PIONEER PORTRAITS

Ten Years Ago

July 29, 2004

Area farmers are harvesting at a good clip, according to J.E. McCaw, branch manager, Northwest Grain Growers, and are seeing No. 1 test weights, good quality and "quite good" yields. One field north of Waitsburg reported 136 bushels per acre, McCaw said, while the average is in the 90 bushel per acre range.

The Starbuck Community Church will be celebrating 50 years as a Village mission Church this year. Pastor David McIlroy will officiate during a day-long celebration planned for Sunday, August 15.

Twenty-five Years Ago

July 27, 1989

Bob Abbey, Touchet Valley Grain Growers Manager, said harvest in this area is approximately 10% underway, with all the stations now open. He said preliminary figures indicate that local yields might be just slightly ahead of average. Early testing indicate that he weights are down slightly from 60-61 lbs. per bushel to 58-59.

The Waitsburg Grocery team participated in a slowpitch softball tournament at Wallowa July 15-16 and came away with 3 wins for 5 games. Team members were Gerals Mason, Ken Cole, Greg Zuger, George Van Horn, Dan Cole, John Mason, Todd Kliest, Pat McConnell, Bob Stokes, Keith McMasters and Neil Henze.

Fifty Years Ago

July 24, 1964

Football coach Geoff Kellman gave me a letter this week which he sent to all prospective grid candidates. First practices will be held on August 26, and Geoff is asking his squad to do some exercising and getting in shape before that date. To assist Geoff for the first few sessions will be former Waitsburg stalward Glenn Baker who finished his college football career at WSU this past season, and Wes Leid who played in the Waitsburg backfield and is now at Whitworth.

Photo caption: Ernest Kison, local scoutmaster, was the chief engineer for the raising of this tower in his yard on Main street. It was done mostly by Boy Scouts but there were several other boys present for the raising of the tower. Starting from the top and going down we find Dennis Groom, Andy Maib, Bruce Abbey, Pat Mohney, Lewis Neace, Levi Stradley, Terry John, Kelly Mohney, Tim Huwe, J. K. Keve, Jim Leid, Roger Thomas and Jim Hopkins.

Seventy-five Years Ago

July 28, 1939

Mrs. Annie Glover, matron, and Doris Kotteman, guard, were hostesses Saturday night, following the dance, at a midnight swim party at the municipal pool.

Joe McCown, who is employed by the Puget Sound Power and Light Co., arrived Friday to visit his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Emory McCown.

Pea operations in the Walla Walla and Touchet valleys are virtually at an end, according to reports.

Approximately 2,000 acres of wheat burned in the Smith Springs area north of Prescott Wednesday. Land involved belonged to Ed Clayton, Vere Harvey, Ben Grote, Jack Cockburn and Virgil Thompson.

One Hundred Years Ago

July 31, 1914

Shortly after 5 o'clock last Friday afternoon a spark from the threshing engine of M. Mikkelsen set fire to the stubble in Mr. Mikkelsen's wheat field and before the flames were finally brought under control two settings of threshed wheat were partially destroyed.

J. I. Call, the plumber, has had his residence on West Third street brightened with a fewsh coat of paint the past week. His plumbing shop adjoining on the east is also to be repainted and enlarged.

Mrs. Blance Arty left Tuesday for the Neace Bros. ranch, where she will cook for harvesters for about two weeks.

One Hundred Twenty-five Years Ago

July 26, 1889

Major Rees died on the very day he intended to make his last will and testament.

Winfield Billups is very much better, is about on his pegs again.

Whiel over at the deot today, we saw a brand new cider mill for T. J. Hallowell. A new mill suggests cider, and this reminds us to remind friend Hallowell that we - well we - Guess he can guess it now.

M. J. Duncan's team took a spin this morning. They started at the mill and went down the Touchet a mile or two, scattered the wagon and its contents along the road. They were captured before very serious damage was done.

The lawn social at Mrs. Bruce's on Tuesday evening, under the auspices of the Ladies Aid Society of the M. E. Church, was well attended and much enjoyed.

Joel Woods who is now threshing his wheat crop, informs us that his club is yielding from 20 to 25 bushels per acre, and his blue stem 25 to 30. The wheat is not of the best quality.