Good old days

125 years ago

The Commoner

Sept. 13, 1889

From the Uniontown Journal: Up to Wednesday morning 50 scholars had put in an appearance at the Sister's school in town. Considering this busy time with farmers where they depend more or less upon their help this is a good beginning.

Last Monday night the fire boys had the horses attached to the engine and gave them a little exercise by making a little run from the engine house to the bridge.

Lewis T. Price of Endicott has just received a patent from the U.S. land office on a sod-cutter. We will give a description of the machine in the near future.

The Thielsen House has changed its name to the Grand Central Hotel. A new register has been placed on the office desk and the patrons of the house will find the same accommodating clerks to wait on them.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

Sept. 11, 1914

The Colfax public schools opened Monday with a record opening enrollment, and so thoroughly was the work of the teachers organized in advance that already the work is progressing as smoothly as is usually the case much later in the term.

The Colfax Boosters will today take up an active campaign to advertise the Whitman County fair, and Garfield will be the scene of their first operations. According to the plans formulated, the club will go to Garfield this morning in automobiles, escorted by the Colfax band, and supplied with an abundance of advertising matter.

75 years ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner

Sept. 8, 1939

Gaily decorated for the occasion for the past week Colfax is ready to stage her annual roundup this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This vanguard of her guests has been arriving daily, easily identified as cow wranglers, calf ropers and wild bronc riders, fresh from the theaters of other rodeo wars, willing to test their skill against what is declared to be the toughest and meanest strings of stock ever to be released from local chutes.

The livestock judging team of Colfax Future Farmers of America placed second at the Southeastern Washington fair at Walla Walla.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette

Sept. 10, 1964

Garfield Union Warehouse Co.'s grain storage facilities at Garfield, partially destroyed by one of the most disastrous grain elevator fires in Whitman County in recent years, will undoubtedly be rebuilt, Manager J. Palmer Trimble told the Gazette Wednesday morning. Flames leaped high in overcast, leaden Labor Day skies and tons of grain from burning bins cascaded onto railroad tracks and surrounding area as fire destroyed two metal sheathed wooden crib elevators belonging to Garfield Union Warehouse Co.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette

Sept. 14, 1989

More than 6,500 people walked through the gates of the Palouse Empire Fair this year, according to Debbie Wells, fair manager. The total attendance ended up at near 25,000 people, while last year's fair drew 18,500 spectators and participants. Carmen Fleming of LaCrosse was named Miss Palouse Empire Fair.

Work is advancing on a project to restore the iron fence which once surrounded the historic Perkins House in Colfax. The project, estimated to cost more than $18,738, involved fabrication of 202 feet of fence, repairing the stone wall in which the fence will be set and replacing six large concrete pillars that support the fence.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

Sept. 9, 2004

Farmers returned to the fields last week after a series of rains in late August delayed harvest but untimely weather again is affecting crop quality and yields. After a promising growing season for the Palouse, in early August some lentil farmers saw half of their swathed crops blow away in high winds while some fields were damaged by marble-sized hail. Grain growers welcomed the rain in the spring but damp and wet weather at harvest time can turn some potentially high-quality, high-dollar wheat into cheap feed.