Good Old Days

125 years ago

July 13, 1888

The new junction between Pampa and Sutton has been called Palmer Junction after Engineer Frank E. Palmer of Wallula, who for the past three months has been engaged on these lines in the absence of Engineers Maultner, Parker and Barnhart. Frank has made many friends along the line during his stay here.

The following trustees of the Whitman Building & Loan association were elected at a meeting last Saturday evening: J.H. Bellinger, Leon Kuhn, Jos. Ryan, Arthur Howe, Jas. A. Perkins, R.L. McCroskey, A.W. Wisner. At their meeting to be held next Monday evening, the trustees will elect officers for the ensuing term.

The Commoner has received from the commissioner of agriculture at Washington, D.C., by the request and kindness of Delegate Voorhees, 250 packages of turnip seed and 200 packages of assorted garden seed, all of the finest variety. Our subscribers are invited to call and help themselves.

From all appearances the farmers intend to be thoroughly prepared to wade into their grain fields as soon as the grain is in a condition for harvesting. The machine and blacksmith shops of the city are crowded with repair work on all kinds of harvesting machinery.

100 years ago

The July 11, 1913, issue is not available.

75 years ago

July 8, 1938

Hordes of hungry and destructive grasshoppers are making the first serious invasion of Whitman County for the first time in its history.

Reports of the infestation first reached here Saturday from I.E. Wilson and C.S. Johnson, Wawawai ranchers, and had continued up to Wednesday afternoon when the county extension service, its supply of poison bait about exhausted, sent out a rush call to the district control office in Spokane for an additional quantity of sodium arsenite.

Sustaining the heaviest losses are the garden and truck crops along the Snake River in the vicinities of Wawawai, Penawawa and Almota.

Cantaloupes, carrots, potatoes, beans and onions were the first to succumb to the insects.

Serious damage is also reported on fruit farms along the Snake River.

Pasture land has been greatly damaged along the river and above the breaks.

Near Wawawai, farmers set fire to 1,000 acres to beat back the progress of the hordes.

Miss Gladys Thomas, deputy in the office of County Assessor John M. Klemgard, Tuesday announced her candidacy for the assessorship, subject to the republican primary in September. Miss Thomas is serving in her fifteenth year as a deputy assessor, having been in the office of M.C. True seven years and by the end of this year in Mr. Klemgard’s office eight years. Mr. Klemgard, ineligible to run to succeed himself because of his two terms, is seeking the county clerkship, subject to the democratic primary.

Approximately seventy-five members of the Full Gospel Sunday school held a picnic in the mountains this side of Potlatch on the Fourth of July. Transportation was furnished by the organization’s bus and cars. Baseball and games provided the amusement, and the picnic dinner was much enjoyed.

Thirty-two members of the Carroll family enjoyed a picnic Sunday at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Dayton here. Out of town guests included Mrs. Lynden Schutz and two daughters of Spokane. All others are Colfax residents or reside in this vicinity. The day was spent socially and a bountiful dinner was served.

50 years ago

July 11, 1963

Harvesting of a small amount of green peas and new crop barley has started in the county, according to agent Felix Entenmann and Manager Jack Hallett of the Grain Growers. Harvesting of green peas is underway in the Colton-Uniontown area, and dry peas in the Endicott area, Entenmann said, but will not get into full swing until next week. Barley is being harvested only at Penawawa, with full scale operations expected in about two weeks, Hallett said. Both agreed that it is still too early to know how good the yields will be.

More than 500 “old-timers” are expected to attend the Whitman County Pioneer Picnic July 14 to renew old acquaintances.

Two parades will be featured during the Palouse Empire Fair with a Pet Parade in the morning and the Grand Parade in the afternoon.

Air mail and first class mail only will be handled for points beyond 150 miles of Colfax if the railroad’s brotherhoods call a nationwide strike as indicated yesterday, Vernon I. Clow, assistant postmaster said today. “We have strict orders not to accept anything for mailing beyond 150 miles other than first class or air mail because the rail tie-up would shut down the post office department’s chief source of long distance transportation,” he explained.

25 years ago

July 14, 1988

General concensus of Colfax merchants this week is that Crazy Days needs community activities, tournaments, games, drawings and parade to bring people to town for the annual three-day sidewalk sale. The Chamber of Commerce this year opted to try running Crazy Days with emphasis on merchants’ sales and cut back on activities. Only activities this year were costuming by merchants and a children’s parade and fun run on Saturday.

Members of the Rosalia Fire Department are pictured trying to knock down the remains of the barn on the former McCoy place which was destroyed by fire along highway 195 south of Rosalia last Thursday. The barn was engulfed in flames when firemen arrived.

10 years ago

July 10, 2003

The Shell gas station in Steptoe has been receiving a lot of attention lately because of the new way the owner of the gas station and Friendly Mart has decided to advertise his gas prices.

At first glance, the sign in front of the gas station seems to be advertising what may possibly be the cheapest gas around.

Prices are as follows: $1.16, regular; $1.26, plus; $1.36, premium; $1.62, diesel.

These are in fact the actual prices of gas, said an employee of Friendly Mart, but the gas tax is not included.

The owner decided to advertise the price of gas and the tax price separately.

The gas prices on the sign are labeled in big black and bold letters and just below them, in smaller letters, reads the statement, “Plus tax 47 cents.”

Launch of the new Best Western Motel in Colfax was an overall success, according to Dean Jolley, manager. Jolley said the motel was close to full capacity over the weekend when teams and parents visited for the American Legion tournament.