives, were honored Tuesday night at the annual Cattleman's Association banquet at the Odd Fellows Hall. Edward J. Baker and James D. Baker operate approximately 2750 acres of farm and pasture land, plus 306 acres of timbered recreation land in the county. Included are some 1360 acres of cropland, 1340 acres of pasture and 50 acres of irrigated grass on the Tucannon. The cattle operation presently consists of 75 cows including 30 Black Angus, 25 Black Baldys, and 20 White Face Herefords. There are also 30 mixed stocker heifers to breed and sell. The Bakers have four bulls.

By Wendell Bartlow, of Pomeroy Soil and Water Conservation District-Tracks and horrible scars were made by Commonwealth Electric Company on Jan. 15 and 16. Protests were made by landowners, operators, and county commissioners, who all witnessed the assault on these resources. The resulting erosion near a tower was caused when runoff water broke through a diversion-terrace that was also damaged by heavy equipment. The reason for such damage was unjustified and inexcusable, because it occurred on soil that was supersaturated after frost had gone out of the ground. Construction could have been delayed for five to seven days and very little damage would have taken place. Repair of these damages will be paid for by your taxes. It is time the general public stands up against this method of progress. If this is progress-it is going backwards.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

February 19, 1948

The annual southeastern Washington sub-district basketball tournament in which eight high school teams will participate will get underway in the Pomeroy high school gymnasium next Wednesday afternoon. High schools participating will be Anatone Wildcats; Asotin Panthers; Dayton Bulldogs; Prescott Tigers; St. Pat's Irish; Touchet Farmers; Columbia Coyotes; and Pomeroy Pirates. Participating in the games will be 80 young high school boys.

Kenneth Price, a Garfield County 4-H club member, exhibited the grand champion bull at the 14th annual Lewiston Hereford association show and sale which was held in Lewiston on Jan. 16 and 17. The grand champion was bred by Kenneth Price and this is the second time that he has shown in adult competition. The grand champion sold to Richard Taufeu & Son of Uniontown for $1,200. Price's second entry was runner-up for the reserve champion and sold to Enneking Bros. of Keuterville, Idaho for $800.

One Hundred Years Ago

February 17, 1923

The blizzard which swept Garfield County Saturday night and Sunday morning is believed to be the most severe snow-storm in the history of the county according to some of the old-timers. Snow was falling constantly and mingling with snow from the ground driven by the fierce wind filled the air so that anything more than a few yards distant was completely cut off from view. The wind lost some of its velocity Monday, but the snow kept falling constantly until Tuesday evening and occasionally thereafter until Thursday when it had attained a depth of about 12 inches in Pomeroy. At Mayview the fall was record 14 inches deep and at the Scoggin farm, on the mountain, 20 inches.

Two cars of work horses have been shipped out recently, one for use on road work near Spokane, the other for Yakima farmers. Don Sherlock, who bought the car for Spokane, picked up a few head here and there, including seven furnished by J.A. Crumpacker and one team by Dudley Strain. His price limit was $75 a head, although he did not go that high for any of his purchases it is reported. The Yakima purchases, which were made by J.S. Heaverlo, were at correspondingly low prices. For the most part the horses were old, although there were a few good young animals in each lot.

One Hundred and Twenty-Five Years Ago

February 19, 1898

Dwelling houses are in great demand in Pomeroy. Nearly every day we hear inquiries for houses, but there is not a vacant dwelling in the town which is fit to live in. For men who have the money to spare, it would be a paying investment, it seems to us, to erect a few substantial houses to rent. Then it would keep some people in Pomeroy who are now compelled to go elsewhere.

The past week has been a very busy and laborious one for the Washingtonian force. Not less than fifteen thousand pounds of weight have been taken out of the rooms just vacated and moved into our new quarters in the lodge hall. News and job presses, paper cutters, imposing stones, type cases and much other heavy material have been handled during this time, and we are glad to announce to our patrons that through all these tribulations the Washingtonian makes its regular appearance on time this week. Our business office will be found in room 6 and will be more easily reached by our friends than the room we have occupied in the past.