Pioneer Portraits - June 15, 2017

Ten Years Ago

June 21, 2007

Giving back to the community that has blessed them is the thought behind Waitsburg’s newest gift and variety shop, Etceteras. Marilyn and Robbie Johnson moved to Waitsburg in 2000 when Robbie was hired as superintendent of the Waitsburg School District. Marilyn continued in her nursing career.

Photo caption: For 23 years local teams playing in the Waitsburg Lions Club’s Softball Bash have come close to winning, but just haven’t done it. Until this year. Broughton Land Co.’s softball team won six games in a row and a big trophy. Players: Don Johnson, Pat Bowe, Mike Postlewaite, Luis Ocanaz, Jesse Garcia, Marshal McKinley, Rich Geese, Ryan Neal, Jesse McCaw, Ryan Leid, T.J. Scott, Dan McKinley.

On March 20 of this year, the Waitsburg Commercial Club honored co-recipients of its Community Service Award, Evelyn Smith and Jane Butler.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

June 18, 1992

For the first time, the Waitsburg School District budget has pierced the two million mark. On June 10 the school board voted to increase the 1991-92 budget by $128,000 – increasing the budget to $2,087,076.

Put on your running shoes because Waitsburg is going to have a cross country track team next fall. The school board approved the expansion of the school sports program to include cross country – distance running – during football and volleyball season in the fall. High School principal Dan Butler, who has been pushing for cross country as an alternative for students who don’t want to play football or volleyball, pressed the board for the program June 10.

Fifty Years Ago

June 15, 1967

Four juniors and two freshmen from Waitsburg High School had 4.0 grade point averages for the second semester of study. They were Mike Beechinor, Bill Bloor, Gwyn Ferguson, and Dave Hevel, juniors and Claudia Hevel and J. E. McCaw freshmen.

An interesting personality was in Waitsburg for the Days of Real Sport weekend. Homer Holcomb, one of the all-time great rodeo clowns who worked the circuit in this area for years, came to place a few bets and hear the roar of the crowd. He must be in his 70’s or older, and is still spry and lively. He was the fellow in the barrel who kept the Brahma bulls from making mincemeat out of unfortunate cowboys. Some of the old-time rodeo fans will surely remember Homer Holcomb.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

June 19, 1942

The city fire truck was moved Tuesday to the rear of the city hall where it will be kept for the summer months.

Modification of the sugar canning allowance was made this week when the Walla Walla rationing board received instructions to liberalize sugar to can fruits and vegetables.

Mr. and Mrs. Art Combs have moved into the Allen Apartments on Main Street. Mrs. Combs plans to teach the first grade in the local school this coming fall.

There’ll be lots of fish stories when Frank Vennum of Seattle and Clifford Light of The Dalles return from their fishing trip on the Seceshe River in Idaho. The boys left Saturday.

One Hundred Years Ago

June 22, 1917

Residents of the rural district who have adopted the practice of picketing their horses and cattle on the public highway are liable to arrest according to Sheriff Lee Barnes who announce this week that he had been instructed by the county commissioner to start a campaign to put a stop to use of the roads as pasture.

Miss Elvira Southard, who has been attending Whitman College the past year, is home for summer vacation and has accepted a position in Porter’s Confectionary.

Complaint has been made to the City Council that chickens are being permitted to run at large n certain parts of the city to the damage of gardens and flowers.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

June 24, 1892

Prof. and Mrs. Dumas sail today from San Francisco for Lohaina, Hawaiian Islands.

Camp meeting being over, services will be resumed in the M. E. Church ad the Christian Church.

J. W. Morgan gets brick for his new store from Walla Walla penitentiary. They cost him a trifle less than $8 per M laid down at the building.

At an adjourned meeting of the county commissioners last Saturday, the board decided to appropriate the sum of $1,500 towards constructing a bridge across the Touchet at the Main Street crossing in this city, provided the city construct a bridge to cost not less than $3,000.