Good Old Days

125 years ago

December 10, 1886

Lew Johnson’s colored minstrel combination held forth at City Hall on Thursday and Friday evenings, the last performance on the strength of the first, which was unusually large.

Within the past few days there have been filed for record in the auditor’s office some twenty odd right of way deeds to the Washington & Idaho Railroad company, executed by parties living between Farmington and Coeur d’Alene Lake. The significance of this is that the Farmington branch will be extended to the lake at an early day.

While descending the Snake River last Monday evening, the steamer Gates, with a barge in tow, both wheat laden, went on the rocks below Granite Point, where they still remained Thursday. Of the cargo of 1300 sacks of wheat belonging to Lewiston parties taken from Gabel’s warehouse, 1000 sacks are a total loss and 300 are considerably damaged.

Garfield has been excited the last few days over the prospect of the Spokane and Palouse Railroad being extended through here. The right of way agent was along the line Tuesday, and at present the right of way is secured a great part of the distance from Belmont to Palouse City.

A.T. Holmes, proprietor of the Deep Creek saw mill, has bought the Elberton mill.

100 years ago

December 8, 1911

Dr. J. Floyd Tifft defeated E.W. Weinberg for mayor in the city election Tuesday by six votes.

This week a new lighting system has been installed in the county jail which is a matter of great convenience and safety for the jailer. Four tungsten lamps have been placed in the ceiling, one in each corner of the jail and are operated by a switch from the sheriff’s office.

On his arrival home from the east, Dr. Wm. Clay Cardwell learned he had been appointed physician for the Spokane and Inland Railway in this city.

Secretary E.H. Rosenkranz of the Whitman County Poultry association is planning to have several lectures during the show in this city. He goes to Pullman and Moscow today to secure speakers from the college and university. Several hundred more birds will be on exhibition than were here last year.

75 years ago

December 4, 1936

Charles Lebold, Palouse farmer who was victimized out of his life earnings of $40,000 in a confidence game recently, was unable to identify pictures of men believed to be implicated in the hoax when they were shown to him Wednesday of last week by Sheriff Carson J. Walker. The pictures had been sent here.

Sheriff Walker and his deputies said Friday they believed they knew the identity of two burglars who attempted to force an entrance into the M.E. Ingram clothing store at St. John early Thursday morning. The burglars were surprised by Henry Cornshaw, night marshal, who heard the breaking of glass in a rear door while eating in the building next door. He fired four shots at the fleeing men after they had loosened a steel plated that barred the entrance.

Word received here tells of the catching of a man-eating shark five feet in length by Major L.S. Passmore who was fishing recently in the Gulf of Mexico. Mrs. Passmore will be remembered here as Doris Morley.

50 years ago

December 7, 1961

Radar units set up on various Whitman County roadways by the state patrol during the past two weeks resulted in the biggest rash of speeding tickets issued in the area. Citations made during the past week alone accounted for arrests of 42 drivers.

Voters in the Rosalia School district Tuesday approved the purchase of property adjacent to the school for development as an athletic field. The property includes 19 acres owned by Gilman Anderson. Voters approved a switch of $10,000 from the school building fund to the general fund to pay for construction of a football field, a baseball diamond and parking facilities.

Riparia and Central Ferry would be the first port sites developed by the Port of Whitman County under a recommendation made by a consulting engineer following a detailed study of the Lower Snake River.

25 years ago

December 4, 1986

Four Burlington Northern grain cars were bogged down in Oakesdale over Thanksgiving weekend when they derailed on a siding. The cars were part of a 31-car unit train which was northbound out of Oakesdale after being loaded with barley at Oakesdale Grain Growers.

The county will install WATS lines, a toll-free “800” number which can be used by all county residents to contact the courthouse. The lines can be used only for incoming calls at the courthouse and, if not abused, should cost the county about $400 per month.

10 years ago

December 6, 2001

Talking from the heart and “shooting from the gut level,” Whitman County Commissioner Les Wigen put a motion on the table asking for Planner Mark Bordsen’s resignation during another session of the Whitman County Property Owners Association who addressed commissioners last week. Intent of the group was to discuss with the board problems they feel the planning department has and to ensure changes. The motion failed due to a lack of a second.

A Colfax team for the second time this fall lifted a championship trophy toward the rafters after taking the state A football title. The Bulldog football team rolled to a 49-7 win over Tacoma Baptist for the title Saturday in Tacoma. Colfax girls three weeks ago won the state volleyball trophy in Yakima.

Students at Jennings Elementary evacuated their building and had lunch at the high school Monday after a power failure caused a motor malfunction in the building.