Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
125 years ago
The Commoner
Nov. 30, 1894
The concert at the courthouse Wednesday evening for the benefit of the Colfax band was not as largely attended as was expected or as the occasion deserved. Nearly two hundred people enjoyed a program of fine musical selections rendered in artistic style. The Colfax band is a credit to the city, and should receive proper support. The cornet solo by Prof. Read was the feature of the evening, while the baritone solo by Dr. J. C. Berry, and the vocal solo by Roy Inman were meritorious and well enjoyed.
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With the first term is passed the first important milestone of the year. Teachers and pupils have wrought faithfully, as footings of the examinations show, and all enter upon the second term with every prospect of even better results than the first has recorded. The loss of Miss McClymonds of the high school, who was called away by her father’s illness just before examination, necessitating a change of teachers in three rooms, presented serious difficulties, but the work was taken up with commendable tact by all concerned, pupils as well as teachers, and the usual progress appears.
Most of the pupils are to be commended for diligence in study, not in school alone, for many of the evening hours at home are occupied with the preparation of lessons made long by the short terms.
Whole number of pupils enrolled to date, 503. Number entered during the month, 50. Percent of attendance, 96. The number of cases of tardiness is reduced 10 percent, and the time lost thereby 20 percent. Two hundred and thirty-five pupils were neither absent nor tardy.
100 years ago
The Colfax Commoner
Nov. 21, 1919
Five hundred Colfax citizens attended a meeting at the courthouse last Friday evening to hear an address by Governor Hart and to adopt resolutions in favor of deporting the I. W. W. Governor Hart was unable to be present, having remained over at Pullman to call out the state guards to protect Spokane against a supposed attack of the I. W. W. The attack failed to materialize but the fact that the state troops had been called out, lent additional interest to the meeting.
The sentiments of those present were voiced in no uncertain tones that the people of the state are opposed to the I. W. W. organization. The killing of the four soldiers at Centralia during Armistice day has caused the people of the state to demand the federal laws be passed and enforced against I. W. W.
W. B. Palamountain acted as chairman of the meeting and he denounced the organization. He was followed by John H. Newman, who read extracts from copies of I. W. W. literature. Chas F. Voorhees spoke along the lines of driving this organization of I. W. W from this county and proposed drastic laws to rid the nation of this organization. Judge J. N. Pickrell considered that the present laws were sufficient if they were properly enforced and quoted Governor Hart as an authority for making this statement.
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A miniature Fourth of July celebration was held in Uniontown on Tuesday when the people of that city and the surrounding country met to give a homecoming welcome to the soldier heroes. More than 600 people met at Uniontown Tuesday and the entire time was taken up by the different events that were on the program and there was a big free dance at the hall during the evening.
The entertainment opened in the morning with a parade headed by the Uniontown city band. Chairman C. A. Button delivered the address of welcome and told of the part that had been taken in the war by the farmers’ sons of Uniontown and Colton. The speaking program was held in the Knights of Columbus hall and W. E. McCroskey of this city was the speaker of the day. Mr. McCroskey delivered a splendid address in honor of the occasion and he was cheered time and time again. The speaking opened with patriotic songs and the big hall was crowded with those who came to honor the returned service men. At noon, a big dinner was served to the 600 people and the afternoon was spent with games and races.
At night, the hall was thrown open to the visitors and a big free dance was in progress until early Wednesday morning. Uniontown furnished a large number of soldiers and sailors and as a majority of the men called were farmers, few of them failed to pass the examination.
75 years ago
The Colfax Gazette-Commoner
Nov. 24, 1944
Directors of Whitman county’s public schools, in annual session here Monday, adopted a resolution favoring increase in the pension appointment of the state teachers’ retirement fund by action of the next legislature, in order to attract capable young people into the profession and keeping them there.
Support of legislation which calls for an appropriation from the state of a sufficient amount to maintain teachers’ salaries at the present purchasing power level, plus such regular increase as may be needed to meet the high costs of living was advocated in another resolution.
Approval was given the study being made of a revised plan of transportation reimbursement sufficient to meet a maximum of 80 percent of the costs of transportation, but eliminating the use of equalization funds for such reimbursement.
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Ready to go into the mail Monday are approximately 850 letters carrying their appeal in behalf of the program of the Whitman County Tuberculosis League and containing two 100-stamp sheets of Christmas Seals.
Those who receive them are asked to send in a minimum remittance of $2, although a larger amount will be greatly appreciated, according to Mrs. Ernest W. Hatch, who has accepted the Colfax chairmanship of the annual drive.
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Because 50,000 postal workers and 300,000 railroad workers have gone into the armed service and trains and other means of transportation are loaded with war materials; to assure deliveries by Christmas Day, even here in the continental United States, it is imperative that the people do their Christmas shopping now and mail throughout November and early December, says postmaster H. O. Thompson.
One may mark his parcels “Do Not Open Till Christmas.” Where possible use postal delivery zones in addressing Christmas mail. The appeals and instructions come from heads of the postal service who are in a position to know the situation regarding the shortage of manpower and equipment that cannot be obtained now as in past years.
One should heed this warning and act accordingly if he does not want his friends and relatives to meet disappointment on Christmas day, said Mr. Thompson.
50 years ago
The Colfax Gazette
Nov. 27, 1969
Members of the Whitman County Fair association elected two members of the Palouse Empire Fair board, heard reports on the State Fairs meeting in Yakima and plans to drain the Whitman County fairgrounds.
Bob Wolf, Tekoa, a member of the fair board since 1960, was elected to another three-year term. Don VanDyke, Malden, was elected to a full three-year term. VanDyke was appointed to the fair board when Elmer Burnham moved last year to Royal City.
Mrs. Martin Hendrickson, Garfield, and Fred McNeilly, Colfax, reported on the State Fairs meeting at Yakima. She reported the board will have approximately $400,000 to divide among the 90 fairs in the state this year.
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National Farmers Organization (NFO) has the “medicine” to cure the “lousy prices” that are killing the farmer and rural America, but the “patient has to take it,” Erhard Pfingsten of Corning, Iowa, national vice president of NFO, told about 350 farmers at the Colfax high school auditorium last Wednesday.
He said the only purpose of the NFO was to get he farmer a fair price for his product.
“There is no conflict between NFO and any existing farm organization,” he emphasized. “We’re not going to be selling insurance, tires, gas, fertilizer,” he said. “There’s no reason on earth why we should go into business, and neither can we go into processing, so there is no conflict with organizations to which you already belong.”
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Whitman County commissioners joined a majority of commissioners from other counties in the state last week in favoring legislation that would permit counties and cities to levy local sales and use taxes.
The state association of commissioners voted 44 to 24 in favor of asking the special session of the legislature next January to pass an act which would permit the additional tax to bolster sagging finances in most of the state’s cities and counties.
Commissioner Ralph Henning of Thornton emphasized that the legislation the commissioners’ association is seeking would be “permissive,” rather than mandatory.
25 years ago
Whitman County Gazette
Dec. 1, 1994
Annual grinding of the numbers for the Whitman County budget is approaching a close for another year. County Commissioners Monday night conducted a hearing on the budget and will have it back on their agenda for the start of the Monday session.
In the past month of the budget process the county gained about $255,000.
When the preliminary budget emerged, the county was looking at a $733,610 deficit for next year. The deficit figure is now down to $478,330 in the final budget for 1995.
That means if the county spent every dollar in the budget next year and collected every revenue source down to the estimated amount, it would have to tap its reserve fund in current expense for $478,330 to make ends meet.
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This was her tenth year of coaching and other teams have come close, “but this has been an awesome team,” said Coach Sue Doering as she showered the 1994 volleyball Bulldogs of Colfax High School with impressive statistics.
Each player received from the coach a book of her individual stats, produced from the coach’s computer system.
Freshman Julianne Kroll was credited, by both varsity and jayvee coaches, for her dependability as manager and statistician. A large crowd of parents, grandparents and fans participated in the season finale which began with a potluck dinner served by the parents of juniors.
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Three county bridge projects will be on the agenda next spring when construction season opens. The bridges, all in the 90-foot class, brought bids from seven contractors Nov. 14 and two were the subject of a pre-construction meetings last Tuesday.
County Engineer Klara Fabry said some preliminary work on the projects could be done during the winter. Main construction on the bridges will probably get underway in March, depending on the weather.
All bridges will be pre-stressed concrete beams.
10 years ago
Whitman County Gazette
Nov. 26, 2009
This year’s steelhead run up the Snake River has been exceptionally high, according to fish counts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
More than 300,000 have been counted at Lower Granite Dam to date, according to a count by the Fish Passage Center.
Fisherman have been frequently visiting Wawawai boat launch to take advantage of the abundant run, some coming away content, others leaving empty-handed
“The fish are in here. This river is loaded with fish,” said fisherman Fred Peterson, who fished at Wawawai all day Nov. 20.
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Whitman County Treasurer Robert Lothspeich lowered his 2010 revenue projections from Whitman County investments this week after the state’s Local Government Investment Pool again lowered earning rates.
Interest off investments were originally slated to generate near $500,000 next year, but continually falling interest rates have whittled that down.
Lothspeich said Tuesday he is expecting interest will generate $200,000 in 2010.
“It’s a pretty drastic drop from where we were just a couple of years ago,” said Lothspeich.
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With a car fortified in 12,000 pounds of armor, tear gas, AR-15 rifles, flash bangs for distraction and other riot gear, Whitman County has long had a police force capable of handling emergencies, the Whitman County SWAT team.
Formed in 2002, they are specially trained for the emergencies like the 2007 shootings in Moscow or the early 2000 spring WSU riot.
The team includes officers from the WSU Police Departments, the Pullman Police Department and the Whitman County Sheriff’s office.
Fourteen officers train once a month, usually picking remote or abandoned locations, and rehearse over and over the maneuvers they would use in case of a mass emergency.
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