Good Old Days

Mid-century parade down Crosby Street in Tekoa, Washington. Both sides of the street are lined with automobiles and residents. Photo courtesy Whitman County Library historical archive.

125 years ago

The Commoner

July 17, 1891

The Bald Butte, which five years ago was supposed to be frosty and cold, has proved to be entirely free from summer frosts, which the following will show, says the Journal.

Ben.

Furnis, who lives on the north side of the butte, eight and one half miles northeast of Colton, has growing in his garden tobacco plants with leaves 16 inches in length by six inches wide.

He also has peanuts, tomatoes, melons and other tender vegetables.

In the fruit line he has peaches, plums, apricots, apples and pears.

The peach trees are three years old and are just bearing their first crop.

These trees have never been touched by frost or winter killed.

The fact that fruit thrives in that vicinity has encouraged a great many farmers to set out fruit trees.

***

The town council has before it two important ordinances which will be passed at their next meeting, says the Herald.

One is to prevent minors under the age of 16 from loafing in any place of business in town, and to prevent them from playing cards, billiards, dice or any other games; also prohibits the sale of pernicious literature to them.

The other one is to prevent children under the age of 12 years from being on the streets after 8 o'clock unless on an errand or accompanied by parents.

The first ordinance provides for the punishment of the business man who permits a violation of the ordinance.

The second provides for the punishment of the parent who permits his or her child to violate its provisions.

***

A site for the new high school building to be built in Colfax has been selected and accepted by the citizens, and everything is now in readiness to let the contract for construction of the handsome structure which is to grace the grounds.

The contract for the building will be let soon, the board is now waiting for the arrival of plans and specifications. It is expected to have the school in readiness for next winter's term.

***

The dingy, rickety old court house, in which the business of Whitman County was transacted for many years before the completion this spring of its handsome new building, has fallen a prey to the rustling spirit of enterprise and a pile of old timbers, brick and rubbish is all there is left of it. The building has been torn down and removed to give place to a new brick block, which when completed as designed will have a frontage on Main street of 50 feet and extending 90 feet in depth. It will be two stories high, making a magnificent and pretentious edifice and a valuable accession to the city in architectural beauty.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

July 21, 1916

The heavy rains and the cool weather this week has delayed the harvest season which will be at least two weeks later this year than it was last season. Well known ranchers state that the area of fall wheat is at least thirty per cent less this year than it was a year ago and there is not the same number of acres of spring grain that there were seeded by the farmers of this county last year. Oats which promise to be one of the bumper crops of the year will be a larger and better crop than the one which was raised last season.

***

Palouse was hit by burglars last Monday night and no less than eight business houses entered. It was evident that the robberies were after cash as nothing else of value was taken.

Two meat markets, a pharmacy and a harness shop were entered, also a furniture store, a grocery and the Wells Byron store besides a number of the Palouse pool balls. The loot ranged all the way from a few pennies to $10.

The burglars are supposed to be members of a gang who have visited many other Whitman County towns. Palouse has been visited by a number of strangers supposed to be attended there by the street improvement work and the harvest.

The sheriff's office is coming in for considerable criticism for failure and inability to break up a gang of burglars who have worked nearly every town in Whitman County during the last three months.

***

Lacrosse-Dusty road completed by the first day of June, 1917. This decision was reached by the county commissioners at the request of a number of the leading citizens of the western part of the county who objected to having the roads torn up during the wheat hauling season. This road would have been graded this summer and action was postponed at the request of a number of the citizens who made a special trip to this city to urge the commissioners to have this work done in the fall.

75 years ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner

July 18, 1941

Following a talk with City Attorney O. H. Horton, O. C. Glaser reported to the chamber of commerce Wednesday that it would be permissible for the city to underwrite the construction expense of a community building, provided council members could be convinced of the soundness of the undertaking, and of the support of the sponsoring body.

C. A. Erickson, head of the county welfare office, suggested that the city make application to the state WPA office for assistance in the construction, which he was sure would meet with approval because of the nature of the contemplated work. Chamber President John Ottmar was of the opinion that the building committee should contact the city council, in order that provision for the undertaking be included in the 1942 budget.

***

More than 4,000 yards of dirt must be removed by power shovel from the Main and Rock street site of the new Shell service station, according to E. R. McClenny, who has the contract for excavation of the property. Twenty loads of the soil has been taken jointly by the city and Dr. W. H. Cummings to cover a dump on the doctor's Morton Street property. Other fills are being made, including one directly across the street from the excavation on George L. Cornelius' property, where approximately 1,000 yards has been dumped. A large part of the remainder will be used by the Shell company to improve its plant grounds near First and Morton streets.

***

During the first six months of 1941 there were 173 births in Whitman County, 84 boys and 89 girls, according to statistical records in the office of Dr. E. E. Palmquist, county health officer. Of these, 43 boys and 58 girls were born in the Colfax community. Death took 106 persons, 65 males and 41 females, of whom 30 males and 19 females lived in or near Colfax.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette

July 21, 1966

Little more than a year ago, the residents of the City of Palouse faced the unhappy prospect of turning either to the family bathtub or the murky waters of the Palouse river if they wanted to take a swim … for the community swimming pool was on its last legs!

Palouse's civic leaders weren't about to lose the best recreational center the community had to offer its youth, so hastily-formed committees and city officials began investigating what nearby communities had done to solve the same problem.

In almost no time at all, Palouse had preliminary plans for a pool and the city council voted to hold a special election on a $65,000 bond issue. The bond issue passed with only a few dissenting votes, the bonds were sold and construction started early last fall on a new concrete 74x44 feet pool.

The new pool was located on higher ground than the old pool but only a short distance away and still inside the city park. The old pool, which had developed almost as many leaks as a sieve, was still used until the end of last summer, while the new pool was under construction.

***

Rosalia businessmen will voice strong protests against the proposed state highway bypass route on the hill east of Rosalia, at a hearing next Tuesday in the Rosalia high school, Mayor Joseph J. Freeze told the Gazette yesterday.

“We're not opposing the idea of a bypass, but we think it would be far more practical to build it in the flat alongside Pine creek so that motorists would see the town and could turn off without any difficulty,” the mayor explained.

The bypass route proposed by the State Highway Department would leave the present alignment near the junction of the present highway with the Oakesdale highway cross the Northern Pacific tracks via an overpass go beneath the Milwaukee railroad and travel along the crest of the hill east of Rosalia. The new alignment would proceed northerly, crossing the Great Northern tracks near the Spokane-Whitman County line and rejoining the present highway at about the line.

***

Purchase of about 800 acres of land on Smoot hill and Rose creek northeast of Albion is being probed by a Pullman group seeking to find a new recreation area.

Conferring with Port Manager E. N. Klemgard concerning the project were Dr. Hudson, Dr. McNeill, Stan Rheiner, Max Schneider, Del Rowland and Dr. Irv Buss.

The area which would be for use by WSU and high school students would supplement state park facilities on Kamiak Butte.

Einar H. Hendrickson, Olympia, administrator for the state interagency committee for outdoor recreation, has advised that funds they are now making available are chiefly for acquisition of recreation lands rather than development and construction. The Pullman group, according to Klemgard, also is looking into eligibility for funds under the green span-cropland adjustment program of the USDA.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette

July 18, 1991

The county commissioners approved the proposed tipping fee increases for the county landfill on Monday. The new rates are effective Aug. 15.

An exception was granted to the county's two commercial haulers, Pullman Disposal and Empire Disposal until Oct. 15.

The county's two licensed haulers must apply to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission for a rate increase to cover the increased tipping fees, the commissioners explained, a process which could take several weeks.

The commissioners described the delay for the haulers as a courtesy to good customers.

The $5 a ton increase will mean about 35 cents more per month on residential garbage bills, according to the haulers.

***

Whitman Hospital directors Tuesday night approved a $330,000 special levy request to be placed before voters in the primary election Sept. 17.

The levy request compares with a $300,000 measure which was approved by voters last year.

Hospital administrator Gordon McLean said the levy income, if approved, would continue to finance needed upgrading of the hospital and its equipment. Despite a move into the black this year for operations, the hospital lags far behind in capital spending.

“We just don't generate the funds we need for replacing and improving the hospital,” McLean explained.

Also, the hospital's operation faces “unknowns” in the next year's budget because of decisions pending in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, two sources of reimbursement income.

***

The Oakesdale-Farmington Fire District will continue to operate due to a Bank of Whitman loan, district commissioner Bert Lehn told the county commissioners last week.

The district has $75,000 to pay on a Seafirst loan due July 15, the county commissioners were told.

The district passed a $55,000 maintenance and operations levy in March but that money isn't available until 1992, explained county treasurer Mary Crawford.

Since the levy money wasn't available, the district asked Seafirst to extend the loan, Lehn said.

Seafirst had loaned the money to the Colfax Fire District but refused the Oakesdale-Farmington District because of cash flow problems, Lehn said.

***

Codger Pole artist Jonathan LaBenne figures he is “right on schedule” in carving faces of football players and coaches from the 1988 Codger pole game. LaBenne has been making progress at the rate of about one Codger per working day on the pole.

Also, the work on the Codger pole has been drawing increased attention from tourists. Some have come to Colfax especially to see the work on the pole.

LaBenne Tuesday had nine of the 51 Codgers carved. He expects the rate to improve as the work gets closer to the ground and eliminates the need for the 40 to 50 foot climb to the top.

The Codgers drew for the position on the poles and are now appearing as LaBenne works down the poles.

Crawford explained that the size of the Codger carvings will get smaller as LaBenne works toward the bottom. The idea is to have all the carvings in proportion for a viewer on the surface. The top Codgers are larger because they are farther away from a viewer than Codgers which will be lower on the poles.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

July 20, 2006

An Oregon contractor Monday filed a motion to halt the public auction of St. Ignatius Manor on the south hill of Colfax. The manor, formerly St. Ignatius Hospital, has stood vacant for over two years after being used for many years as a residence for the developmentally disabled.

Colfax attorney Gary Libey, as successor trustee, filed the notice of sale for Aug. 4 on the front steps of the courthouse.

The trustees sale is conducted for the purpose of recovering $360,228 for the Roy McDonald estate. The sum was borrowed by St. Ignatius Manor Inc., a former McDonald entity now headed by his son, Dennis McDonald.

Noah Jarrett, Portland attorney, this week filed a motion to restrain the trustee from conducting the Aug. 4 sale. He represents Simmco Construction Inc.

The sale notice for St. Ignatius includes property around the former hospital structure.

The notice published by the trustee last week included a segment which said anyone who had an objection to the sale would be afforded an opportunity to be heard if they brought a lawsuit in court.

***

The county's mid-year finance report looks good, according to county officials, but several budget items have yet to get on the books.

Sharron Cunningham, director of administrative services, reported the year-to-date net gain in the current expense balance was $206,000.

In comparison, last year's June report put the six-month net in the red about $6,700.

Still not reflected in the budget, however, are the software costs for the accounting system in the assessor's and treasurer's offices and on-going labor contract negotiations.

Big gains this year in revenue are from higher investment gains, new sales tax collections and increased service charges.

Treasurer Bob Lothspeich said he is investing in certificates of deposit at a rate of 5.5 percent.

Interest revenue is at $544,000, a little more than 60 percent projected at the halfway mark in the year.

“We're making good money off our money,” Lothspeich said.

The one-tenth of one percent sales tax for juvenile detention and adult jail facilities has generated more than $127,000 from January through April.

Commissioner Greg Partch during the monthly finance meeting said the county is having to plan on increasing retirement costs in the coming years.

“We still have some big challenges,” Partch said.

Partch also noted the $32,900 hike on the Superior Court's defense attorney contract will also impact the 2006 budget.