PIONEER PORTRAITS

Ten Years Ago

November 2, 2000 Voters head to the polls this week to decide political races. Voters have many varied opinions published this week as they face a presidential election year, national and state senatorial races, local political contests and a number of state initiatives. Waitsburg tracksters made a good showing at the District 5-7-9 meet in Spokane. Jeremy Bobber, a senior cross country runner, finished in the top 20 to qualifiy for the state meet. Robert White finished the final race of his senior year in 20:19. Jim Callahan will serve as chief of the Waitsburg Volunteer Fire Department. Other officers include Mark Lambert, president; Curtis Neal, secretary; Neil Henze, assistant chief; Walt Warehime, first captain; Louis Gagnon, second captain; and Glynn Davis, hon­orary chaplain.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

October 17, 1985

Representatives of programs for serving senior citi­zens meals met in Waitsburg to review the programs, the food and preparation of which are federally funded but rely much on volunteers for the distribution.

Few knew that the town of Starbuck had water problems until Keith Olson, consulting engineer at Anderson Perry, called to say a new well, pump and reservoir had recently been built there and some new distribution lines had been installed.

Fifty Years Ago

October 21, 1960 Nancy Willis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Don Willis, and Charles Hermanns, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Hermanns, each sustained broken arms as the result of a fall from a horse on Grandpa Andrew Hermanns ranch at Prescott Saturday afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Justin Mayberry received the Grange National Merit Award Certificate for outstanding young couple of the community from Eureka Grange No. 928. A group of members of Waitsburg Grange were presented their Silver Star pins on Oct. 15. Included were Mr. and Mrs. Henry Roberts, Mr. and Mrs. Miles Collingwood, Velma Baim, Mr. and Mrs. Cleve Dun­can, Dewey Danielson, Fanny Weller, Ralph Daniel­son and Gladys Telecky.

Pacific Power Light celebrates their 50th anniver­sary, but the story tells that electric lights first bright­ened the night in Waitsburg in 1896, using water from the Touchet River. The plant was established by Arthur T. Roberts, a wheat farmer, who secured water rights and built the plant.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

October 18, 1935 Gene Ray, rural route carrier on one of the routes out of Waitsburg, has received permission from the post office department to associate himself part time with Waitsburg Cleaners, Harry Gruver, proprietor.

Four Redi automatic coal stockers were installed in the city during the past week. The Central School replaced the old stokers with two new ones; Miss Fan­nie Weller has installed one in her residence and E.E. Howell put in one. Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Stedman are the parents of a baby girl, born on Saturday night, Oct. 12. She has been named Patricia.

One Hundred Years Ago

October 24, 1910 H.V. Grubbe has closed his fruit dryer for the time being but expects to start up again within a few days on apples. He has handled somewhere over six tons of fruit this season and has on hand now about one and one half tons of dried prunes. On Friday, Oct. 21, the local high school will meet the Columbia College eleven from Milton. Game called at 2 o'clock sharp. Admission is 25 cents. Hon. William Fudge brought into this office one day last week a number of apples from trees planted over 50 years ago and which are simply loaded with a fair grade of fruit this year. The trees are on what is known as the old T.J. Whittaker place, now the home of C.A. Hales on Preston Avenue.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

October 30, 1885 Preston Bros. and Parton have supplied themselves with a delivery wagon and will hereafter deliver all flour and feed to their customers in the city free of charge. This is a great convenience to customers, all of whom will doubtless duly appreciate the efforts of the Mill Company to accommodate them.

Born in this city, October 27, to the wife of A. Hick­man daughter. The temperance meeting at the Christian Church last Sunday evening was one of the best attended and most interesting of the kind ever held in the city.

Master Homer Arnold this week left on our table a turnip which is a beauty. We are not going to tell the size of it because we are jealous of our reputation for veracity, but if you must know; just come in and see for yourself. At present the United States has only 39 ships in its Navy, but it has 160 doctors, 120 paymasters and 242 engineers. There are also seven rear admirals and 45 captains.