Good Old Days

125 years ago

The Commoner

July 25, 1890

T.J. Smith, of the agricultural college commission, was in the city this week, having returned from the session of the commission held at Yakima Monday last. He was interviewed by a Commoner reporter and kindly volunteered to make some interesting statements on the subject of the college. "At Spokane," Mr. Smith said, "we spent some days and were shown some good sites, the best being on Five Mile prairie, north of the city. Sprague was next visited, and a beautiful site offered there. Then the commission went to Yakima, and settled down to try and decide the question. We went over all our work with this in view."

"How many sites had been offered all told?" was asked.

"We had been offered seven, by Walla Walla, Dayton, Colfax, Pullman, Spokane, Sprague and Yakima, respectively, and every one was a good one."

"I believe the Colfax site is as good if not better than any of them. Besides, I consider Whitman County has the first claim on the location of this school."

"It will not be by your vote, then that the school goes to any other point?"

"Assuredly not. And that is what I would like you to say. While I think other places have offered good sites for the school, I believe it should come here to this county. Pullman made a good offer; but my choice is Colfax. I could not give my consent to any other county. Colfax is my first choice, and I have no second."

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

July 30, 1915

The petition of residents of Colfax, Mockonema and Green Hollow school districts for a new district was denied Tuesday afternoon by Miss Daisy Busbey, county school superintendent on the grounds that the number of children of school age in the proposed district was too small. Miss Busbey found that most of those children had comparatively easy access to the schools in the three organized districts.

The petition was presented by Edward Sommers. It was heard of July 15 and taken under advisement until Tuesday.

75 years ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner

July 26, 1940

Expenses for operating Colfax consolidated school district, No. 261, for the year 1940-41, beginning July 1, have been increased $3,027, it is shown in the final budget which Wednesday was approved by the county reviewing committee.

The amount to be raised for warrant issue is $96,590 as compared to $93,518 for the year 1939-40.

The item for teachers' salaries is trimmed from $61,591 to $55,725, largely due to a 12-month basis this year, whereas under what was then a new state ruling, the 1939-40 budget was required to raise instructors' salaries to cover 14 months.

Under transportation of pupils, which is increased from $15,227 to $20,985, there is an item of $6700 which pays $1684 on a new $3284 40-passenger bus which was purchased about a month ago for use through the Glenwood-Palouse territory and discharges all indebtedness on old bus equipment.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette

July 29, 1965

Clerk Edith Waldher of the selective service office in Pullman said her office cannot be sure how President Johnson's plan to double the draft in face of the Viet Nam crisis will increase the draft call in Whitman County.

Mrs. Waldher said her office works on a supply and demand basis. The draft calls go from the national offices to the state office. The state then divides the required load among the various board offices around the state according to the men available at each location.

Calls from the Pullman board office, which covers Whitman, Garfield and Asotin counties totaled three in March, two in April, two in May, ten in June, one in July and one in August. The calls are made a month in advance.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette

July 26, 1990

The effort to develop the county airport at Colfax is underway, said Malcolm McIver, aeronatics program manager for the state Department of Transportation.

The state's engineering consultants will begin gathering information on the facility's needs and the community's desire, he said. The process should take about eight months.

The county commissioners gave their blessing on the project, which is designed to encourage business growth by improving and enhancing the airport and its facilities.

The first part would add 1000-1500 feet to the 2300 foot runway, which is needed so areas around the fairgrounds and McGregor's plant can be developed, according to Don Schmick from the Colfax Chamber of Commerce.

The second part would develop improved services such as an agriculture aviation center, a specialized medical airlift facility, or a business corporate transportation hub, McIver said at an April meeting on the proposal.

Potential funding from federal and state sources could pay for as much as 95 percent of the project's cost, McIver said.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

July 28, 2005

A proposal which could make two streets along Schmuck Park official roadways was approved by the city council July 18 night. At present, Sixth Street, which connects Morton with the bus garage area, has been vacated for over 50 years, and the road along the railroad on the east side of the park is actually part of railroad property.

Status of the streets landed on the city's agenda because the McDonald family is attempting to sell the house at the former dairy ranch on the south side of the river upstream from McDonald Park. Access to the house used to be via a bridge across the North Fork of the Palouse River. The bridge was washed out and residents of the house now drive along Schmuck Park and then along the former UP railroad bed.