PIONEER PORTRAITS

Ten Years Ago

July 18, 2013

A childhood’s worth of memories floods back for Kay Baker as she peruses the photos and memorabilia that she and friend Mary Phillips set up two weeks ago as part of the Huntsville history exhibit now showing at the Wilson-Philips house on the grounds of the Bruce Mansion. “When most people drive from (Waitsburg) to Dayton they don’t even know Huntsville is there,” said Baker. “They don’t know it exists. And I want them to know there was actually a town there. It was a nice little community.” It was a community that Kay (Huwe) Baker and Mary (Liebermann) Phillips shared as young girls. Baker, the youngest of nine children born to Robert and Hazel Huwe, grew up on old State Highway 410 (now U.S. Highway 12) across the road from the current Wilbur-Ellis plant. Her family’s home sat next to the old Perfection Flour mill. Both structures are gone except for the mill’s storage warehouse – the medium-sized white painted barn with two cupolas astride the roof which still stands just south of the highway and east of the Poverty Lane and Sorghum Hollow turn-offs. Photographs in the exhibit show both the house and the mill in their hey-days.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

July 23, 1998

[Photo Caption] The Waitsburg High School Class of 1973 reunited to commemorate the 25th year since graduation from high school with a family picnic in Preston Park. Front row: Rob Danforth, Issaquah; Mike Saranovich, Kirkland; Val Woodworth, Waitsburg; Jim Callahan, Waitsburg. Back row: Linda Lybecker, Portland; Patti Huwe Hendrickson, Waitsburg; Susan Sharpe Ledbetter, Walla Walla; Becki Brown Townsend, Moses Lake; Lavonne Kenney Hamilton, Vancouver, Wash.; Margie White Thomas, Portland; and Cheryl Berg Byerley, Lowden.

Fifty Years Ago

July 19, 1973

Mrs. Homer Brown has accepted the position of librarian of the Weller Public Library replacing Mrs. Doug McKinley who has held the post for the past year and a half. Mrs. Brown will be in the library each Thursday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. and on Saturday afternoons from 1 to 5 p.m. There are lots of good books on the shelves of the library which is located in the City Hall. If you are not acquainted with the library, stop in and get acquainted with Mrs. Brown, the library, and the myriad of good books which are offered to the public.

Second semester honor roll at Washington State University included the names of Charles D. Baker, Michael V. Hubbard, and Ann S. Payne. William Bowe III of Prescott was also among those listed.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

July 23, 1948

Forms were set Thursday in preparation for forming the basement walls at the new grade school.

Mary Liebermann was accidentally run over by a playmate on a bicycle Thursday evening. Mary received a cut on one knee that required three stitches.

Mr. and Mrs. Jim Stonecipher moved to their new home on the former Clifford Minnick place in Spring Valley last Saturday.

One Hundred Years Ago

July 27, 1923

The Light Bearers of the Presbyterian Church enjoyed a picnic on the banks of the Touchet last Thursday. A fine time is reported.

Roy Allen of the Allen Grocery returned Friday from a short business trip to Paulson, B.C. Roy says he was so busy while up there that he didn’t even have time to fish.

The O-W R & C Co. have this week placed a new board walk form their depot to the Touchet river bridge to replace the old one which was pretty badly dilapidated.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

July 29, 1898

Hon. A. C. Dickinson left on Monday evening for Garden Plain, Kansas. Mr. Dickinson goes on a matter of business and expects to be absent a month.

The Neace-Hanger Co. of this city have sold their branch store in Starbuck. The groceries were purchased by A. L. O’Neil and the dry goods by S. A. Esry and H. A. Johnston.

C. B. Richardson is thoroughly prepared to do all kinds of wagon and vehicle repairing in hard wood. For the next 30 days he will cut down wagons for $9.00 per set. See him for prices on other work.