Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

March 13, 2013

Jim McKeirnan brought a one-week-old lamb to Garfield County Memorial Hospital's long-term care wing to the delight of residents and staff alike. Jim said the lamb would lose its black coat and turn white. A number of the residents talked about raising lambs on their ranches, and it was pretty evenly split among staff and residents whether lamb was tasty or not.

Elizabeth Ortega-Santos and Will Entrup were winners of bikes in Pomeroy Evening Star Lodge No. 30 F&AM's Bikes for Books program, presented by Steve Kazda and Ron Kessler.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

March 11, 1998

Eleanor Duckworth recently returned from a month in Kenya and Zimbabwe on a church mission, her fifth. She got acquainted with many of the people including Simba and Koi Trimia, a couple who have studied at Washington State University and University of Idaho, who have made many trips to visit Eleanor here. They have both served as speakers when the Methodist Church minister was out of town.

From Rowena Bell's Telephone System-Roger and Jane Williams moved to the former home of Helen and Harold Shepherd on Pataha Flat in January, returning to the area where he grew up after 40 years. They live just five miles nearer the forest boundary than where he grew up. Roger said they have a wonderful view and love it here. Living near the mountains is not new to Jane for she grew up in Leadville, Colo. It is a relatively small town in the Rocky Mountains. Roger said he believed it was the only incorporated town in the U.S. with such a high elevation.

Fifty Years Ago

March 8, 1973

The high school play "Rubberneck," a three-act 1970 comedy by Donald R. Stieper, will be performed in the auditorium. A school performance is slated Thursday afternoon. Cast of the play is Judy Herres as "Bobbie Wilkens", Jon Van Vogt-"Uncle Elwyn Buford", Hannah Breithaupt-"Sandra Wilkins", Christy Sillonis-"Wendy Crawford", Julie Machacek-"Melanie Wilkens", Sam Warren-"Larry Wilkins", Scott Freeby-"Phillip Frobisher", Ed Ledgerwood-"Fletcher Crawford", Jamie Wheatly-"Aunt Roberta Buford", Zack Lueck-"Arnold Gormeyer", Leilani Johnson-"Millicent Green", Geof Morgan-"Osgood St. John", and Jennie Kimble-cab driver. Jeanne Wolf is Stage Manager, Jane Shumaker is assistant director, Jamie Clemo, publicity; Priscilla Quinby, costumes; and Zo Ann Martin, makeup. Mrs. John Minkler is director.

A faculty member of Fort Wright College drama department urged her Pomeroy Parent-Teacher Federation audience to look beyond the appallingness of much of today's literature and theatre, and find what the authors are really trying to point out about today's world. Dr. Jeanne Concannon, who teaches literature, said "we must be 'unstuck' enough to see the real questions being asked." She said 'unstuck' is the root of detached, indicating that people reading today's novels and viewing today's films must step back, to find the questions, apart from the "grippingness" or "appallingness" of the literature.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

March 11, 1948

Several hundred farmers witnessed the demonstration conducted by the Walla Copter, Inc., of Walla Walla, in demonstrating their helicopters in spraying and dusting farm lands on the Ellis Cox farm at Dodge. The helicopters were the first aircraft of this type to be seen by a vast majority of those witnessing Monday' demonstration. One of the helicopters was flown over Pomeroy, flying over Main Street. It had most everyone stretching his or her neck skyward for a look. The demonstration was so convincing that some farmers are already suggesting how a plow or drill could be hitched to a flying machine. "Absurd, some say, but it could be," said one prominent Garfield County farmer.

The Eastern Washington State College a cappella choir will present a concert in the high school auditorium.

One Hundred Years Ago

March 10. 1922

A.P. Nicholson was down from the sawmill in the mountains over the weekend and reported the last snow fall quite as heavy here as back in the woods. He said the mill was ready to begin operating Monday and that the first job would be to cut out lumber for a cabin. "We have a big pile of logs at the mill ready to begin sawing as soon as the thaw comes," said Mr. Nicholson. "We cut logs and with horse teams skidded them in on the snow. We expect to get a price of about $20 a thousand for common lumber at the mill, and already have filled some large orders." Mr. Nicholson estimates the saw timber within a radius of half a mile of the mill at one million feet.

Bernadine Rauch, Helen Morris and Francis Houser, Pomeroy girls attending Whitman College, are members of the opera "Faust" cast which was given at the Keylor Grand.

One Hundred Twenty Five Years Ago

March 12, 1898

As we predicted the government Klondike relief expedition, by means of reindeer from Lapland has proven to be a fizzle. It was a short-sighted, and short-winded scheme in the first place. The relief expedition has its origin in the minds of a lot of Portland dealers, who hoped to get something out of it. But so much pressure was brought to bear upon the cabinet and congress that the expedition was authorized, a considerable sum of money has been unwisely spent, and Uncle Sam has an assortment of second-hand reindeer on hand. Probably the cheapest way out of the dilemma would be to kill the reindeer, and have their hides stuffed and kept in memory of the generosity of the Portland people, and as a monument to the sagacity and foresight of General Alger.

Arrangements are being made for a ball to be given in Seeley's opera house on the evening of March 17, St. Patrick's Day. We are informed that this is to be a high-grade affair, in keeping with the degree of devotion with which this Saints' Day is usually celebrated.