PIONEER PORTRAITS

Ten Years Ago September 19, 2002

Just more than 800 hungry people helped the Waitsburg Commercial Club, in its primary fundraiser of the year, consume about 1, 100 pounds of Copper River salmon at the annual salmon barbecue held Sept. 12 in Waitsburg. Some 805 people paid to get a plate of the succulent seafood dinner, up from 782 in 2001, according to Ivan Keve, one of the chairmen of the event. Keve didn't have all the figures in by press time, but he did know that beverage sales were $170 higher than last year. Patrons of the fall classic bought some of the extra fish at the event's conclu- sion, and the few remaining fish were sold the next day by noon. Commercial Club members will get the full story from Keve when the C-Club holds its first meeting of the 2001-2002 season at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Twenty-Five Years Ago September 17, 1987

Everything is in readiness at the Bruce House for the 15th Pioneer Fall Festival to be held this Sunday, Sept. 20. The festivities will start at 11:15 with church services. Rev. Jimmie Daves will present the sermon and music will be from the combined choirs. This will be followed by the presentation of the Pioneer Couple of the Year. Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Stonecipher. The house will be opened to the public at noon and the Lions will start serving their bar- becued buffalo at this time. There will be plenty of cake, pie, cookies, ice cream and other goods also available on the grounds.

In case of rain, which is not on the agenda, the dinner and entertainment will be in the elementary school, and the church services will be at the Christian Church. Free liver and onions will be served by the Lions at the cook shack at the race track. This meal will be served starting at noon on Saturday with Cecil Webber in charge. Better facilities for cooking necessitated the change.

Fifty Years Ago September 21, 1962

Mr. and Mrs. Ted Newton, formerly teachers of the Prescott School District who came to this area from North Carolina, have purchased the Waitsburg Motel from Mr. Gower, the Waitsburg trailer Court from Percy Lytton, and have leased the Phillips 66 station from the company. The Newtons foresee a growth in this area due to the construction of dams on the Snake River, and the increasing production of canned and frozen food products in the area, which requires additional employment and housing.

Seventy-Five Years Ago September 24, 1937

Miss Margaret Mills, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Mills, left Sunday evening to enter Northwest Christian Col- lege at Eugene, Ore. She will do some work at the University of Oregon.

A birthday party complementing Miss Elizabeth Ann Danielson was given Sept. 15 by Mrs. Dewey Danielson and Mrs. Ivy Baxter. The girls who shared the party were Dorothy Gruver, Harriet Nilsson, Berta Freeburn, Bonnie Cusick and Bessie Henley.

In keeping with the "dressing up" for our business fronts on "the street," the Morgan building, occupied by the Head- quarters Club, Walt Miller, proprietor, is decorating the front.

Miss Barbara Grinstead, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Grinstead, became the bride of Darrell McCauley of Dayton Sunday.

Miss Helen Davis, Mrs. Ed Jewett and Mrs. Albert land entertained for the pleasure of Mrs. Clare Epley, a recent bride, and formerly Miss Dorothea Kanz at a miscellaneous shower Thursday evening.

One Hundred Years Ago September 20, 1912

Will Weller has purchased a 38 h.p. Franklin touring car. Many Waitsburgers are visiting the Walla Walla County Fair at Walla Walla this week, and it seems as though those of our farmers who are not attending the Fair have not completed the hauling of their grain and are taking advantage of the excellent weather to finish this work as a result the old town is pretty well deserted at this time.

Walla Walla is to have the biggest cider, vinegar and pickling factory in the Northwest. W. Leo and Sons having purchased the entire vinegar and cider plant of the Blalock Fruit Company with the intention of enlarging it to a plant that will care for all the off-grade fruit grown in the Walla Walla Valley.

The First National Bank of Waitsburg is reported to have $50, 000 in capital and $71,000 in surplus and profits.

Peaches are so plentiful in the vicinity this season that growers are unable to market them at $.25 to $.35 a crate even by peddling them door-to-door. Many housewives are canning them for two years.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago September 23, 1887

We understand there is to be a teachers' convention in the public school building, this city, one week from tomorrow.

Yes, Waitsburg is indeed a busy little town right now. From early morn' 'till dewy eve, our main thoroughfare is lined with wheat wagons and teams, our mills running day and night, and from break of day 'till midnight, a small army of men are kept busy handling grain and loading cars, while at all our stores, skilled clerks and salesmen are "on the jump" all day.

An Indian was arrested in Huntsville for stealing a horse near Waitsburg. A Waitsburg posse made the arrest.

A considerable fall of snow covered the mountains sur- rounding Wallowa Lake last week.

Twenty new students enrolled at the Academy.

After Mayor P.A. Preston vetoed the City Ordinance No. 48, the council met again this week and rewrote the Ordi- nance. This fixes the saloon license at $400 per annum. The mayor was pleased.