PIONEER PORTRAITS

Ten Years Ago August 16, 2001

Pat McConnell displays the artifact he found in a newly graded field near Bolles Junction when he was a young boy. Consulting a military historian, Pat discovers the good-sized piece of metal he assumed was a belt buckle is a cartridge box plate, possibly dropped when Colonel E.J. Steptoe and one hundred and fifty men left Fort Walla Walla on the morning of May 1858 made their way north past what became known as Bolles Junction en route to the Snake and thence north to Fort Colville.

Touchet Valley Communications (TVC) anticipates bringing internet to users within a three to four mile radius of Waitsburg, who should be connected to the World Wide Web at speeds seen by computer users in Seattle, Los Angeles and New York by early September.

A unique photo shows two huge thunderbolts strike east of Waitsburg, lighting up Huntsville in the dark of night while a Fire District No. 2 truck heads up a field road to battle the fire. Hats off to our local firefighters, who no doubt thought twice about being high up on a hillside in the middle of a thunderstorm and to Matt Baker for getting such a remarkable photo.

Twenty-Five Years Ago August 14, 1986

The Waitsburg Welding Works will open once again. Troy McCambridge will run the shop with help from Cliff Peters, who is coming out of retirement a short time to help get Troy started.

The PTSA summer workshop was well attended last week. A variety of activities entertained the kids during the two-hour long morning session, including tagging helium balloons, a taffy pull, bicycle safety, first aid, sports, a magician and clowns.

Fifty Years Ago August 18, 1961

Ted Newton of Prescott is negotiation with Percy Lytton for the purchase of Mr. Lytton's auto court west of Waitsburg.

Miss Kaye Wood and Mrs. Ed Townsend entertained in honor of Miss Bernice Peters at a prenuptial shower Saturday night at the Miles Brunton home, with guests being former classmates.

Mr. and Mrs. Chet Bond and children returned to Waitsburg Saturday from Sacramento where they had sold their home. They will be living in Waitsburg. Mr. Bond will be with the Pacific Gas Transmission office in Wallula.

Seventy-Five Years Ago August 21, 1936

Mr. Wiley Miller Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Wiley Miller of this city, and Miss Mildred Wallin of Seattle were married in Tacoma on August 15.

White wheat was quoted at 881/2 cents, Wednesday morning with triplett at 90 cents sacked; this is a drop of about 2 cents since the peak. Considerable amounts of wheat are changing hands.

One Hundred Years Ago August 18, 1911

About 1 pm last Thursday morning, fire started in the stubble on North Pacific Farm, nine miles north of Prescott, owned by P.W. Preston and before flames were brought under control, 675 sacks of wheat were burned.

W.B. Shaffer and family and Mr. and Mrs. A.S. Dickinson in one party and Mrs. Maude Lyon, Miss Emma McKinney, H.P. Peterson and T.V. McKinney with Giles Callahan driving the second auto, made the trip to Klicker Springs Sunday, spending the day at the J.H. Morrow cabin.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago August 13, 1886

Don't forget that one week from next Sunday the Temperance Alliance is to meet. Let every member be on hand, and don't let the public forget it.

Self-binders seem to be in favor this year so there is not much call for hands. One man had been hunting for a job for 13 days and when he found nothing, stuck out for the Yakima area to work on the railroad.

H.A. Fisher has sold out his general merchandise business at Prescott to Holmes and Haviland, of that place, and will henceforth devote his attention wholly to grain hauling. Upon his platform, he has just completed a warehouse with a 50,000 bushel capacity.

Shipment of bricks for the penitentiary from Dixie will begin next week. One hundred thousand have already been burned and a kiln of 250,000 will be finished by Saturday next.

This week in History

The history of the Provisional Government of Oregon, which included what is now Washington, is one of intense interest and shows the fortitude of the American pioneer. These settlers not only desired to improve their own condition, but to build up a solid foundation on which to establish for the United State a claim to the country.

Early in the 1840's, they met to form what became known as the Provisional Government of Oregon, which continued in operation until the treaty of 1846 removed every obstacle on the question of title to Oregon. The Provisional Government met in session as a legislative body conducting such in regulation form.

On August 11, 1845, Mr. Applegate evinced great excitement as he entered the hall where the house was proceeding with the orders of the day, and asked that the rules be suspended so he could introduce a bill to prevent dueling. The bill was read three times, passed in less than half an hour and delivered to the governor for his approval and signature.

All thus haste was due to a challenge to Dr. Elijah White by a young fellow for some real or imagined insult or injury. Dr. White was very grateful for the quick assistance rendered him in the unpleasant dilemma.