PIONEER PORTRAITS

Ten Years Ago January 31, 2002

The community celebrates on the completion of the Waitsburg High School Gym - Vo-Ag Shop Renovation project.

A spectacular photo of Palouse Falls, taken by Gary Lentz, is featured in the paper this week's Touchet Valley Ramblings by Vance Orchard. The falls, pictured in its wintry garb of snow and ice has been the subject of many articles written by those who visit it. Describing their findings as they dig into the written history of the falls, Vance quotes from a 1967 story about the falls, written for the Union-Bulletin by Mrs. W.F. Fletcher:

"In 1957 the Palouse Falls was covered with ice without show of running water."

Twenty-Five Years Ago February 5, 1987

Beavers and wind combined to topple a tree on a main power line Saturday night, causing a major power loss of about an hour in Waitsburg.

On its way to completion is a majestic new home being built by Louie and Marie Gagnon on Taggart Road. The passive solar design gives the interior living area a breath-taking effect.

Former Wait-Hi basketball standout Jim Young is making his mark as one of the key players on the Walla Walla Community college basketball squad.

Fifty Years Ago February 2, 1962

Patty Mantz, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Mantz Jr., was awarded a third place in the intermediate division national Junior Olympic Track and Field program last spring. She tossed an 8 pound shot 33 feet, missing by 5 inches setting a national record.

Mr. and Rms. George McCresy, Waitsburg residents for the past 32 years, observed their 50th wedding anniversary over the weekend.

Mr. and Mrs. Hesper Archer are leaving this week for a month's vacation trip to Europe where they will visit their son-in-law and daughter, Lieut. And Mrs. Ervin Ely, and their new grandchild, Bradley, born in Germany last March 28.

Seventy-Five Years Ago February 5, 1937

Waitsburg businessmen are not interested in socalled daylight saving time, to go into effect this coming summer at the same time as the Eastern states go on daylight saving time.

Jack Cushin was able to get to town Sunday and was he "tickled." Jack was snowed in for a week by high drifts on the roads leading to his farm on the Middle Waitsburg Road.

Henry Schmitt and brother Donald, Glen Bayne and Dr. R.C. Hill spent Saturday night at the Shuford- Schmitt cabin on the north Touchet at Hompegg Falls. They were able to drive within four and a half miles and proceeded from there on skis with their bedding and provisions on their backs. They report four feet of snow at the cabin.

One Hundred Years Ago February 2, 1912

The announcement this week of the marriage of Miss Joyce McKinney to Mr. Lee Mantz of Colville, came as a little surprise to friends in this city, especially where it was learned that the wedding took place in Moscow. Idaho June 18, 1911.

Mr. Chas Colwell, a first-class photographer, has leased the new M.H. Land studio just completed on Coppei Avenue.

Mr. H.R. Rayburn and son Chas N. Rayburn of this city, have purchased the City Dray Line from Mrs. Sarah Purves, taking possession Thursday, the first. The delivery part of the business has been retained by Harry Hart, who will conduct it personally.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago January 28, 1887

On G.W. Loundagin's place, one mile south of Waitsburg, peach trees were in bloom last Sunday.

Chinese New Year began last Saturday and lasted until Thursday during which time our small Mongolian population had heap fun-burning firecrackers, drinking whiskey and feasting on roast chicken, etc. Yes, plenty of etc.

The town was so full of people from the country last Saturday and so many teams were in that J.C. Wright found it absolutely impossible to find a place to hitch his team-had to hire a boy to hold it.