Good old days

125 years ago

The Commoner

March 1, 1889

Local capitalists and businessmen of Garfield and vicinity are pushing forward a project for the establishment in that growing town of a national bank with a capital stock of probably $50,000. Some of the stock will most likely be taken by Colfax men. Such an institution would be of immense benefit to the trade circles of Garfield and we hope it may be established.

The second of the series of lectures under the auspices of the young people’s society of the M.E. Church, will be delivered by L.H. Plattor next Tuesday evening. The subject selected is “Forces Unseen and Silent.” Doors open at 7 o’clock. Admission is 25 cents. The proceeds are to be used in repairing the church.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

Feb. 27, 1914

The Bon Boniere, the fine confectionery store of R.E. Ripley, was reopened last week in the building formerly occupied by the Orpheum theatre adjoining city hall on the north. The building has been completely overhauled, remodeled and converted into one of the coziest places of its kind in the Inland Empire. Mr. Ripley’s enterprise in furnishing such a fine resort for the pleasure lovers of Colfax is worthy of a liberal patronage. His new location is one of the best of the city.

“Hi” Miller, the “wheat king” of Endicott, sold his wheat last week. Mr. Miller is one of the most extensive and successful farmers of western Whitman County and has made a fortune raising wheat near Endicott and Winona. Mr. Miller received a check for $27,229 for his crop. The price paid was 78 cents a bushel for all kinds of wheat, most of it being club and Red Russian, but there was some bluestem in the lot.

The poet has written about “A little farm well tilled. A little home well filled,” and his subject might have been the farm of William Alexander, five miles north of Colfax on the Oakesdale road, for the description fits it nicely. Mr. Alexander has what would be considered a big farm in the east, but a “mere truck patch” in this land of big farms and great ranches. He has 50 acres and he has it under a high state of cultivation. Mr. Alexander is doing what the newspapers have advocated for many years - farming on a small farm well and making it produce more per acre than the big farms can possibly produce.

75 years ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner

March 3, 1939

In a photo is the Martha Washington grade school drill team, directed by Miss Mary Kelly, faculty member, which was enthusiastically received by the Saturday evening tournament crowd in the high school gymnasium. The group performed at the halftime intermission of the grade school championship basketball game with accurate marching in straight lines and in formation. The girls’ uniforms are of red and white, the boleros and sashes being red, and red oilcloth puttees tied with white complete the outfit. Miss Kelly’s dress is red, trimmed with white, and she gives all directions for the drill with a mere toot of her whistle.

Members include Betsy Hallett, Anna Kelly, Marjorie Schnore, Lorene Cook, Ruby Cook, Shirley Krehbiel, Betty Wagner, Joan Osborne, Lucille Herman, Betty Meyer, Evelyn Wagner, Willene Lee, Eva Wilson, Sally Stine, Blanche Morton, Carolyn Wagner, Catherine Perkins, Avelina White, Frankie Wilson and Hazel Sorenson.

Officer Jim Hickman of the city police force reported this week that since enforcement of the 20-hour parking ordinance in residential districts has been emphasized during the past several days, several old unused and wrecked machines have been removed from the streets, where they had been parked continuously. The ordinance will continue to be enforced by the city officers and by State Patrolman H.G. Bartleson, Hickman said.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette

Feb. 27, 1964

Lower Granite lock and dam, to be constructed on the Snake River about three miles upstream from Almota, will be built principally from the south shore, or the Garfield County side, of the river, but will eventually have access roads from both shores.

Col.

J.H. Bedow, district engineer for the Corps of Engineers, announced the long-awaited decision in Walla Walla before an audience of Whitman County and Garfield county and port district officials and a delegation from Lewiston.

Local reaction was expected to be one of disappointment since many of the county’s civic leaders had hoped that the engineers would build the dam from the north shore and construct an access road out of the Snake River canyon to within a short distance to Colfax and Pullman.

The dam will eventually have access road facilities from both north and south shores, but Col.

Beddow’s statement indicated the principal access will be from the Pomeroy area to the south shore for construction purposes.

The Palouse Falcons squeaked by Rosalia 56-54 to win the Whitman County basketball tournament for the second consecutive time. Team members in the photo include Randy Dailey, Ted Proctor, Eric Redman, Tom Boone, Greg Willcox, Rod Tinnel, Bob Curtis, Jim McPherson, Clark Bippes and Cliff Imler. Managers Ron Gamet, Ted Proctor and J.C. Robbins along with Coach Bob Agnew were also pictured with the team.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette

March 2, 1989

St. John fair board and community club have launched a drive to raise money for a new building on the fairgrounds at St. John. Ground has been broken for the structure and work will get underway when the weather permits. Nick Henning, community club president, said the building is expected to cost $22,000. The actual structure will be done by a construction company and the concrete base will be done with local help. The 40x84 building for 3,360 square feet is planned. The aim is to have the building completed by fair time in April.

Subsiding water on Clay Street last week gave the opportunity to pull out a stalled car. One resident of the area fretted he had a roast in the oven and could not get back to his home while city crews tried to pump out the area. At the other end of the flooded area street, a sign at the water’s edge noted that fishing, boating and swimming was not allowed.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

Feb. 26, 2004

In the 50 years since its founding Whitman Hospital Auxiliary has donated more than $275,000 to the rural hospital in Colfax which began life in 1897 as St. Ignatius Hospital. The auxiliary now holds two fundraisers each year and operates a small gift shop but it began with a simple group of volunteer women pushing a juice cart through the halls of the local rest home. The rest home, now known as Paul’s Place, the ladies, dressed in their blue and white uniforms would visit with patients and their families.

Public works department staff met with residents of Palouse to discuss this summer’s Palouse Cove project. The major reconstruction of the four-mile Palouse Cove Road from the southern border of the town of Palouse to the Idaho state line is expected to break ground the first part of July, according to county engineer Mark Storey.

A hearing for the proposed Youth Ag Pavilion at the Palouse Empire Fair has been scheduled for March 19 before the Whitman County Board of Adjustment. The new ag building which has been the focus of fair fund raising for the past two years, will be used to house a new sales arena and other ag activities.