Good old days - Nov. 26, 2009

125 years ago

November 28, 1884

Knapp, Burrell & Co. have their business office on Main street and warehouse near the depot connected by a Bell telephone.

From the 1st to the 26th of November, 400 carloads of freight were shipped from Colfax, 376 of which were wheat-laden.

Three prisoners in the county jail – Yates, the wife-beater, Geo. Sweme, the cattle-thief, and Ed. Wood, who sold whisky to Indians. There are a number of other people under arrest, but out on bonds.

T.F. Bergers has contributed to the Gazette’s specimen of wonderful products of the Palouse country several fine specimens of Early Rose potatoes. Come and see them.

A party of young ladies and gentlemen of this city are actively rehearsing the play of “The Lady of Lyons” which will be presented before the public in a short time. The cast embraces our most talented amateurs.

On Monday a girl was born to the wife of Daniel Lewallyn, proprietor of the Baldwin house, and on Tuesday Mayor Perkins was made the father of a bouncing boy.

100 years ago

November 26, 1909

Registration for the local option election which takes place next Tuesday is complete, the books closing Friday night. Registration is large, showing the interest taken in the result. Registration numbers indicate Colfax has a population of 3515, using the usual estimate of five citizens per voter.

The first annual meeting of the Whitman County Poultry Show, given by the county Live and Pet Stock Association, will be held in Colfax from January 24 to 29 inclusive, and promises to be an event of great interest.

Charles Nichols, charged with running a blind pig at St. John, appeared before Justice Doolittle Wednesday forenoon, waived examination and was cited to appear before the superior court, giving $250 bond for his appearance.

Hotel Whitman, one of the two principal hotels of Colfax, is under new management, J.E. Williams having sold out to C.W. and Elbert Ewan, who have been residents of the county for several years, living near St. John.

Those confined in the Whitman County jail enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner yesterday in the shape of roast goose and other concomitants furnished by Mr. and Mrs. George Hale.

75 years ago

November 30, 1934

Contending that Elvin Hodgen, Pine City, was convicted of the theft of gasoline on circumstantial evidence by a justice court jury, the defense Saturday carried an appeal to the superior court, Judge R.L. McCroskey hearing the testimony of witnesses in the presence of a large crowd form the northwestern section of the county. After arguments by attorneys Monday morning, Judge McCroskey dismissed the case, which had the effect of an acquittal and automatically revoked the 30-day suspended jail sentence imposed by the justice court jury. Alibi evidence introduced by the defense raised a reasonable doubt as to the young man’s guilt.

Main street was thronged Saturday night by old and young in celebrating the dedication of the new curb light system of 96 lamps now illuminating 12 blocks between Thorn street and the Codd bridge with a brilliance said to be five times greater than the old overhanging lights.

Following a survey here Monday morning which disclosed that there were 78 unemployed heads of families in Colfax, George Lee and Charles Bucher of the city council and C.A. Bruning went to Spokane to convey that information to WERA district officials and to petition that work at the airport be continued and that a flood control project be started.

50 years ago

November 26, 1959

The Whitman County library board this week approved preliminary plans for a new $72,000 library building to be erected next spring on the old Henry building site in Colfax.

“Should Colfax’s Chamber of Commerce disband?”

The question arose at Wednesday’s luncheon with only six members present and was tabled until next meeting, at which a larger attendance will be sought.

The McGregor Co. has moved its bookkeeping office from Hooper to its main fertilizer plant at Mockonema, Manager Sherman McGregor announced yesterday.

Whitman County has produced its share of riding horses, but seldom has one gained as much fame for not allowing anyone to stay on its back as “High Above,” a local product currently in the nation’s rodeo headlines. The horse is half thoroughbred and was raised by Ira Scott, LaCrosse rancher, who sold the animal to Faye Hubbard, Colfax automobile salesman and rodeo enthusiast, after the horse proved impossible to ride.

Del Pool of Jones Truck & Implement has built a new one-man air conditioner manufactured for farmers who are allergic to dust, etc., and are unable to work on farm machinery in the field. A helmet is attached to a portable refrigeration unit which supplies the wearer with a continuous supply of clean, filtered, cool air and operates off batteries.

25 years ago

November 29, 1984

The subject of small school consolidation has been dropped from an education study report which will be presented to the legislature next session. All nine Whitman County schools were included in a preliminary draft report chart which generated strong reactions here six weeks ago. The charts were also dropped from the report, according to Allison Cowles of Spokane, one of three members of the study committee from eastern Washington.

Logistics for a local and statewide food drive to aid drought-stricken Ethiopa have been worked out, and the drive is underway in Whitman County. A group is accepting wheat and donations of money with which to purchase wheat.

10 years ago

November 25, 1999

Members of the LaCrosse Grain Growers and Ritzville Warehouse Co. will be asked over the next two weeks to consider a merger of the two cooperatives.

Pullman City Council wants to reconfigure the Whitman County commission district boundaries to ensure that a representative from inside Pullman’s city limits will always sit on the board. Districts are divided up by population. Candidates from Pullman have run for the office, but no one has ever won.

A new wrought iron memorial at the LaCrosse cemetery has been recently completed by Alf Martin. The project also included a time capsule. The memorial includes angels, trumpets, doves and butterflies on ivy leaves. Alf also built a weathervane on top of the gazebo at the city park earlier this year.