Good old days

125 years ago

The Commoner

Jan. 24, 1890

If a starch factory were to be established in Colfax, and there is no better opening in the upper country, the farmers of the Palouse country would be asked, each year, to supply it with at least 30,000 bushels of potatoes, which, at one cent per pound, would aggregate $18,000. Somebody help us start the ball rolling.

Ever since man had whiskers the wind has blown through them and all around them, and over his chin and nose and eyebrows as well, but if a joker wants to convulse his hearers he has but to observe: "And the wind blew through his whiskers." What is fun anyway?

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

Jan. 22, 1915

The St. John's Academy in Colfax will be completed soon and will be ready for use at the beginning of the next school year.

The building is 100x85 feet and will cost $35,000.

It is finished on the outside in red pressed brick and has cement panels in the basement.

The basement contains the playrooms, private and general dining rooms, serving rooms, kitchen, cellars, store room, laundry, boiler and general service room.

On the first floor are four class rooms, two for study, chapel, reception, music, community rooms and the reception hall.

On the second floor are the dormitories, ward rooms and isolated ward.

The school will be conducted by the Franciscan Sisters of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, a boarding and day school for both boys and girls, will be maintained.

In the beginning only grade work will be attempted.

75 years ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner

Jan. 26, 1940

No plans to close Colfax schools because of the flu and cold epidemic which has permeated Hamilton school especially are contemplated, Supt. L.R. Steig said, by either the health department or school board. The Hamilton absentee list reached 78 Thursday morning, the peak of the week. Martha Washington reported only 24 absent Thursday, and many youngsters with slight colds were kept at home to prevent further developments.

Selected for membership in the all-school concert band at the State college recently were Nat Endsley and Rome Endsley, twin sons of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Endsley. Nat plays in the clarinet section while Rome in the cornet-trumpet section. The band appeared in its first concert Sunday afternoon.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette

Jan. 21, 1965

Tickets are now on sale for the Colfax Community Players' forthcoming production "All Because of Agatha," Producer Harold Huber announced. Proceeds from the three-act comedy will go to the hospital fund.

The Whitman County Hospital fund is $50 richer this week, thanks to a donation from a San Francisco resident who still calls Endicott "home" although he has lived 30 years in California. The donor is a regular reader of the Gazette and learned of the drive through the newspaper.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette

Jan. 25, 1990

Damages to public facilities in the county from the Jan. 8 wind storm have been estimated by state and federal inspectors at $138,100, the bulk to WSU, according to Emergency Services coordinator Rita Konzal.

Governor Booth Gardner declared 13 counties to be disaster areas on Jan. 12.

Damage was reported at the Whitman County parks, the towns of Albion, Uniontown and Rosalia, Pullman parks and public works and WSU. Bob Reynolds, operations coordinator for the Palouse Empire Fair, said the roof on the heavily used Community Building at the fairgrounds required emergency repairs after shingles were blown off.

A wooden fence, rain gutter, two big doors on the arena barn, some ventilators and a lot of roofs were damaged by the storm, Reynolds said.

Dale Forrey of Colfax, a veteran of at least two CHS musicals during his student days here, has been hired by the school district to direct this year's musical. Forrey and Marla Aeschliman, music faculty member who will direct the music for the show, have selected "Brigadoon" for the production which is scheduled to hit the CHS stage in April.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

Jan. 27, 2005

Colfax High School senior Stephanie Eng topped a field of 32 entrants in the 47th Washington Junior Miss competition Saturday night at Pullman. The daughter of Terry and Joanne Eng of Colfax, Stephanie will compete in the national Junior Miss competition in Mobile, Ala., next June. Stephanie received a $4,000 scholarship. She also won a $200 interview award.