Good Old Days: May 27, 2021

125 years ago

The Commoner

May 22, 1896

Mrs. Julia E. McClung died near Palouse May 7 of quick consumption.

Edward Powe and Winnifred Chapin were married Near Kamiak May 13.

The infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Thos. McQueen of Farmington died Sunday May 10.

Palouse will celebrate decoration day, the exercises to be conducted under the auspices of G.A.R.

The Hull case at Pullman has been settled, says the Herald, by Hull paying his fine and the whiskey being returned to him.

Uniontown is now without an exclusive harness shop, the entire stock of Hof & Weivoda having been sold to the Hardware & Furniture Company of that place.

A tumor has been removed from under the skull of Frank Pierce of Oakesdale, who had been partially demented by reason of its pressure on the brain. It is believed that Pierce will be sane hereafter.

Near LaCrosse jack rabbits are causing a great deal of annoyance to the farmers and a great rabbit drive is expected to take place this week, says the Garfield Enterprise. Some difficulty will be experienced in finding a suitable rendezvous for the final bunch-up, but several old hunters expressed the belief that the bunnies can be successfully cornered on some of the large bluffs bordering the Palouse.

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The fate of the proposed Fourth of July celebration for Colfax this year is to be settled at a special meeting called for Friday evening at the K.P. hall. People most vitally interested in a business way in a celebration failed to turn out at the first meeting held Monday evening.

Those who did attend Monday evening’s meeting made out a tentative budget calling for $1000 in order to put on a good celebration.

No definite action was taken and the budget was referred to the commercial club Wednesday noon at the regular weekly luncheon of the club. Opposition to the a celebration calling for the expenditure of approximately $1000 developed at once and a call was made for the restaurant and ice cream men, none of whom were present. It was then decided to continue the Fourth of July matter until Friday evening.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

May 27, 1921

Colfax is to be on the great Roosevelt International Highway from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon, according to definite announcement this week by L.L. Bruning from A.W. Tracy of Duluth, Minn., secretary for the Roosevelt highway. Mr. Tracy was in Portland, Oregon, when he made the announcement after spending ten days inspecting different routes in Eastern Washington and northern Oregon. Mr. Bruning took him from Spokane to Central Ferry and back to Colfax on Thursday of last week and turned him over to the Pullman and Lewiston road men here.

The route for the new international highway enters Washington at Newport, where Fred L. Wolfe, publisher of the Newport Miner and state representative from his district, is an ardent good roads man, and extends south through Spokane, Spangle, Rosalia, Thornton, Colfax, Pullman, Johnson...

75 years ago

The Colfax Gazette-Commoner

May 24, 1946

Robert W. Nelson, 32, Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, arraigned in superior court on a grand larceny charge Wednesday, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to not more than 15 years in the state penitentiary at Walla Walla. He was wanted here for cashing a forged check for $48 at Watt’s Richfield service station here April 27. Nelson admitted in court that he was on parole from San Quentin state prison in California where he had 12 years, three months yet to serve.

Nelson was brought here from Spokane Thursday last week; arraigned in justice court under bond of $2000. Sheriff Jack K. Conard of Clearwater County, Idaho, had come here on two occasions hoping to take Nelson back to Orofino, where, Conard alleged, he broke into the office of Musselshell Lumber company the night of May 11 and forged the name of a timekeeper on payroll checks amounting to $635.

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The Colfax Saddle club entertained invited guests Sunday at a picnic dinner at the Chamberlin place. Seventeen riders met at the John Mader place in the morning, unloaded and saddled their horses for a beautiful ride on a road that winds along the breaks of the Palouse River. Mrs. R.V. McEwen, Mrs. John Mader and Mrs. Jack Curtis took a different route and had a delicious dinner ready for a crowd of 32 persons. A short business meeting was held at which E.W. Foley, retiring president, gave a brief summary of the club’s activities during the past year.

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Appearing in Ripley’s Believe It or Not in Tuesday’s newspapers was the following item: “The four granddaughters of Mr. and Mrs. H. Palmer married men named Snow, Flood, Poole, Lake. Colfax, Wash.”

The grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Harry J. Palmer who have been living on Cedar Street for the past several years. Before coming here they lived in Spokane, having sold their farm near St. John. Mr. Palmer is retired.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette

May 20, 1971

Bud L. Garrelts seeks $609 alleged damages to his automobile and $39 loss of use in a complaint filed May 5 against the Carl Schleuters in Whitman County superior court. Garrelts charged the Schleuters allowed use of their car to their son, who in turn allowed Connie Lane to operate the vehicle.

The complaint said the car collided with a 1969 sedan parked on West Main Street in Pullman, causing the damages listed in the complaint.

In an answer, the Schleuters said their son, Lyle, was not authorized to turn...