Pioneer Portraits - December 28, 2017

Ten Years Ago

January 3, 2008

With a skiff of snow and threatening skies, construction workers busy with the new Waitsburg Clinic at the corner of Third and Main were hard at work a couple of days after Christmas. Through mid December, concrete was poured and soon a floor was put down, then last week walls were up and indeed the Clinic is beginning to take shape. The structure if hoped to be roofed and ready for interior work by mid January.

One man was arrested and Walla Walla County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating another suspect following a disturbance described as “pandemonium” at the Whetstone Public House at 110 Preston Avenue in the early morning hours of December 29.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

December 31, 1992

Waitsburg is out of gravel. And, along with the rest of his holiday gifts, Councilman Don Wills has been shopping for gravel. He reported to the cou8ncil this month that the best deal he could find was from Konen Rock Crushing, Inc. of Dayton. The company would sell the city 250 yards of gravel for $12 a yard.

The warden who supervised five hangings at the penitentiary in Walla Walla opposes letting relatives of victims watch executions. Bobby J. Rhay, who spent his formative years in Waitsburg, said allowing victims’ attendance at state-sponsored executions gives them a “Roman Holiday” aspect.

Anti-death penalty activists plan a vigil at the state penitentiary in Walla Walla beginning at midnight, Sunday, Jan. 3, two days before Westley Dodd is scheduled to be hanged for murder. It would be the first execution in the state in 30 years.

Fifty Years Ago

December 28, 1967

Photo caption: Proudly displaying their first Christmas Tournament trophy is a hustling Cardinal team who just wouldn’t give up. Down by as much as 12 points during the first three quarters of the ball game, they applied pressure in the final stanza and won it in overtime. Dan Henze, Tom Mock, Robert Maib, Jim Leid, Coach Glynn Davis, Dave Hevel, Ray Mohney, Mike Beechinor, J. K. Keve, John Conley, Larry Conover, Marc Zuger.

May 25-26 are the dates set for the 55th annual running of the Days of Real Sport in Waitsburg for 1968. The dates were chosen at a corporation meeting which named Bill Zuger, President; Bill Payne, Vice President; Jack Griffin, Treasurer; and Board members, Joe McCown, Bob Patton and Kenneth Smith. Notable from the point of view of service is the re-appointment of Herman Gohlman as Racing Secretary. “Herm” is beginning his 25th year in that post.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

January 1, 1943

Miss Lucille Brown, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Glen Brown, left recently for Washington D.C. where she will report December 28 as a junior clerk and typist under civil service.

Miss Patricia Hirsch, who has been attending the University of Washington , is assisting Mrs. Dilts this week with her physical education classes.

A group of friends surprised Alex Henry Saturday evening on his seventy-fourth birthday. The evening was spent playing cards.

The Alto Home Economics Christmas party was held on Dec. 18 at the home of Mrs. Mount Shaffer. Games and refreshments were enjoyed. Those serving refreshments were Mrs. Gordon Talbott, Mrs. Joe Grate and Mrs. Shaffer.

One Hundred Years Ago

January 4, 1918

Rachel Shuttleworth Hinchliffe was born in Keithley, England, Aug. 31, 1845. Died at her home in the country nine miles south of Waitsburg on Dec. 19, 1917 at the ripe age of 72 years.

A grain elevator and storage house with gas engine and cleaner equipment, is to be built at Menoken siding, north of this city, this spring by Jack Sweazy and Charley Neace. The new structure will cost $11,000; the Tum-A-Lum Lumber Co. has the contract.

The buggy in which John Danielson was riding into town was struck by an automobile Wednesday after dark and badly mashed up. Mr. Danielson was thrown to the pavement with the rig on top of him, but fortunately he was not seriously injured, aside from a severe shaking up.

The natives are enjoying the deluge of rain in Jasper Mountain. It has taken away all the snow.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

January 6, 1893

Miss Myrtle Loundagin on Thursday brought to this office a large bunch of bright buttercups, plucked from the hillside on the banks of the classic Coppei. Think of this, ye who are striving in other parts to keep from freezing.

Rev. O. J. Gist was kind to our reporter on Tuesday of this week. In order o furnish a little item he allowed hi horse to become frightened, run away, upset the cart, throw his reverency out, and then fall into t he ditch and take the cart on its back. No bones in either man or cart were broken

The Missouri ladies of Prescott wish it announced that they will give a free dinner New Year’s Day, at which all Missourians are cordially invited.