PIONEER PORTRAITS

Ten Years Ago

September 18, 2014

[Photo Caption] Jim and Geraine Hansen, Waitsburg's 2014 Pioneers of the Year, reside on a picturesque plot near the top of what their daughter Mary calls "the Hansen version of Walton Mountain." Mary lives just a half-mile up the road; daughter Karen Yager is three miles up; and son Norman lives in the original family homestead on top of Coppei Mountain. In addition to the mountain-dwellers, the immediate Hansen clan includes daughters Cheryl in Pullman, Jeanette in Walla Walla, and son John in Bellingham. Jim's Waitsburg family ties hark back to the late 1800's. His great-great maternal grandfather, Robert William Leid Sr., was a stonemason and music teacher in Scotland before emigrating to Canada where he raised his family. His son, Robert Leid, Jr., moved from Canada to Waitsburg and settled in a log cabin atop Coppei Mountain in 1888.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

September 16, 1999

In the 1930's, Marge Turley's father Dale McCullum took on a second ranch to farm and, there being no money to pay for a hired hand, did what every farm family did back then: put their children to work. So Marge worked in the summerfallow, driving a mule team pulling a harrow or rod weeder. "What used to get me was we had to get up at 3 o'clock in the morning to feed the mules and everything so we could get into the field by 6," Turley remembers. Back then the labor-intensive farming practices meant long days and plenty of to do for all members of a farmer's family. That important work was put before schooling and it was no different in Marge's case. Fall work delayed her entering school with her peers and could've put her behind in her studies except for school superintendent George Reissner, who kept a desk in his office and tutored Marge and two others, Harold Reavis and Clayton Records, she recalls. Thanks to Reissner, Marge graduated from Prescott High School with her class of 1935.

Fifty Years Ago

September 19, 1974

Plans for hosting the State Association of the Daughters of the Pioneers of Washington Fall Board meeting, Wednesday, October 23 at Dayton were formulated by Chapter No. 13 at its September 5 meeting as well as making arrangements to entertain the Association's President, Mrs. H. E. Jordon of Seattle and other State officers and members at Carnegie Center the following Thursday. Mrs. P. R. Richardson was appointed chairman of the Board meeting by Mrs. C. P. Gardner, who presided over business. Mrs. Richardson will represent the Chapter at the State of Washington Advisory Council on Historic Preservation meet relative to obtain national registration for the old Union Pacific Depot and the Columbia County Court House to be held at Whitman College in Walla Walla.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

September 23, 1949

Miss Marie Switzer has accepted the position of executive director of Whitman Area of Camp Fire Girls with headquarters in Richland. She is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. W. W. Switzer of Walla Walla, formerly Methodist pastor here.

The new game Canasta was enjoyed by Mr. and Mrs. Ed Lawrence and Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Alyward Saturday evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Witt.

One Hundred Years Ago

September 26, 1924

The Waitsburg Lumber Yard, of which A. M. McCoy is proprietor, is receiving a lot of pine lumber from the Blue Mountains. Seems like old times to see pine lumber in stock coming from our own mountains.

The new barn of M. A. Woods which has been under construction by contractor E. M. Buroker for some weeks, is nearing completion. The new barn is costing about $2,500.

R. R. Rinehart of the Standard Oil force is spending his vacation with his brother, Sheriff Fred Rinehart of Enterprise, Ore.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

September 22, 1899

Chester Arthurs started for the upper country on horseback last week, having heard that farmers were watching for men at every crossroad and station between the river and Pullman.

The Buroker boys treated themselves to a brand new buggy this week.