Good old days - Sept. 9, 2010

125 years ago, Sept. 11, 1885

A barn, eighty tons of hay, a lot of harness and farm implements, all the property of Henry Ackerman of the Alkili Flat, went up in smoke last Friday afternoon. There was no insurance on the property, and the loss amounts to about $800. Two of Mr. Ackerman’s boys, the oldest about five, working in consort with a bunch of matches, did the business.

Sam T. Riggs, committed to the county jail last Saturday in default of $2,000 bail, on a charge of horse stealing, attempted to affect his escape Sunday night. He wrenched a bar from the inside door of the cell, which he was using as a lever when discovered by the officers. He is now wearing iron jewelry.

A.A. Stonebarger received this week from Wisconsin five ferrets, which he will turn into squirrel holes to drive the pests to the surface, where they can be captured or killed. We believe it a good scheme.

Palmer Bros., recently from Rochester, Minn., have located in this city and opened a carpenter shop in the south end.

While putting up a swing for the children last Saturday morning, Rev. T.A. Towner fell from a box and broke his right leg just below the ankle. The gentleman was doing well at last accounts.

photo courtesy of Jerry Morton, Colfax

Pictured above is a tramway at Wawawai

100 years ago, Sept. 9, 1910

The question of whether or not Colfax will license saloons is to be submitted at the coming election. About 200 qualified voters have signed the petition to have the question submitted.

R.P. Hill, Pat Codd and R.H. Reid are arranging to start work on their buildings to replace those destroyed by fire on the Fourth of July. Mr. Hill has bought the 25 feet on the corner from Mr. Squibb and intends to erect a two-story brick. Mr. Codd is figuring on a one-story brick with a 50-foot frontage on Main street, and Mr. Reid intends to build a one-story concrete block building, with a frontage of 25 feet.

Work is well underway on the construction of the concrete pier for the north end of the new bridge on Main street across Cooper lake.

Harold Kirkland, who has been suffering for the past few months with a stubborn case of typhoid fever, is now out again and will probably enter school soon.

75 years ago, Sept. 13, 1935

Colfax is making elaborate preparation to entertain Friday and Saturday the largest crowds ever to attend her annual round-up while the management has engaged the famous Hann-Ochs-Hartley string of wild broncs and cattle to entertain the many top hands, direct from Pendleton, in their competitive feats in riding, calf roping and bulldogging, purses in which amount to $1,000, including the Whitman County bucking championship.

A dog is given credit for saving the life of the three-year-old son of A.E. Fountain who, Thursday of last week, was attacked by an enraged sow when the child wandered through the gate of the hog lot, left open by other children and picked up one of her litter. When members of the family reached the scene of the commotion, the child was on his feet and the dog, presumably having chased the hog away, was guarding him.

Dealers here report that about half of the new crop of wheat had been sold. Stimluated selling last week dropped back to what is considered normal for the close of harvest. Prices Wednesday were 61 cents for soft white.

50 years ago, Sept. 8, 1960

A record number of exhibits is expected as the 1960 Palouse Empire Fair opens today for three days at the Whitman County fairgrounds.

Some sky watchers in the St. John area may still be wondering about a strange and silent plane that landed Monday afternoon in a nearby wheat field. A sailplane finished a flight from Wenatchee as it glided down in the plowed wheat field of the Don Giles ranch six miles from St. John.

Palouse country tourists have been given a bit of history of Steptoe Butte by a new marker erected along the Colfax highway about half a mile south of Steptoe.

Welfare payments in Whitman County totaled $659,567 in 1959, down more than $35,000 from the previous year, according the annual report issued by Lawrence Cooper, administrator of the Whitman County office of the state department of public assistance. The money was spent in giving financial and other services to an average monthly caseload of 718 persons.

25 years ago, Sept. 12, 1985

An effort by parents in Colfax to land day care homes for the over 50 area youngsters has received attention from local, county and state officials. Commissioners Jim Henning and John Henley had an appointment to meet with DSHS officials after a license compliance check by the department left a number of families without day care accommodations.

Greg Hartung of Rosalia, working a shift at the IOOF booth at the highway 195 rest stop at Fitch Flat last week, reported a swarm of up to 1,000 salamanders invaded the peace of the rest stop after a slight rain storm in the evening hours. The lizards, about six inches long, swarmed the parking areas and piled up in the gutter. One motorist gathered some of the critters in two garbage bags with the idea of selling them as bait.

Horseshoe pits constructed by Endicott are completed and ready for use in the park area at the intersection of Margin and Church streets.

10 years ago, Sept. 7, 2000

Showing an increased need to connect the county by cell phones, the county planning office has received seven requests for new cell towers In the last five months. The office has permitted less than 20 towers in the county in the previous ten years.

Eleven-year-old Tyler Wall of Malden was welcomed by a noisy half-time crowd as a guest of honor at the WSU football game with Stanford Saturday night. Wall was named honorary quarterback for bravery faced during surgeries on his two severe club feet that had been operated on at the Shriners Hospital at Spokane.

Art and Jill Swannack of Lamont judged the dog show Friday at the Ritzville Fair. There were ribbons for most tricks, longest nose, shortest tail but the trophy went to the “Canine Good Citizen,” won by Bryann Potts and her Sheltie dog.