Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

July 3, 2013

Garfield County Road Department Project Manager Rod Norland received the Washington State County Engineers Association's Program/Project Manager of the Year award at the association's annual banquet. County Engineer Grant Morgan said Rod is the first recipient of this award, which was created by the association this year, to recognize the outstanding achievements of Washington State's County Program/Project Managers.

Bret Greene, owner of the building that formerly housed the Up & Up Tavern for decades, has strong roots in Garfield County. His grandfather is Ted Greene and his late grandmother Ruth came from the Burns family, a sister of the late Duane Burns. Bret Greene hopes to open the doors of Pomeroy Brew Pub by Fair time, he said, and has been working since March toward that goal.

Twenty Five Years Ago

July 1, 1998

Thanks to the efforts of the Garfield County Pioneer Association, the granite pedestal on the Courthouse lawn could once again support a representation of a Union soldier from the Civil War. When the monument was originally dedicated July 4, 1904, the pedestal carried such a figure. The July 6, 1950, issue of the East Washingtonian carried a front-page article on the county commissioners' decision to remove the soldier, which had become badly deteriorated over the decades. It was speculated at the time that the figure could have been cast in concrete or some other porous stone that allowed moisture to seep in and destroy it by contraction and expansion.

A "Hometown Revival" at Pataha Flour Mill next month will hopefully be a big step in preserving the old building and making it attractive to visitors. Pomeroy native Jon Van Vogt, who bought the property last month from Donley Hereford Ranch, will bring recording equipment from his Mill Creek Music company in Spokane and hopes to record and videotape a community sing-a-long of "old Gospel music."

Fifty Years Ago

July 5, 1973

The very young daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roland Lady of Pomeroy had a solo ride in a car Monday afternoon, in an incident that somehow had no adverse results. The young girl was waiting in the car, parked eastbound in front of the post office, when she evidently pulled it out of park, because the car started rolling backwards down the street, according to Sheriff Russ Pierce, who saw it happen. The car went across Eighth Street on Main, across the center line, and through a very small parking place in front of the courthouse, somehow not hitting another car. The auto then jumped the curb, went across the sidewalk and hit the courthouse lawn retaining wall. The young miss was not injured, and there was no damage to the car or the wall, Pierce said.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

July 1, 1948

Raymond Beale, a Garfield County 4-H club member who was one of the four Washington delegates to attend the national 4-H club camp in Washington D.C., arrived home Tuesday. Raymond left with delegates from Spokane and visited Chicago, New York City and Montreal as well as attending the camp in Washington, D.C. from June 16 to 22. Raymond is the third Garfield County 4-H club member in three years to win the highest honor any 4-H club member can win.

One Hundred Years Ago

July 7, 1923

Garfield County farmers who have treated their seed wheat by the copper carbonate process are pleased with results so far, although it is too early yet to determine just how effective the treatment will be as a smut preventative. It is generally conceded that the crop from seed treated by this so-called "dry process" shows a better stand than that treated in the old way.

Washington in the last census had 1,356,621 people in 1920. Since then the state has grown until it may have as many as 1,500,000 people. With more than 242,000 telephones in Washington today, that would mean an average of more than sixteen telephones for every one hundred people, or one telephone for slightly more than each six persons, a substantial lead over British Columbia, which in turn leads all of Canada by a decided margin.

One Hundred Twenty Five Years Ago

July 2, 1898

The work of recruiting soldiers for Co. E by Capt. St. George and his assistants, during the week, has been pushed with all possible dispatch. There has been no dearth of applicants, and the maximum strength of the Co. as designated by Gov. Rogers has been supplied. It was expected that the start for the rendezvous at Tacoma would be made Saturday, but new orders have been received from Governor Rogers, and a mustering officer will be sent here from Tacoma, and the boys given the "crucial test" before leaving for the front.

Mr. Morris, a merchant having a store in Umatilla Co., Ore., and Californiahas purchased the Mayview stock of goods of E.S. Berkeley, and will continue the business with a larger stock of goods than has been brought here before.