Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

May 22, 2013

Blue Mountain Artisan Guild will hold its grand opening Pioneer weekend and BMAG president Mary Flerchinger invites everyone to the gallery's grand opening.

The Pomeroy FFA chapter put on an elementary Ag Day, sponsored as part of a competition put on by the "Nutrients For Life Foundation," which has competitions across the country. Chapters can win up to $5,000 for participating. For the second consecutive year, Pomeroy FFA Chapter placed second and won $3,000. The activities consisted of five stations: Plants and the importance of fertilizer, What lives in the soil?, Soil parts and characteristics, Life on the farm, and What is in FFA for me?

Twenty Five Years Ago

May 20, 1998

Crystal Hastings, Queen of the 1998 Garfield County Fair and Rodeo, and Princess Jaclyn Moore, have started their activities promoting the September event. According to chaperone Andie Tardif, the girls started their string of spring and summer appearances with the Asotin County Fair in April. They also rode in the parade last Saturday for Waitsburg's Days of Real Sport and they will participate in Dayton Days. The girls are Pomeroy High School juniors. Crystal is the daughter of Dick and Judy Hastings, and Jaclyn is the daughter of Kris and Kristi Riley.

The Garfield County Interagency Coordinating Council was created four years ago as a way to get around overlapping responsibilities and agenda of county resources for the well-being of residents. GCICC presently lists 49 members on its mailing list, for the most part individuals and organizations responsible for improving the physical, mental and social well-being of residents.

Fifty Years Ago

May 17, 1973

Annual Cattleman of the Year Tour, honoring Eddie and Jim Baker and families, is slated for Wednesday, May 23, according to the Cattlemen, the Cow-Belles and Extension. Tour will begin at the Vannatton Road Ranch, four miles west of Pomeroy, then move to the home place, four miles east of Pomeroy. The "3-B" ranch up on Dutch Flat Road will be next then the group will travel over Skyhawk Road, down the Blind grade to the Tucannon River Ranch about 1½ miles down the river, where lunch is slated.

Graduation activities this year are a little different as a result of a state ruling eliminating non-state sanctioned activities from school financing. The baccalaureate which is not a state-sanctioned activity, this year is being arranged by the students and the ministerial association, separate from the school, although the school gymnasium will be rented for the service as in past years.

Seventy Five Years Ago

May 20, 1948

The twenty-five seniors who will be graduated from the Pomeroy high school next Friday evening, May 28, will be the smallest class to graduate from P.H.S. in more than a quarter of a century. The graduating class average is around 45 senior students with the high figure reaching 60. Supt. Gus Lybecker attributes this sharp decline to the hard times of the 1930s and to the late world war.

Dr. J.W. Sherfey was elected as an alternate delegate at the Republican State Convention, fourth district, held in Bellingham, to attend the national republican convention to convene in Philadelphia, June 21. As such, Dr. Sherfey will be privileged to occupy a seat on the main convention floor. At the convention the supporters of Gov. Thomas E. Dewey, for the republican presidential nomination, won a smashing victory.

One Hundred Years Ago

May 19, 1923

Plans have been completed for the "Indian Timothy" bridge and on July 31 the highway department will let a contract for the construction of a $35,000 concrete arch that will pay tribute to the Alpowa scout who saved the Steptoe military expedition from extermination by hostile tribes 65 years ago. Later an even more pretentious monument is planned.

That prairie chickens respond to kind treatment in spite of their former turbulent wildness is demonstrated by an incident which recently occurred on the Rev. L.N. Williams farm of which Winfrey Williams has charge. A nest of eggs was inadvertently plowed under, but was dug out and the eggs replaced and the shy old bird crept back and on the following morning was hovering eleven chicks. A day or two later Mrs. W.F. Hull, who was visiting there, found the mother bird so tame that the children could put their hands on her.

One Hundred and Twenty Five Years Ago

May 21, 1898

G.D. Wilson, who has just returned from Walla Walla, says he has made a contract with G.W. Hunt & Co., of that place, to build the new horse power, which he has secured a patent for. Mr. Wilson describes the new device as an improvement on the Pitts Power, there being "22 inch spur wheels meshing with the cogs of the master wheel, thereby engaging sixteen cogs at a time in master wheel." The power is guaranteed to stand the pressure of 18 horses.

The people of Pataha Flat will observe Decoration Day on the first Wednesday in June. Able speakers will be present and deliver addresses. The school will furnish recitations appropriate. Arrangements are being made to have the Pomeroy band with us. The ladies will serve a basket dinner, the proceeds of which will go towards paying off the indebtedness of the church.