Good old days - March 4, 2010

125 years ago, March 6, 1885

Chief Justice Greene baptized six converts in the Chehalis river last week.

The Palouse Gazette telegraph line between Colfax and Almota was completed yesterday.

A dancing club has been organized in this city and will give parties every two weeks. The initial hop will be indulged in at the Opera hall this evening.

100 years ago, March 4, 1910

(See 100-year flood story, page 4)

75 years ago, March 1, 1935

Fred Wilkinson suffered a flesh wound between the wrist and elbow Sunday afternoon when someone mistook his arm for a squirrel. Fred was reclining in a swale on the east hill beyond Thorn street, also looking for squirrels, and was shot when he raised his arm to adjust a moveable sight on his gun.

Sam Fisher, who has watched the Snake and Palouse rivers roll on to the sea since his birth at the mouth of the Penawawa creek 80 years ago, was in Colfax this week with his wife, Helen, to sell their home-made buckskin gloves.

As the last full-blooded survivor of the Palouse Indians, he now keeps watch over the graves of his ancestors and tribemen in the little cemetery where the Palouse empties into the Snake.

FOR SALE: 320 acres, 5 miles N.W. of Garfield; no weeds; all in cultivation; spring water; price $62.50 per acre.

50 years ago, March 3, 1960

Construction is expected to start in the “very near future” on the new $82,655 Whitman County rural library in Colfax.

Whitman county’s 39th annual basketball tournament is history with St. John, LaCrosse, Lamont and Rosalia as the top teams.

The Rainbow oil truck got out of control and backed down the hill into the Ed Casebur home Saturday afternoon.

Liquor sales in Colfax totaled $8,504 during January, according to the monthly report of the Washington State Liquor Control board issued this week.

25 years ago, February 28, 1985

Reports that the Southeast district B basketball tournament might have marked its last year in the WSU coliseum at Pullman appear to be nothing more than rumors, according to Buddy Gibson, Oakesdale principal who acts as director of the tournament.

Colfax school board accepted a bid from Wheatland Petroleum of Fairfield for 10,000 gallons of gasoline at 91.95 cents a gallon.

Three Whitman County girls teams started action in the state B battle at SFCC after sweeping the SE playoffs Friday in the Pullman coliseum. Final day of action saw four Whitman clubs in the last rounds with the Garfield/Palouse Vikings bagging the number three slot after turning back the surprising Rosalia squad. Championship honors went to St. John/Endicott Eagles.

10 years ago, March 2, 2000

It’s official. Brayton Road is now the name of a county road near Pullman, formerly known as River Road, in honor of longtime WSU baseball coach Chuck “Bobo” Brayton.

Trauma or foul play have been ruled out as causes of death for a 45-year-old Spokane man who was pronounced dead in the emergency room of Whitman Hospital Feb. 19.

Garfield/Palouse girls, a team which was left at the SE last year, took care of all the business last week at the district show to lead an all-Whitman entry to state at Spokane this week.

LaCrosse/Washtucna girls, who were roughed up by the Vikings in the title game, charged back in the last quarter of the long SE tournament to top Asotin for the other state ticket.