Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

January 22, 2019

Photo caption: The long familiar building at the southwest corner of the intersection of Coppei Avenue and Preston Avenue has been demolished and fill dirt was being placed this week. The Don Thomas Storage Building, a long time ago home to a number of businesses including auto parts stores and originally a lumber and coal yard, collapsed under heavy snow last December.

Waitsburg High School’s Knowledge Bowl teams edged out the completion at January’s meet Tuesday at the Harvest Church in Dayton. Of 17 teams, DeSales placed first, then Waitsburg teams second and third, followed by Dayton, Pomeroy, Touchet, Clarkston, and Prescott. WHS team 1 was Courtney Foley, Matt Leid, Zach Beasley, John Hockersmith, and Chris Carpenter. Team 2 was Wyatt Withers, Ben Kiefel, Philip Kock, Nick Carpetner, and Ellie Bartlow. Team 3 was Matthew Montgomery, Austin Beasley, Fletcher Baker, and Jenneffer Lyden. The Waitsburg Knowledge Bowl coach is Mr. Brad Green.

Twenty Five Years Ago

January 1994

Twelve trees once stood tall at the south end of Waitsburg on Highway 12, greeting travelers as it were. Ten of the trees were birch and two were mountain ash. Sadly one by one, these sentinels have either died or are withering away. The birch trees were likely victims of the bronze birch borer, a serious pest in eastern Washington.

“We should have the state put some fish in it,” Waitsburg City Councilman and fisherman Don Wills joked. “There is a lake down there.” He was talking about a dozen acres of land just west of Waitsburg along Highway 124 that was scraped clean of topsoil for use in road construction last year. Rainwater has collected in a low spot, forming a shallow pond. City officials are worried that once it dries the loose dirt will be picked p by wind, sending a blanket of dust toward Waitsburg. In addition they worry about the water itself. “It will breed mosquitoes, too” said Bill Thompson, of the council.

Fifty Years Ago

January, 1969

Photo caption: Retiring County Commissioner Orin Walker, who has just completed 22 years in office, reminisces a bit about of the experiences he has had with Bob Sickles of Waitsburg. Orin turned over his commissioner post from district 2 to James A. Stoneciper last Monday, January13.

ERNEST TUBB and the Texas Toubadors will be appearing in person at the Dayton Eagles on Wednesday, January 22, 9pm to 1am. Some of Earnest Tubb’s best, Rainbow at Midnight. Walking The Floor Over You, to mention a few. ERNEST TUBB-The Texas Troubadors-is one of the greatest personalities in the Country Music field.

Mayor Albert Land reported this week that the Corps of Engineers has been busy in the area this week working on the repair of dikes damaged by the recent floods. A road was built to the weak spot in the dike at Huntsville, and dump trucks have hauled many tons of rip-rap to the site to rebuild the threatened area on the levee. Because the field was so muddy, the trucks used as much ballast to build the road into the dike as they did to repair the dike itself.

Seventy Five Years Ago

January 21, 1944

Huge quantities of the new food tokens arrived Monday at the Baker-Boyer Bank in Walla Walla to be turned over later to merchants.

Kathleen McCaw of Prescott was elected president of the Ellen Richard Club, Home Economics honorary at W. S. C.

Mr and Mrs. L. E. Mock sold their farm south of town to Gordon Leid.

Voters approved a reorganization of school districts by a vote of 122 to 87.

Twenty four persons participated in a buttering bee at Andrew Hermanns farm this week. Besides the work at hand, those attending enjoyed a social time and potluck dinner.

One Hundred Years Ago

January 24, 1919

A seven day school for owners and operators of gas engines and tractors has been organized by County Agent, H. H. Boone at Walla Walla.

The watering of two or million acres of arid or semiarid lands as proposed by the Big Bend or Columbia Basin project would transform and beautify a vast region which now lies desolate for the greater part of the year.

Cecil Keiser started to town one day this week and his auto got stuck in the mud and he went to town on horse back.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

January 28, 1894

J. L. and W. B. Schaffer have purchased Mrs. Frank Parton’s interest in Washington Mills. Both gentlemen have been in the employ of the Co. for several yars, both are thorough mill men and the firm is to be congratulated on having them as members.

Prosecuting attorney, Poindester says the J. K. Elmiston will no longerbe allowed tow alk the streets of Walla Walla with a guard employed by himself but will have to be treated as other prisoners are till he shall have had his trial.

Harrie and Eastman and Arthur Roberts have consolidated the livery business. They will close the Tucker barn and will do all business from the Main Street stand.