Pioneer Portraits - August 3, 2017

Ten Years Ago

August 9, 2007

Wheat harvest in the Touchet Valley and surrounding is well past commodity prices are uncharacteristically on the rise. “These are the highest prices I’ve ever seen,” said J.E. McCaw, local manager of the Waitsburg branch of Northwest Grain Growers. The last time wheat was in the $6 range, McCaw said, was the spring following the 1973 harvest, when prices reached the $6.20 range. “Here we are at $6.17 and we’re still in harvest,” he said.

Photo caption: Ted and Lavonne Bren of Waitsburg recently ventured to Alaska on a cruise sponsored by Focus on the Family. While there, they were caught catching up on local happenings by reading our humble newspaper at the M. Roberts Tramway in Juneau. Their week-long visit in July included a visit to the Hubbard Glacier, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria, B.C.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 6, 1992

A fire fueled by high winds and temperatures raged for 14 hours last weekend, scorching 4,000 acres along the Tucannon River north of Camp Wooten in Columbia County – one of three fires in the region.

The City Council has narrowed the field for the city clerk’s job to four applicants, including Waitsburg Municipal Court Judge Ann McCambridge. McCambridge, of Waitsburg and a second Waitsburg resident, Mary Ann Harris, and two others emerged this week as the top choices to fill the job, which is opening because of the retirement of City Clerk Joan Hays.

Waitsburg grower John L. “Jack” DeWitt has been selected as an adviser to the College of Agriculture and Home Economics at Washington State University, where he earned a master’s degree.

Fifty Years Ago

August 3, 1967

Photo caption: John Anderson holds the portion of a steel frame which was weakened by a truck accident on his ranch last Saturday, causing the gas tank to collapse. Roy Leid of Waitsburg was on top of the tank filling it when the weakened strut gave way, throwing Roy to the ground and knocking him out.

The Green Giant Company in Waitsburg concluded pea canning and freezing operations for the 1967 season at approximately 4:30 p.m. last Sunday. The cannery is still continuing bean canning operations.

Photo caption: A local Waitsburg housewife and mother, Betty Maib, has started a fad by purchasing a new bicycle for herself and husband Gerry. The energetic couple has sparked literally dozens of adults into evening bike riding. Here is Mrs. Maib arriving on her “wheel.”

Seventy-Five Years Ago

August 7, 1942

Oldtimers enjoyed the familiar sight of a horse and buggy going down Main Street Wednesday noon. Nobody seems to know who it belonged to but he headed for Tuttle’s Blacksmith Shop.

A grass fire got out of control at Mrs. John Davis’ about 10:30 Thursday morning. The fire department arrived in time to put out the flames so that the fire burned only the chicken coop and fence.

Captain and Mrs. Orville Burgner of Spokane are the parents of a daughter born at St. Luke’s Hospital Wednesday morning.

For the first time in its 33 year history, the Pendleton Round-up will be passed by this year as Pendleton centers its attention on the war effort.

Mr. and Mrs. George Long have received word that their son, Dick, is in Australia with a repair crew in a mechanized division.

One Hundred Years Ago

August 10, 1917

Emory Bruce and Ed Nelson each purchased this season thru the Jno Smith Hardware Co., a Deering Harvester and Thresher, and these little machines are now at working the fields and doing satisfactory work it is reported.

The following Waitsburg boys who have enlisted in the company of artillery being recruited at Walla Walla, were called last Thursday to report to the Walla Walla Armory. They were Fred Ogden, Verl Keiser, John Streepy, Mike Yakley, Geo. McAninch, Oakley Peterson and John Nauman.

Will Philips had the misfortune to lose a fine 5-year old mare Sunday. The animal was kicked by another horse and a hind leg broken, so that it had to be shot.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 12, 1892

Mr. James Reavis of Prescott is doing well in the butcher business. He sends out two wagons daily with meat to supply his customers in the country.

No need for people to go away for the summer. there’s plenty of it right here at home.

School Superintendent Gehr has just made an apportionment of the school fund of this county. This county gets $226.66.

Both houses of Congress adjourned on Friday night last at 11 o’clock. That’s about the only thing important that Congress did during its whole session.

H. H. Hungate, a would-be county treasurer, was in the city on Tuesday with a hammer and a pocketful of nails, fixing up his fences.

J. W. Morgan’s new store assumes proportions comely.