Good Old Days June 23

The Malden Roundhouse rotates a locomotive with coal hopper into position for its next operation. Image donated by Corrine Lowe to the Whitman County Rural Library photo archive.

125 years ago

The Commoner

June 19, 1891

Work on Garfield's new mill began Wednesday with a force of five men, and the saws have been kept busy ever since, says the Enterprise. The Union Pacific has been here and staked out the ground and also an extension of the side track to connect with the mill. Bids for the grading for the side track were opened yesterday evening. There were quite a number of bidders, Mr. C. A. Boyd having the lowest one, 15 cents a yard, so he got the contract. The mill will be completed and ready to grind before the first load of new wheat arrives.

***

St. John is improving steadily, and in a short time will have all the conveniences of a city, says the Header. Next month, Mr. Clow informs us, our post-office will be made a money order office.

***

On Sunday night last the Chinese quarters at Tekoa was raided. On Monday morning several Chinamen were missing and others claimed to have been robbed. The feeling against the celestials seem to be very strong in Tekoa. It is said the few remaining members are frightened nearly to death, and are preparing to take speedy leave of the place.

100 Years Ago

The Commoner

June 23, 1916

Colfax Meat Market's auto delivery wagon ran away with its self last Saturday and plunged into the old Boyd house and damaged the side of the building. The auto was badly damaged, the steering head, radiator and front wheel were smashed. The car was left for a moment by the driver while he was delivering a package, the engine was running and for some cause unknown, the car was released with unfortunate results.

***

Sheriff Wm.

Cole was notified by phone early Tuesday morning that safe blowers had wrecked a safe in the depot of the Northern Pacific at that place.

Investigation disclosed that the safe crackers had first broken into the section house and secured the necessary tools.

Then they gained entrance to the depot by breaking out a window pane.

They carried many grain sacks into the depot which they wrapped around the safe before setting off the charge of explosives.

They succeeded in only getting the door of the safe partly blown off when it is presumed they were frightened away.

The safe contained a little more than $100 in currency, which they did not get.

The only booty secured was about fifty cents in small change that was taken from the cash drawer.

***

P.S. Stanley, of Tekoa, has been awarded a ten-year lease for a post office at that place. Mr. Stanley will begin work at once on a new brick building to be completed the first of October.

***

Two gypsy women who have been camped near this city for the last two weeks were rounded up Wednesday and were fined 10 dollars each for vagrancy and petit larceny. The fines and costs amounted to about 16 dollars each which were paid by the defendants who refused to give their last names.

75 Years Ago

The Commoner

June 20, 1941

An 14-acre tract in Elberton, held in escrow by the county the past seven years for Mr. and Mrs. William Curry to provide security for them during their last years, was sold at sheriff's auction Saturday.

The purchaser was John Baskett of Elberton, who held a lease on the property expiring in October, 1942.

he paid $325, the minimum price established by the county.

Mr Curry, a one-time deputy sheriff of Whitman County, died several years ago, and his wife, Sophia, about a year ago.

Under the agreement with the county they were to receive $15 monthly, although this sum was later raised to $25, and upon their death the property reverted to the county.

The county commissioners ordered the sale May 5, the sheriff's office received the bid and the treasurer's office completed the deed Monday.

***

Little chance there is that request for installation of parking meters on Main street will be made of the city council as the result of farmer sentiment expressed in recent grange meetings.

Reporting at a meeting of the Colfax Traffic Safety Council Monday evening were Ralph Morton, representing North and South Palouse grange, and Henry Niehenke, spokesman for Rebel Flat grange, who said that their organizations opposed the installation of meters.

While the question was to have been brought to the attention of Wilcox, Parvin and Steptoe granges, the two which have already expressed themselves believed to represent a cross-section of farmer opinion in the Colfax trade area.

The safety council is scheduled to hold its regular monthly meeting next Monday evening at the city hall when traffic problems will be discussed from new angles, according to Howard Chase, chairman.

50 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

June 23, 1966

While the Colfax swimming pool struggles to hold water, community rumblings of action for a new pool next year began to be heard in the community this week. Spearheading the new-pool probe will be survey of Colfax area residents on their swim pool desires by the Colfax Jaycees.

The committee will urge placement of a swim pool proposal on the ballot for next November at the July 13 meeting of the Colfax school board. Results of the survey will probably not be tabulated until after the original proposal goes before the board in July . The Jaycees will withdraw their proposal if lack of interest is shown in the survey or negative returns are received. The Chamber of Commerce will support any work towards a new swimming pool and will back the Jaycee action.

Superintendent Milford Crowley, seeking information on federal funds for a swimming pool, sent a letter of inquiry June 15 to Paul Benson, head of department of conservation and economic development in Olympia. Crowley received a return letter June 17 reporting his inquiry had been referred to Einar Hendrickson, administrator of the Governor's Inter-agency Committee on Outdoor Recreation. Crowley stressed his action was taken simply to get information in the event the school board begins to consider any swim proposal.

According to E. Neal Klemgard, who urged Crowley to make the inquiry, as much as two-thirds federal backing could be had for a new project under the “701” plan which has allotted $40 million to Washington state.

Final approval of the County's Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, prepared by Klemgard, opens the door for federal funds for such projects. Funding could amount to 50 or 20 percent on the Colfax pool depending on established need before the Governor's Inter-agency Committee on Outdoor Recreation, Klemgard said.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette

June 20, 1991

Colfax city council members Monday night were asked to use more city funds to help subsidize the Codger Pole project.

The request by Dick Miller was put on hold until the city could locate a source of funds in the budget and arrange an agreement under which payments could be made in exchange for “something.”

City Attorney Gary Libey said the city cannot legally advance funds without receiving something in return. The Codger Pole at present is a private endeavor paid for by Colfax and St. John football graduates who played in the 1988 Codger Bowl.

The city has already donated $500 to the Codger Pole operation and vacated the unused street for the pole site. Dick Miller, former Chamber of Commerce president, asked the city to contribute a total of $1, 800 to be distributed in weekly payments to provide income for carver Jonathan A. LaBenne. Miller reported LaBenne's arrangement with the Codgers calls for the players' fund to underwrite LaBenne's expenses in California during the four months LaBenne and his family are here for the carving. Local donations and sale of carvings here are intended to provide cash income for the family while they are here.

“I just really wanted to do it,” LaBenne commented on his decision to come north and work on the Codger project. He said he and John Crawford, head of the Codgers, reached an agreement under which the Codgers' $10,000 payment would go for monthly expenses on his place at Idyllwild in the San Jacinto Mountains. The Codgers have also provided LaBenne with housing for his wife and four children and with fuel for transportation.

Miller has also provided LaBenne and his family with unlimited dining at his Allen's Restaurant on North Main.

LaBenne said when he started carving the pole at Idyllwild he netted $1,500 in contributions in a little more than a week. At Colfax, his first week of contributions was $25.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

June 23, 2006

Sketches for a possible improvement of a downtown Colfax city lot, once the site of the Binnard Building, were presented at Monday night's city council session.

The lot, which is leased to US Bank has been used for several years as an informal parking space and site of civic observations.

Mayor Norma Becker at the previous council session reported the city has approached US Bank with proposals for upgrading the lot. The mayor noted in the past she has attempted to negotiate a purchase of the lot by the city without success. Plans for improving the lot have evolved from the monthly Visions meetings which have looked at ways to upgrade downtown Colfax. The lot for the last two years has also been used as an Open Air Market for vendors on Fridays and Saturdays.

Kim DeHart and Debbi Anderson Monday presented sketches of proposed improvements to the lot at the Monday session. Among plans would be a sign framed in brick and a “three-season” flower garden.

Blocks from the demolished Binnard Building have been stored on a back corner of the lot. Bank officials at the time considered an upgrade for the property which would have incorporated the blocks. Anderson told the council the “Entrance” block from the Binnard could easily be incorporated into the upgrade for the project. The duo also requested the city to use some sort of lift rig to “get out” the Binnard blocks so they could take a look at them and consider how they might be used.

DeHart said paving the block has been estimated to cost in the $10,000 range. The Visions committee at present doesn't have that kind of money, but she added the group has started an effort to obtain 501-C3 IRS status which is expected to help it acquire funds.