Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

August 27, 2009

A slight breeze kept the bees away while everyone enjoyed lots of good conversation, food and a little music from the Blue Mountain Troublemakers, at the Hockersmith place on Rocky Point last weekend. Prompted by fascinating stories from Bettie Chase, Ivan Keve, and the Hap Cline series about the community that used to be, several Jasper Mountain families spent the afternoon on the mountain.

Touchet will honor retiring football coach, Wayne Dickey, during a special “Dickey Day Celebration” on Saturday, September 26.

They don’t come more down to earth than the 2009 Pioneer Fall Festival’s Pioneers of the Year, LZ and Sherrill Conover. So down to earth, in fact, that LZ politely declined the honor when first asked the Waitsburg Historical Society.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

September 8, 1994

Local horse riders win at fair. Two local equestrians excelled at Walla Walla Frontier Days recently. Kelly Lambert, 15, of Waitsburg, was 4-H grand champion of western pleasure, western equitation and bareback equitation in the senior B division.

Deputy marshal Rick Ferguson dusts for fingerprints on hood of field truck that was vandalized over the Labor Day weekend. A nightstick was pushed through the radiator of the truck loaded with hay in a field just north of Highway 12, near the Waitsburg trailer park.

Fifty Years Ago

September 11, 1969

Dialing for Dollars, a Spokane daytime TV Show, struck Waitsburg for the third time this year by calling Mrs. Ernest Mikkelsen who answered the proper questions and received $425.00 in cash. The call was made on Tuesday afternoon, September 9.

The Waitsburg Camp Fire Council met Thursday evening, September 4 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Don Richardson. There was discussion about continuing Camp Fire in Waitsburg or starting a Girl Scout group. With new regulations in effect, all towns under 5,000 population and with less than 100 girls registered, are asked to consolidate with other towns.

Photo caption: Cardinal lettermen who will defend the school colors on the gridiron this year line up for a picture during this week’s preparations for the first game of the season against Zillah to be held in Dayton this Friday evening. Front row, left to right, Gary Pierson, Bob Johnson, Scott Cresswell, Bruce Abbey, Louie Gagnon and Tom Archer. Back row, Keith Carpenter, Wally Bird, Pat Mohney, Terry John, Jeff Peterson, Andy Maib and George Gagnon.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

September 15, 1944

The opening football season for Wait-Hi shows ten veterans returning under the capable direction of Coach “Curly” Colburn. They are Bob Estes, Wayne Hinchliffe, Bill Dunn, Dale Ford, Dan Telecky, Bob Wardrip, Buster Conover, Melvin Dunn, Bob Jacobson and Gene Wardrip.

Lt. Mervil Bodker who was reported missing in action the first of August is now reported to be a prisoner of war in Germany.

One Hundred Years Ago

September 19, 1919

Adolphus, Lou and Blanche Weathers, children and Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Weathers who reside on the J. B. Loundagin farm on the Coppei, won a number of prizes at the recent county fair. They exhibited three shorthorn calves which were awarded seven prizes, aggregating a total of $79.50.

Emerson E. Woods who lives about a mile below Waitsburg, purchased an Owen Automatic lighting plant from A. E. Bartell, local agent for the district. The plant will be installed and in operation within the next few days.

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Small went to Seattle last week to attend the address given by President Wilson and to view the Pacific fleet.

Born at the farm home Thursday, September 11th, to Mr. and Mrs. Dahl Jones, a son.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

September 14, 1894

Death has again sounded his tocsin in our midst, and N. B. Denney, one of our oldest and best citizens responded to the call.

Prairie chickens are more numerous that they have been for many years.

Abel White has leased the Driving Park alfalfa field and now has the finest cow pasture in the country. The alfalfa is thick and high and he will take cows at $1.50 per head per month.