Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

August 27, 2009

A Waitsburg High School graduate played a role in a serious nuclear accident and August 29 marks 33 years since the mishap at Hanford. Marvin Klundt, a 1953 graduate of Waitsburg High, was working with Harold McClusky, who became know as ‘The Atomic Man” in 1976, when an explosion exposed McClusky to a dose of americium-241 500 times higher than a person should receive over a lifetime.

Peggy Henry of Pasco, daughter of Tom and Anita Baker of Waitsburg, was one of a trio who performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on an elderly woman at the Tri-cities Dust Devils baseball game last week, and are credited with a “save” that night even though the Dust Devils weren’t as lucky.

In 1938, an up-and-coming jockey named Albert Siler, from Lowden rode at the Days of Real Sport. A year later, Siler would be embroiled in a race-fixing scheme in southern California that wreaked havoc on the promising jockey’s career. “It’s a tragedy of sorts.” Siler was the perfect size and as a lad in Lowden rode horses aplenty. He caught the eye of George Drumheller, who gave Siler his first opportunity to jockey. The first day he raced, Siler won five times.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 18, 1994

Smith Hollow School Teacher Pearl Martin rode horseback eight miles from her parents’ home in Dayton to teach her students in the one-room schoolhouse. By 1933 Smith Hollow School had closed its doors to pupils forever. Since that time the schoolhouse, near the corner of Smith Hollow and Willow Creek roads has stood as a testament to a simpler day.

Photo caption: Bruce Abbey of Waitsburg stands in doorway at Preston Hall recently. Abbey and a crew of volunteers and school employees removed lathe and plaster from inside of the old school to get ready for restoration construction in October. Other members of the crew, working for several days, were Jim Leid, Frank, Clint and Greg Reser, Glen Smith, Andy Winnett, Burton Dickerson, Jeff Pierce and Andy Samson.

Fifty Years Ago

August 21, 1969

Sheriff Arthur Klundt submitted a budget estimate to the Walla Walla County Commissioners last week requesting an “across the board” pay increase of 10% for employees in his department. Starting pay for deputies in the county is $550 per month with no increment for experience for training. Seven of the nine deputies have extra jobs to supplement their incomes.

Bean pack at the Green Giant cannery was about 50% complete this week according to officials in Waitsburg. The bean yields have been high, and production is running slightly over budgeted amounts. Thursday will see a trial run for lima beans which will come in from the Columbia Basin area.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

August 28, 1944

Rainbow Girls held majority services for six members Thursday. The girls receiving the degree were Marilyn Archer, Cherie Gohlman, Joni Otterson, Kennedy, Donna Ketcherside Maclett, Judy Lee Jackson and Nancy White Otterson.

The school faculty this year includes William Broadhead, Lloyd Perry, Ernest Rohde, Aleta Combs, Gladys Keve, Joyce Porter, Allene Wills, James Swanger, Margaret Jensen, Lora Mae Bowles, Ellen Carson, Tryphena Fisher, Nadine Gerkey, Larry Price, Kenneth Milholland and Gordon White.

Bruce Brunton left for the national convention of Theta Xi fraternity at Denver on Friday before returning to Oregon State College next month.

One Hundred Years Ago

August 29, 1919

Work on the new country dwelling on the Bruce farm near Alto was commenced last week by Contractor Park who has been awarded the contract for the building complete.

Miss Florence Rees who has been spending the summer at White Salmon is in this city, the guest of her parents. Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Rees. Miss Rees will visit here and with relatives in Dayton until the opening of school when she will teach English in Benton City High School.

Miss Will Vollmer and family and Mrs. D. P. Bailey and family have returned from their mountain camp on the Wolf Fork of the Touchet.

R. H. McKenzie, local agent for the Dodge car, reports the sale of two machines this week. M. Mikkelsen has purchased a roadster and Clarence Eaton takes a commercial car.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 24, 1894

From J. B. Caldwell we learn that our former townsman, Lea Rice, received a serious kick from, a horse on Tuesday evening while working in his blacksmith shop in Walla Walla. It is feared that he is fatally injured.

The work of grading the grounds for our state’s million-dollar capitol was begun at Olympia on Tuesday.

Last Monday afternoon little Gerald Storie, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Storie, fell into the millrace of Washington Mills and before discovered, was drowned.

Robert Loundagin arrived home from the east on Sunday after an absence of seventeen months. His photo car is now in Missouri in charge of John Loundagin and Will Case, who are doing a lucrative business.