PIONEER PORTRAITS

Ten Years Ago September 27, 2001

A mushroom city sprouted up in the Days of Real Sport track infield with the arrival of 550 DNR firefighters. The firefighters came to fight a fire that blackened 4,800 acres on the ridge tops and canyons of the Blue Mountain foothills. The North Coppei Fire started on the North Coppei and burned in a northeasterly direction down into and up out of Wilson Creek, Whiskey Creek, Bundy Hollow and others.

Twenty-Five Years Ago September 25, 1986

Publisher Tom Baker, writer of the column "TOM Foolery," which appears weekly in The Times, won third place for columns in the contest held by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. Baker also served as president of the association this past year. Waitsburg's swimming pool received a vote of guarded approval from the insurance inspector after making an inspection of the local facility and noting some changes that would bring it up to standard. The pool has been closed since early this summer. Wes Colley, president of Bank of the West, announced that Ken Miller will join the firm Oct. 1. Miller will be vice president and work in the bank's Eastgate Branch.

Fifty Years Ago September 29, 1961

Louis A. Dyar and Vaughn Hubbard who have been associated in the practice of law since March 1, 1951, with offices in what is now The National Bank in what is now The National Bank of Commerce Building, have dissolved their arrangement. Mrs. Jake Smith was elected president of the Walla Walla Iris Club when the group met Monday evening at Pioneer Park Garden Center. Miss Sandra Kay Henze became the bride of Kenneth Lightfoot on Sept. 23 in a simple ceremony performed by Rev. Darrel Syferd at the home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Henze.

Seventy-Five Years Ago October 2, 1936

One of Columbia County's oldest business institutions, the flour mill at Huntsville, will be sold for taxes at the county tax sale, Saturday, according to reports from county officials. Moore Bros. have about 75 employed in the orchard and in the packing house, and a couple of car loads or so are being packed daily. Ashford and Sons hardware reports a lot of special deer tags being purchased by hunters, preparatory to the opening of deer season, October 4. State hunting and fishing licenses cost $3 but if you want to go after deer, a special 50 cent tag is required.

One Hundred Years Ago September 113, 1911

Mrs. M.J. Delaney, whose maiden name was Matilda Sager, is in the city from Spokane visiting Mrs. A.G. Lloyd and Mrs. John McDonald, old friends. Mrs. McDonald is one of the few survivors of the Whitman massacre in 1847 near Whitman Station this county. Chas Hungate finished threshing Tuesday of this week which closes as far as we have been able to learn, harvesting operations in this valley. A number of farmers are commencing to seed. The Ladies Aid Society of the Christian church held a pleasant social afternoon Thursday in the church parlors, a number of guests present. Peaches, cream and cake were served at the close of the afternoon.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago September 24, 1886

That Waitsburg is one of the most quiet moral towns in the whole country is conclusively shown by a reference to the city police dockets. City Justice Milneer has had but one case for three months; our city jail is continuously unoccupied and the city marshal has absolutely no duties to perform. Many Waitsburgers will take advantage of the very low rates made by the O.R. & N. Co. and the Portland Mechanics' Fair. Never in its history has this country seen so dry a time as now. The Touchet is almost dry as a bone. Hon. C.S. Vorhess, as per announcement, spoke in this city last Friday night. The opera house was filled to the utmost. The speech was not well received by either the democrats or republicans. At the close there was not the slightest applause.