PIONEER PORTRAITS

Fifteen Years Ago

April 1, 2010

For decades, one of the first spring rituals in the Touchet Valley has been the Waitsburg Junior Livestock Show & Fair, where children enter their animals and art projects to be seen and judged. Not this year. Citing dwindling springtime attendance, the show's organizers have decided to try another time of year to host the event, which is now scheduled for the weekend of June 12-13. "We've been eliminating too many kids that didn't have projects by April," fair president Howard Smith Jr. said. "It's kind of an experiment. If the board decides it doesn't like the June timeframe, we'll move it back to April."

Twenty-Five Years Ago

March 30, 2000

Call it spring fever. Call it doing what comes naturally... even if you're a heron. But the mating urge is on in the world of the great blue heron. And that explains the absence of the long-legged birds in fields as we drive the local highways and byways. Two sizable rookeries (several heron nests in one tree or more) we keep our eyes on have had occupants ... herons standing on the nests. We noticed this last year at the small rookery at Blalock Lake on McKinney Road west of College Place.

Fifty Years Ago

March 27, 1975

[Photo caption] 1975 Days of Real Sport Queen Candidates Tammy Cole and Laurie McCaw. Queen's Dance at Waitsburg Legion Hall March 29th. Buy a ticket from your favorite candidate – admits you to the dance. Admission $1.00 per person. Live Music 9-12:30

Seventy-Five Years Ago

April 7, 1950

Penny and Ralph Jones are spending spring vacation at Mt. Hood where they will enjoy skiing and visit their aunt and uncle.

Spring appeared to be on the way this week with a few balmy days but valley residents were rudely awakened Thursday with a very wet blizzard and temperatures around 30. However by noon the sun was shining again.

Dolph Egelston was elected mayor in Tuesdays election with over 300 votes cast. Councilmen are Harold Bloor, Joe Van Amburgh, E. J. Lewis, Albert Land and John Egli. A. T. Sutton was elected treasurer.

One Hundred Years Ago

April 10, 1925

Mrs. Clarence Eaton entertained Tuesday evening in honor of Mrs. F. G. Trichler. The party was a surprise, the event being her birthday. Twenty five ladies were present. Refreshments were served by the hostess assisted by the Misses Gladys and Ruth Eaton.

Misses Erma and Margaret Shuham of Walla Walla are spending a few days this week visiting their uncle and aunt Mr. and Mrs. D. P. Hayes.

Roland Allen left Tuesday for Paulson B.C. to look after his interests in the Paulsen Mining Co. He expects to be gone several weeks.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

April 13, 1900

Carl Jensen and Miss Eliza Freeburn, two well known people of Prescott, were married in that town last Saturday.

At last we are enabled to note the fact that a new fence has been built along the west side of the Neace property on Main Street. It is certainly a great improvement to the looks of that portion of Main Street.

The new City Council was sworn in on Monday at noon. R. H. Ormshee was re-elected attorney and City Clerk at a salary of $30 per month.