Good Old Days: Dec. 14, 2017

125 years ago

The Commoner

December 16, 1892

The North End district of the city of Colfax will boast of a schoolhouse of adequate size and elegant appearance before the coming of another December. An election was held at the Main street schoolhouse Friday, and the question at issue was the purchase of lots 7 and 8 block, block 9, Perkins and Prescott's addition, known as the Shannon property, for the sum of $1,400.

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The Empire Opal, Onyx Mining and Milling Company Monday filed articles of incorporation with County Auditor Browder. The object of the company is, as the name implies, to engage in mining opals, onyx and other precious stones in this and other states. The working of the opal mines near Moscow and prospects of opal mines in Whitman and adjoining counties, have given impetus to the formation of such a company. Some excellent specimens of opal have been found in the northwestern part of Colfax on the Hollingsworth estate.

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The next attraction at the Colfax opera house will be Sutton's great double Uncle Tom's Cabin Company, which will appear here Dec, 21.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

December 14, 1917

City superintendent Matoon and deputy county superintendent Ellis were present at the meeting of the commercial club Wednesday to discuss the proposition of dismissing the high school and grade school boys from school work next spring in order that they might aid their parents with spring farm work.

It was brought out at the meeting that many of the farmers expect to face a shortage of farm labor in the spring and many of theses men were anxious to have the state superintendent issue an order releasing the older boys from school work in order that they might aid in putting in the crop.

Superintendent Matoon said that the school year might be shortened by two methods.

One method would be shortening the Christmas vacation to one week, and the other method would be to permit the teachers to teach every Saturday after the holidays.

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The members of the K of P lodge of Pullman have secured thirty pounds of choice tobacco in an unique entertainment which was given by members of the lodge when a pound of tobacco was the only fee that would gain admission to a dance which was given by the members of the lodge. More than 60 couples attended the social entertainment. The tobacco will be sent to the boys who have enlisted from this county and those who are members of the lodge.

75 years ago

The Colfax Gazette-Commoner

December 11, 1942

Friends and neighbors are planning a building bee Saturday and Sunday on behalf of the Hod Kincaid family, whose modern eight-room home on the Freshlaid farm two-and-a-half miles east of Colfax was totally destroyed by fire early Saturday morning.

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The lobby of the Old National bank continues at times to resemble the floor of a stock exchange as farmers bustle about to get their B and C supplementary gas rationing book or to complain that their O.D.T. certificates have not provided them with enough gasoline to carry on normal operations. They contend, too, that 90 percent of the certificates were incorrectly printed in Detroit. The general complaint is that harvest gasoline has been allotted in the first quarter of the year when it is not needed in the amount allowed, while the third, or harvest quarter, ration is insufficient.

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Colfax school children received an impromptu vacation Thursday and Friday when snow-blocked roads made bus transportation impossible. The announcement followed a meeting of the school board Wednesday afternoon. Snowplows have not cleared Star and Onecho roads, Supt. R. N. Peterson explained, and buses have stalled, arriving at the schools three and four hours late. Snow has drifted at some points, closing the passage.

50 years ago

The Colfax Gazette

December 14, 1967

The future of Penawawa as a grain terminal site remains undecided following discussion at the port commission meeting last Thursday on whether or not the agency should sign an “assurance” for the corps of engineers that a 2.5 million bushel terminal would be built.

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To accommodate Christmas customers, the Colfax post office will be open all day Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Postmaster Kenneth McNeilly announced this week. The “Christmas rush” began making itself felt at the local office Monday, when employees handled the largest volume of outgoing mail since last Christmas, and sold nearly $1,200 worth of stamps.

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A bulk delivery truck loaded with fuel oil and a sedan were demolished at about 3 p.m.

Wednesday when the truck apparently lost its brakes while parked in front of the Grover McDougall residence at the upper end of Meadow street.

Driver Carl Ousley was placing a hose outlet of a tank on McDougall's property when the truck started down the hill and he was unable to catch it.

The truck zig-zagged across the street, straightening out every time the wheels hit a curb, zoomed across Fairview street and struck the parked sedan owned by Brian McTigue, city policeman, about 100 feet north of the Fairview-Meadow intersection.

The truck drove the sedan across the street into an evergreen tree in the yard of the “Chic” Johnson home, wrecking both vehicles.

25 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

December 17, 1992

Bids for demolishing the 80-year-old IOOF Lodge in Colfax are now underway after the top of the building was destroyed by a spectacular fire last Thursday morning. The building, which had an uncertain future after it was purchased last month by the Bank of Whitman, has now been condemned and will be removed, according to Jim Tribett, president of the bank. The fire displaced tenants who were already in the process of relocating.

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A fire Friday night destroyed a small barn at the Celeste Mills residence at LaCrosse Friday night. About 15 volunteer firefighters turned out to battle the blaze. Some members of the fire department were attending the basketball game at the high school gym which is located in the same corner of town as the Mills place. “It was totally engulfed in flames when we got there,” said Fire Chief Bonnie Bigsby. The barn contained some hay which was consumed by the fire. Bigsby said cause of the fire is unknown. The blaze was not a threat to other structures.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

December 13, 2007

Soft white wheat was quoted at another record high in Colfax this week, topping $12 for the first time ever. Between buyers stocking up in the face of a worldwide shortage, farmers holding tight waiting for prices to climb even higher and southern hemisphere countries assessing the quality and quantity of their crop before selling, prices look to continue their skyward trend.

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A 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue owned by Andy Burgard was destroyed by fire Dec. 4. Burgard, Colfax building inspector, said he drove the car to his house on Orchard Street on the West Hill and discovered 10 minutes later when he went back outside a fire was burning in the engine compartment. Colfax fire volunteers were called at 12:29 and doused the fire after they were able to open the hood of the engine compartment. The fire spread from the engine compartment to the front dashboard and passenger part of the car.

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A 1997 Chevrolet Blazer was destroyed by fire after it rolled off the Airport Road Sunday afternoon. The driver and passenger were able to climb out of the Blazer after it came to a halt. The fire started in the engine compartment and spread to the rest of the vehicle.