Good Old Days

125 years ago

Feb. 17, 1888

Under the new military law passed by our past legislature, $300 is appropriated annually to each of 13 companies in the territory. The young men of Colfax should lose no time if they desire to form a military company, in organizing, that their company may be one of 13 and entitled to a sum of $300. We hope a movement will be started at once, either in reviving the old military organization or forming a new one. With a well organized company, Colfax would stand one chance in 13 of obtaining occasionally the grand encampment. The move should be encouraged.

In Endicott news, Payton & Smith shipped three cars of cattle to Portland.

Farmers are busy plowing, the frost is all out, and roads are tolerably good in our locality.

The Endicott band will give a ball on Feb. 22 in the hall. Supper will be furnished by the hotel.

The new law regarding the herding of sheep has been ably discussed down here with the result, we believe, of being declared unconstitutional by our best legal talent.

100 years ago

Feb. 14, 1913

A carload of young elk, about 40 in number, passed through the city on the O.W.R.&N., bound for Pomeroy from which point they will be taken to the Blue Mountain forest reserve and turned loose. The animals come from the vast herd in the Yellowstone National Park where, protected by stringent laws, they have multiplied until now there is not sufficient food for them in the park, hence they are being distributed around to the various forest reserves.

The Rev. “Bud” Robinson, the cowboy preacher, began a series of revivals in the new Pentecostal church of the Nazarene at Diamond.

At the picture shows on Monday evening, the Pathe Weekly gave among other films one showing the unusual snowfall in the state of Washington. The pictures were excellent, but those who have for six weeks been witnessing the real thing were only mildly interested in the production of the movies.

75 years ago

Feb. 11, 1938

Colfax Consolidated School District No. 237 was created Monday by county Superintendent R.R. Maxwell by reason of the elections Saturday by the Green Hollow and Colfax districts in which a merger was authorized. Mockonema District No. 25 voted against consolidation with the Colfax district.

Bob Wilkinson, Bob Stotler, Bill Powers, Leslie Endicott, LaVonne McSweeney and Marion Busby made up the debate team who finished the state tournament recently held in Pullman in a tie for third place. The team was coached by William E. Gasser.

Personal satisfaction and convenience of long distance telephone calls were demonstrated by an 18-city hookup involving 3,300 miles of wire of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company Thursday evening of last week. Colfax office employees and their guests gathered at the temple to witness the program.

50 years ago

Feb. 14, 1963

Nearly half a dozen crews spent from dawn to dark last Sunday cleaning up tons of mud deposited on Colfax streets by the Feb. 4 and Feb. 5 floods. Each “hose crew” was captained by a fireman with four to six volunteers manning the hose and armed with shovels or brooms to move the mud that the hose wouldn’t budge.

Only 50 registrations have been received for the Colfax kindergarten slated to open about April 15, although from 80 to 90 enrollees are expected, Principal Leonard M. Jennings said.

Circulation of petitions for the formation of a hospital district embracing most of Whitman County was started by the St. Ignatius hospital advisory board.

25 years ago

Feb. 18, 1988

Casey Jones, son of Larry and Cindy Jones and a Jennings Elementary eighth grader, won $15,000 in cash as one of the top four winners nationwide in a magazine sale drawing.

Curb hopping, especially by pickup truck drivers, will be one of the targets of the city police in the coming weeks, according to Chief Barney Buckley. The chief said the police will begin writing warning tickets. Rolling pickup trucks up over the curb has become an increasing popular trend along the Colfax Main Street. Buckley believes drivers are making the move out of concern for outside mirrors which can hang out in traffic lanes when trucks are confined to the seven-foot parking strip.

10 years ago

Feb. 13, 2003

A new sign at the Colfax Airport sports its new name, the Port of Whitman Business Air Center. Port of Whitman officials hope the sign reflects the new image they have been working to achieve to attract new businesses to the area.

Sweetie Pie Bake and Rummage Sale, sponsored by the United Methodist Women, will be at the Paint Pot building in LaCrosse.

There is at least one newcomer in the small town of Waverly this week. A bald eagle has been seen visiting the area this past week, a sure sign that spring is not far off.