Good Old Days

125 Years Ago

The Commoner

May 23, 1890

Notwithstanding the fact of the heavy fence placed around the county jail, another attempt at escape from prison was made. In some mysterious manner the prisoners secured an instrument to aid in their escape. As Deputy Sheriff Littlefield was serving the prisoners meals at 1 P.M. yesterday he noticed peculiar streaks below the grate windows. Examination proved these to be wax streaks to hide saw marks made in the wooden walls of Lincoln jail. The prisoners are now in irons.

100 Years Ago

The Colfax Commoner

May 21, 1915

The Pullman All Stars, composed of college players, were unable to make the game interesting for the Colfax aggregation, and were defeated on the Colfax grounds Sunday afternoon by the score of nine to three. The college stars earned one run, and were generously allowed the other two as encouragement. The home team scored five runs in the fourth inning by bunching hits on the Pullman pitcher, aided by an error or so.

While the score tells that there was a big difference in the teams, the game was not uninteresting, and the visitors have some good talent. A sensational double play Bernard to Jackson retired the locals in the eighth inning.

The crowd was small. The Colfax boys are playing a good game and are deserving of better support.

75 Years Ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner

May 24, 1940

Colfax consolidated school district added approximately 27 sections of land to its territory Saturday when the Genero and Penawawa districts authorized merges. In the Genero district the vote was favorable 12 to 1; in Penawawa 23 to 21, and in Colfax, 14 to 3.

Since the late winter of 1938, there have been 18 districts to merge with Colfax, raising the assessed valuation of Colfax from $1,476,148 to an estimated $4,142,276, including two sections of land transferred from Skeens and six acres from Hubbard. Fifteen district mergers were authorized at elections and three districts were dissolved

Green Hollow, February 8, 1938, was the first to merge: then came Hullin, Clear Creek, Scholz and Golding, March 8, 1938; followed by Glenwood and Chesnut, April 26, 1938; Diamond and the north part of Union Center, July 9, 1938; Hubbard-McNeilly, August 16, 1938; Wilcox and Templeton, April 24, 1939. Disorganized in July, 1938, were the Manchester, O'Dell and Lynch districts.

50 Years Ago

Colfax Gazette

May 20, 1965

Someone stole the merry-go-round from the Riparia schoolhouse, and an enraged citizenry at Hay hopes to do something about it!

The Hay school district, which owned the playground equipment following merger of the Riparia and Hay districts, had planned to move the merry-go-round to LaCrosse town park this year.

Residents of the Hay district this week posted a $50 reward for the apprehension and conviction of the person or persons who took the merry-go-round. Anyone with information is asked to contact Principal Maynard McCullough of the Hay grade school.

25 Years Ago

Colfax Gazette

May 24, 1990

Work on the first section of Dry Creek Road will begin in June, now that rights of way and preliminary survey work are finishing up, according to Public Works director Lon Pedersen.

The contractor would start almost immediately after the big award, which should be in June, Pedersen explained. Work should be finished by some time in September.

The first phase could cost $250,000 to $300,000 per mile for the three miles, with the entire project costing as much as $2.5 million.

The work will start at the west end of the 11-mile route where it intersects with Highway 195.

Funded by state and federal programs, the job will cost the county about two percent of the total.

The road became eligible for federal funding after it was reclassified from a "minor collector" to a "major collector."

That action was a result of a January meeting in Garfield where residents asked the county to fix the road, regarded by many residents as the worst in the county.

The first part of a study commissioned by the Port of Whitman to determine which county roads receive heavy use is due soon, according to port manager Jack Thompson.

Based on that report, maintenance could be emphasized more on those roads with heavy traffic, especially truck traffic, to make better use made of limited road maintenance funds.

10 Years Ago

Whitman County Gazette

May 26, 2005

The benefit for long-time 4H leader and fair superintendent Jane Lyman last weekend brought in more than $22,000, and organizers are still counting, according to Jill Pierson.

A dinner and auction Sunday night brought in close to 300 people for spaghetti and to bid on more than 125 items donated from around the community.

Lyman, who has cancer, was allowed release from St. Joseph Regional Hospital in Lewiston to attend the event.