Good old days

125 years ago

The Commoner

May 10, 1889

Improvements which add greatly to the convenience and appearance of the auditor’s office were made this week. More book room has been secured enabling the force to get along without having books of records scattered promiscuously about.

Miss Berry of Walla Walla, who has been visiting relatives here, was received on last Monday evening at the home of Mr. and Mrs. L.P. Berry of this city, quite a number of young people, as on Tuesday she was to depart for her home. As expressed by many, the party for sociability and a pleasant time has not been surpassed by any of the many socials given of late.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

May 8, 1914

What the Elberton picnic is to the upper country the Hay picnic is to the people of western Whitman. Bankers and professional men have charge of the Elberton picnic, while farmers manage the Hay picnic. The picnic grounds lie in the center of the big cherry orchard on the Phil Cox ranch. Last year more than 300 people were on the grounds.

A strong petition, or remonstrance, protesting against the proposal to vacate the townsite of Almota, on the Snake River, was received by the county commissioners this week. The matter was taken under advisement and a hearing will be held, when the advocates and opponents of vacating the ancient townsite will be given an opportunity to be heard.

Robert McNeely and Nate Hunt each shipped a car load of fat hogs to Spokane this week. The price paid was eight cents a pound, which means big profits to the farmers who sold the hogs.

75 years ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner

May 12, 1939

Tulips in various shapes and colors predominated at the annual flower show sponsored by the Athenaeum Club and the Chamber of Commerce at the high school auditorium and it was the beautiful bouquets of tulips which won for Mrs. Elva Hindman Lynch the sweepstakes award of a porchbox and flowers.

Colfax women will be treated to all the new quirks in electrical cookery at the free cooking school being given by the Washington Water Power Company at the Roxy theater next Thursday afternoon.

Miss Lucille Mills, home service agent, will be in charge, assisted by Miss Jessie Stewart, senior student in home economics at the state college.

The demonstration of the 1939 equipment, ranges, refrigerators and roasters, will begin at 2 o’clock.

Electrical dealers in town will display their merchandise.

Miss Mills will prepare an oven dinner, a thrift-cooker meal, will bake two pies in the roaster and a three-layer cake in the range, do some surface cookery and make ice cream in the refrigerator.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette

May 7, 1964

St. Ignatius Hospital, operated in Colfax for more than 71 years by the Sisters of Charity of Providence, will close its doors forever at the end of this year and the Sisters will withdraw from the Colfax area unless a substantial sum has been raised by that time to finance construction of a new hospital.

The announcement was made this week by Mother Charlotte Marie, provincial superior, in a letter to Wesley A. Nuxoll, Colfax attorney and member of the hospital advisory board, following a conference with officials of the local hospital and some members of the advisory board.

The Sisters announced at the same time that negotiations were nearing completion for sale of the St. Ignatius building.

The Gazette learned this week that Palouse Nursing Home, Inc., will acquire the structure, but two of the major stockholders, E.A. Hochsprung and Roy McDonald, declined to indicate this week what they proposed to make of the building.

A crew of 30 began work last week laying track for the Union Pacific shoofly and will complete the job about the middle of this month. The track laying gang is made up of 30 Navajo Indians from the New Mexico area. They came in with a train of about 20 cars and are staying at Diamond. The Navajos have been working on river relocation projects.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette

May 11, 1989

Bev Fox of Garfield has been awarded the Christa McAuliffe Award for exceptional leadership, contribution and commitment to education. Fox was one of 24 educators from around the state who received the award at a ceremony in Olympia last week. She was nominated by Bob Richard, principal of Garfield-Palouse Middle School where Fox teaches language arts.

Gen. Gov. Isaac Stevens offered up this centennial pose in a photo this week when he surveyed Main Street in Colfax. Stevens will be featured at the school as part of the Endicott fest. He has been a guest this week at the old farm home in the Dusty area.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

May 6, 2004

A dozen adults were in the woods in Elberton this week, pushing each other around, walking blind down the hillside and balancing on logs. The group was actually made up of facilitators in training for the new season at the Challenge Course in Elberton County Park. The team, now in its 12th season, is getting ready for high school students from Plummer to take the challenge this week. The challenge course, operated by mental heath professionals from Palouse River Counseling in Pullman, is an outdoor activities course that is open to any group wanting to address the group’s goals, values or interpersonal skills.

Don Schmick of Colfax was honored as the Community Leader of the Year for Colfax by the Northeast Washington Association of School Administrators April 15 in Spokane. Schmick was nominated by the Colfax School District for the award for his many years of community service.