Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

March 6, 2013

Kindall Cooper, last year's Garfield County Fair & Rodeo queen, and a 2012 graduate of Pomeroy High School, was crowned the 2013 Walla Walla Fair and Frontier Days Rodeo Queen. She was selected to the court in October 2012 and the three girls selected for this year royalty have been attending local community events as well as regional events representing The Walla Walla Fair for the past four months. Queen Kindall will be accompanied by two princesses, Beka Adams from Waitsburg and Kendra Torrey of Walla Walla.

Pomeroy Gun Club shooters dealt with high winds over the weekend as the club hosted 46 adult and 23 youth shooters. The Pomeroy Gun Club is the winner of Division III in the Spokesman-Review Inland Empire Trap shoot, and second in the Big Sky Postal Trap shoot.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

March 4, 1998

After the final game of the season, Pomeroy girls' head basketball coach Jim Greene announced that he was leaving his position after five years. "It's burn out," Greene said. "I've been a high school coach for 21 years." Since the fourth grade, he said, he's been either a player, a program assistant or a basketball coach. "That's 33 years in the game. "I'll still coach little kids," Greene said, referring to interscholastic competition.

Since we no longer receive support from the Washington State Fairs Commission for the Garfield County Junior Livestock Show, it is time to discuss the future of the show, writes Dave Bragg, Washington State University Cooperative Extension Agent for the Tri-County Area. Show president Brad Gingerich, Larry Wilson and Bragg will hold a meeting of all interested persons including 4-H and FFA members and parents, leaders, etc. Whether to reduce the show to one-day only of market animals raised for the Junior Livestock Show of Spokane or other options will be decided.

Fifty Years Ago

March 1, 1973

County Commissioners and hospital commissioners have been busy in recent weeks with details of the nursing home certificate of need and acquisition of land, but Hospital Board Chairman Dick McKeirnan was particularly moved on one offer-C.A. McCabe has offered to donate the site of his home for a nursing home. McKeirnan, speaking for himself and the board, said this was a wonderfully generous offer and wishes to thank Alex publicly for making it.

Garfield County farmers voted to cooperate fully in the Central Ferry area to help prevent any 2,4-D damage to crops grown on the USDA Plant Introduction Station located above Central Ferry.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

March 4, 1948

The first baby, Rebecca Lynn Bunch, to be born in the maternity ward of the Garfield County Memorial hospital on Saturday, Feb. 28, the day the ward was officially opened, arrived at 8:10 p.m. The baby girl is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Bunch. She is the first granddaughter for Chief of Police and Mrs. Tom Bunch and Mr. and Mrs. George Stubbs. Rebecca Lynn's mother is the former Beverly Stubbs. The attending physician was Dr. Robert J. Weiland.

The Butler Motor Company, owned and operated by the late James A. Butler for a quarter of a century, and for 25 years Garfield County agent for Ford Motor company products, has been sold by Mr. Butler's widow, Veva Butler, to William H. Koller and son, Herman Koller. The Butler Motor company was also agent for the J.I. Case line of farm machinery.

One Hundred Years Ago

March 3, 1923

Mr. and Mrs. H.M. Ridenour entertained Mr. Ridenour's Sunday school class, the "Bricks". Many lively games kept the boys busy until a late hour. The house was decorated with red, white and blue streamers and flags. The table was decorated with patriotic emblems, the centerpiece being flags. Those present were Ernest Clarck, Clement Fitzsimmons, Wynne Stallcup, George Stallcup, Claire Watrus, Alvin Umphfres, Kenny Umphfres, Clyde Powell, Billy Rathbun, Clarence Yarber, Merle Ball, Jay King and Burt King. Carlyle Brown was also present.

One Hundred and Twenty-Five Years Ago

March 5, 1898

Now is a good time for the people of the United States to keep cool and show discretion. Should it be proven that the battleship Maine was destroyed by Spanish treachery, that the Spanish officials understood the plot, or connived at it, the United States has nothing to lose by waiting until that fact is proven. Civilized humanity naturally likes fair play, and we may rest assured that if we hold our tempers we shall have all civilized humanity on our side.