Pioneer Portraits - June 30, 2016

Ten Years Ago

July 6, 2006

Laht Neppur Brewing Co., Waitsburg’s new brewery owned by Court and Katie Ruppenthal, is aiming high, trying to produce a malted beverage a cut above the average. And the results are good enough to give plenty of folks a reason to come down and sample the product.

John Hockersmith of Waitsburg, a member of Boy Scout Troop 30 from Walla Walla was one of five Scouts who completed a 400-mile bike ride from June 16-24. He is the son of Eric and Kate Hockersmith of Waitsburg.

Waitsburg High School announced its Honor Roll for the semester ending in June. Receiving a 4.0 was sophomore Sarah Paul.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

July 4, 1991

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Postal Reorganization Act on Tuesday were these five employees of the Waitsburg Post Office: Adena Avery, rural carrier; Jill Hinchliffe, clerk; Sara Wilson, clerk; Dee Bowers, officer in charge; and Clarece Newbury, rural carrier. Rural carriers Rick Ferguson and Marie Gagnon were on vacation.

Several changes in local businesses are in the wind at the present time, with Bob and Mary Jameson selling the Jackpot/B&M Minimart in Waitsburg’s Eastgate to Bob and Carol Patton of Waitsburg. The Waitsburg Welding Works property is in the process of being purchased by a local businessman, with plans to rent it to a person who will do metal work and some vehicle mechanical jobs. Bob’s Chevron Service, owned by Peggy Eckhardt and the late Bob Eckhardts, is also in the process of being sold to a local businessman. Denver Page, who has been running the station for the Eckhardts, said he is not at liberty to disclose the name of the purchaser until the contract work has been completed.

Fifty Years Ago

July 14, 1966

Waitsburg has received a lot of publicity over the juvenile problem – and we can’t agree that all of it is good. We do not feel that a boy in court for a possession of alcoholic beverage charge is a proper judge of the social tendencies of the entire community. We will admit that our juvenile situation has gotten more attention in the past three weeks that it has for the past couple of years. We’ll have more to say about it later.

Otto Otterson of Waitsburg is the caretaker of a female hawk known affectionately as “Queenie.” The hawk was found by grandson Terry Hiatt, and brought home as three small balls of feathery fluff. The other two babies have since died, but Queenie is surviving quite well, thank you.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

July 18, 1941

Harvesting of wheat is probably the largest wheat crop ever raised in this state, is now getting under full swing.

Labor trouble developed in the pea fields Friday afternoon and about 60 men struck for an increase of 10 cents an hour. Warrants were sworn out against the agitators said to be transient labor, as trespassers on private property and if they contact the men further, it will have to be while they are not at work.

Miss Velma Mock entertained a group of her girl friends on her birthday anniversary Tuesday evening, at a Slumber Party. Those of the party were Reva Hansen, Verla Jeremiah, Bessie Henly, and Elizabeth Ann Danielson.

One Hundred Years Ago

July 21, 1916

The beautiful and modern country home of Mr. & Mrs. Frank Zuger located two miles northeast of this city was totally destroyed by fire early Sunday evening.

Mr. and Mrs. Esra Culp and Wade Wolfe of Huntsville and John Schiltz of this city, who composed an auto party which went to Spokane Sunday, met with an accident in the city of Ritzville, which delayed the trip a couple of hours, but fortunately was devoid of serious results.

G. W. Carpenter of the Carpenter Drug Store held a flower show of his own last Friday July 14th, when 17 competitors brought bouquets of sweet peas to the store and turned this establishment into a real bower of beauty.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

July 24, 1891

Under “New Today” will be found the advertisement of Harry Mills, who has opened a neat barbershop, three doors north of the Times Office. He is a good barber and has a neat shop.

The man who says we never have hot nights in this country is a liar, and we are hot enough right now – at 3 o’ clock this Friday afternoon to tell him so.

Born near this city July 22 to Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Eaton, a daughter.

The Preston-Parton Milling Co. paid 75 cents a bushel for old wheat this week.

Again the summer of our discontent has arrived. We are too fat to work and too poor to live without work. An obvious incompatibility.