Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago-January 1, 2009

Waitsburg Commercial Club, lthe City of Waitsburg and other community groups who regularly meet in Ye Towne Hall are either canceling or relocating their meetings following discovery this week of roof damage blamed on heavy snow.

Photo caption: If you didn’t pick up a free calendar from Waitsburg Grocery, Inc, last month the “America the Beautiful” version, you will have missed this striking photo for January. It’s non other than Huntsville’s Dick Ferguson, wearing his “going to town” straw cowboy hat. Each month contains a stanza from the song, “America the Beautiful”.

Around the Town: Two thousand and eight will be known, in later years, as a landmark year for Waitsburg. In the past 12 months, the downtown area received some of the most striking changes it has seen, all in a matter of months.

Twenty-Five Years Ago-December 23, 1993

Fire District #2 has elected officers for 1994. They re: Jake Long, chief, Louis Gagnon, assistant chief, Bill Zuger, first captain and Pete Huwe, second captain. Elected fire association offers were Frank Reser, president, and John Mason, secretary-treasurer.

Last April a rare breed of horse, the first of its kind in eastern Washington, came to call Dayton its home. The horse is a Haflinger, a breed that originated in the Tyrolean Mountains of Austria. The registered mare is owned by John and Yvette Smith of Dayton Haflingers are stocky, sure footed horses with gentle dispositions. Small in stature, the hardy breed varies in height from 52 to 59 inches and weighs, generally from 800 to 1300 pounds.

Eric and Elizabeth Thorn of Dayton were chosen by the Columbia County Conservation District to be “Conservation Farmers of the Year.” Eric and Elizabeth are the fourth-generation to farm the Thorn home place. Eric’s parents, Wilfred and Faith Thorn, were “Conservation Farmers of the Year” in 1950.

Waitsburg is trying to purchase about 16 acres of land from the railroad for possible expansion of City Cemetery or other improvements, including a park. At a recent City Council meeting, Councilman Bill Thompson proposed the idea and the council voted unanimously to begin negotiations with Burlington Northern Railroad. In another land deal in recent months, the city paid the railroad about $2500 an acre for land near Garden Street for extending the roadway to Highway 12.

Fifty Years Ago-December 19, 1968

Motorists were able to use a new 2000 foot long bridge across the Snake River at Lyons Ferry near the Franklin-Columbia County Line on Saturday, December 21. The bridge was built by Murphy Bros., Spokane, on a $979,261 contract awarded last February. Over 1640 feet of steel structure salvaged from the Vantage Bridge, when it was replaced by the new Interstate 90 Bridge in 1963was used on the project.

Photo caption: What is more fascinating to observe than a Christmas program where each youngster has a “piece” to say? Here is a variety of expression as Ivan Dixon, Scott Archer, Adam Rogers and Kenny Baer recite for a large group of people in the Presbyterian Church last Sunday evening.

Seventy-Five Years Ago-December 31, 1943

Announcement was made Tuesday Nov 25 of the boys’ chorus for the double quartet: Tenors, Jim Cresswell, Bernard Doud, Bob Loundagin, Joe Abbey: basses, Dave Jensen, glen Hofre, Bob Estes, Bob Wilson. Honorable mention went to Bob Jacobson, Buster Conover and Jim Archer.

The Denova club Christmas party was held at the home of Mrs. Jack Clodieus Dec 21, with cocktails being served at 1;30 followed by a turkey dinner.

The collection of waste paper vitally needed in the war effort is under way in this community. Everyone is urged to cooperate by saving every scrap of paper and following simple instructions in preparing the material for collection.

One Hundred years Ago-Jan 3, 1919

Fire almost totally destroyed the brick garage and all the machinery and supplies of the McKinney Auto Co. Monday morning, together with seventeen cars which happed to be in the building at the time.

The City Health Officer and Council has decided to authorize the lifting f the closing ban against public gatherings of every kind Sunday morning January 5.

Miss Charlotte Bickelhaupt is in Spring Valley visiting relation and friends this week.

Born at the farm home near Wallwa, Ore. Dec 23 to Mr. and Mrs. Asa Harmon, twin boys. Mrs Harmon was formerly Miss Millie Stimmel.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

January 5, 1894

W. W. Hunt, formerly O & WT agent in this city, found his lost rib and restored it unto himself at DeWittsvill, N. Y. on December 12.

Levi Ankeny, the most successful baker in the Northwest spent Wednesday in this city.

Dr. William Atwood who has been attending medical college at San Francisco arrived home on Tuesday evening and will remain four months.

P. M. Tucker left Monday evening for Missouri in response to a telegram informing him that is father was at the point of death.