Good old days

125 years ago

The Commoner

July 26, 1889

Misses May Ford, Maggie Inman and Anna Felch and J.E. Ballaine, E.M. Warner and H.J. Felch, composed a party who left the city Monday morning for a visit to Steptoe’s lofty summit. On the way, the party met the genial “Cashup” on his way to town and deferred the trip changing the program so as to include Garfield in their rounds, where they took dinner, returning home in the evening as well pleased as if they had inhaled the rarified air of the towering mountain.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

July 24, 1914

A yield of 40 bushels an acre from 50 acres of hybrid wheat is reported by Roy Moore living near Winona. The yield is unusually good but farmers in that portion of the county are all expecting equal to those of last year when a record crop was harvested. Harvest operation started in the vicinity of Winona last week and are progressing rapidly.

75 years ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner

July 21, 1939

Lloyd (Dutch) Gordon, about 45, was arrested in Pullman Monday by Sheriff Carson Walker and Deputy Ora Rees on a charge of grand larceny. Since the complaint was filed in the Justice court of S.M. McCroskey last May 18, Gordon has been herding sheep in southern Idaho. Gordon is accused by H.A. Weaver, farmer on the Almota Road, of selling his saddle horse for $80 after borrowing the animal and keeping the money.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette

July 23, 1964

In a photo, Dick and Bill Freeman, sons of Dr. and Mrs. William N. Freeman of Colfax, pose with an iguana which they brought back from Mexico during their recent trip. All efforts to make the iguana open his cavernous pink mouth were fruitless until the Freeman family cat entered the act. The lizard was taken to the WSU veterinary school so he could get proper food and housing in this northern clime.

A project that most youthful fishermen and their parents have been waiting for will get underway this summer. Cannon Pond, located just west of Colfax on the Walla Walla Highway, will be cleared out and put into condition as a fishing pond for youngsters by next summer.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette

July 27, 1989

Two new signs went up at the Central Ferry Bridge this week making the official name “Elmer Huntley - Central Ferry Bridge.” Opponents of the name change say they are still not happy with the names combined and want the bridge called Central Ferry Bridge, which is the structure’s common name.

The bridge name has generated controversy since a resolution was passed to name the bridge after Elmer Huntley by both the House of Representatives and the Senate last year.

Huntley served in the state legislature for 14 years.

“I want it called Central Ferry Bridge,” said Eva Burgess, who moved to the LaCrosse area in 1908 as a little girl.

“That’s what it is and I just couldn’t call it anything else.”

The new agriculture teacher at Colfax High School is Brad Watkins, a Palouse native and Washington State University graduate.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

July 22, 2004

A volunteer crew worked Friday and Saturday to move a statue from St. Ignatius Manor to Whitman Hospital. The statue was originally a gift in 1917 to St. Ignatius from workers who were involved in construction of an addition to the hospital. The statue remained on its mount in front of St. Ignatius after the new hospital was built on its present site in 1968. The statue was donated to the hospital by the Roy McDonald family in the interest of preserving the history of the hospital.

The Conservation Reserve Program has always been a controversial subject and has had its share of supporters and opponents. A tour of Palouse CRP land may have just added more fuel to the fire. Nearly 40 people from across the state took a tour of CRP land on the west side of the county and discussed the difficulties and successes.