PIONEER PORTRAITS

Ten Years Ago

October 11, 2022

WP runners kept up with the pack last Saturday in Richland at an invitational against 60 middle school and high school teams full of tough competition. The highlight of the day for WP cross country coach Joanna Lanning was seeing middle school runner Emily Adams blaze past the competition in the 2-mile middle school race with first place and a time of 13:06.75. Even suffering from a cold, Lanning said Adams was in it to win it. “Just before the finish line (Adams) passed the runner in first place beating her by less than 2 seconds,” Lanning said. “She told me this was ‘her plan!’”

Twenty-Five Years Ago

October 16, 1997

[Photo Caption] Waitsburg High School closed out 1997 Homecoming celebrations with a Saturday, Oct. 11 dance and announcement of Homecoming King and Queen. 1997 Queen was Cara Hulce, center, and Homecoming King Adam Erickson, kneeling at right. Other members of the court included, front row: Jesse McCaw, Amanda McKinley, Justina Ryckman, Hulce, Kelly McCaw, Kynde Kiefel and Erickson. Standing: T.J. Scott, Randy Hinchliffe, and Ryan Leid.

Fifty Years Ago

October 12, 1972

Twenty-four friends and fellow employees helped Elmer Hazelbaker celebrate his retirement from the Waitsburg city staff with a party at Ginny’s Grill on Wednesday, October 4. A special cake with a miniature fisherman was enjoyed by everyone there, with some left over for late snacks. The group presented Elmer with a propane catalytic heater for sportsmen, which he said he can use while hunting or fishing – his two favorite hobbies. . . Hazelbaker went to work for the City of Waitsburg water department in the spring of 1955, and worked there until his September 30 retirement – 18 years of service. He helped out as daytime marshal and deputy sheriff.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

October 17, 1947

Four Waitsburg boys returning to school at Cheney escaped serious injury when the jeep in which they were riding hit a guard rail and spilled the boys. Jack Blize suffered a broken collarbone, Jim Cresswell and Dale Ford were thrown clear and Bob Estes was pinned under the jeep.

Cecil Webber is president of the student body at WHS this year. Betty Williamson, vice president; Jo Mays, secretary; Muriel Roberts, treasurer; Bill Kock, annual editor; Marion Allman, cardinal editor; Delores Egli, Betty Dunn and Erma Lee Kessler, yell leaders.

One Hundred Years Ago

October 20, 2022

F.A. Jonas and John Danielson of this city, and Lenn Warwick of Dayton, expect to leave Thursday for Valdez, Alaska to look over the Culrass Island Mining and Milling Co. in which a number of people in this locality are interested.

Ford automobiles in all models took a $50 drop Monday, according to a message received by the Waitsburg Garage. This puts the touring car under $500 here.

The highway between this city and Walla Walla is now open to traffic. The barriers at either end were taken down at midnight Saturday night. Sunday the fine weather, and the hard surface made the occasion for several hundred cars to try out the newly completed boulevard.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

October 15, 1897

Married at the Fix school house Sunday Oct. 10, 1897 by Rev. J.V. Crawford, Ira D. Brunton and Miss Bessie Ramsaur. These are worthy young people, richly deserving a full share of life’s blessings.

Charles Preston made a ride on his wheel from Walla Walla to Waitsburg last Monday morning in less than two hours.

Our schools are not so well attended this fall as usual on account of so many of the larger boys being still out in the harvest fields.