Good old days

125 years ago

The Commoner

Nov. 9, 1888

The Clionion Society of Colfax college will give an oyster supper in the college room, adjoining Baptist church on Friday evening, Nov. 16th. The proceeds are to be used in furnishing the society hall now in the new college building. Oysters served hot or cold, stewed or fried. Come one, come all, and bring your wives with you, and if you haven’t a wife, bring your best girl; if you haven’t a girl (but you ought) bring your sister; if you haven’t a sister, bring your mother; if you haven’t a mother, bring yourself.

F.G. Gerichten, dealer in harness and saddlery, has purchased a portion of the stock of W. Davis, who is retiring from business, and has this week removed his already large stock to the three story brick building formerly occupied by Davis, where he is getting his stock into shape, and where he cordially invites his numerous friends and customers, old and new, to call upon him and he will treat them right.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

Nov. 7, 1913

E.P. Russell was granted a license to operate a bowling alley at the council meeting Monday night. Mr. Russell was in Spokane Tuesday ordering the equipment and expects to have the alleys open to the public in two weeks.

A contract was let Wednesday by the Colfax Investment Co. to W.J. Morrell for the construction in Grandview addition for a modern seven-room bungalow with full basement, the cost of which when completed will be about $1,800.

The house will be lighted with electricity, arrangements having been made with the Washington Water Power Co. to run a line to the addition as soon as possible next spring, which will furnish lights, also power for pumping water for the addition for the system, a large supply of water being available from a bored well.

The house for which the contract has been let is one of a number that will be built by the company, work on the others to be commenced early next spring.

City Superintendent of Schools J.O. Mattoon is making extensive additions and improvements to his home on Meadow Street. The house has been converted into a modern bungalow, and large porches upstairs and down add materially to the appearance and convenience of the residence. The rooms have also been enlarged and an entirely new inside finish replaces the old on the lower floor. An additional bedroom and sleeping porch have been added, and the home is now a commodious and handsome one.

Whitman is the first county to have an exhibit of its agricultural products installed in the state capitol as part of the statewide exhibit being assembled by the recently created Department of Agriculture.

75 years ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner

Nov. 4, 1938

Nearly 100 Boy Scouts and parents attended the court of honor at the community building Monday night, where merit badges and awards were presented to members of Scout Troops 88 and 95.

Colfax will observe Armistice Day with a full list of activities beginning with the grand parade at 10:30 a.m. and closing with the Nightingale Ball which begins at 9 o’clock in the evening.

Admission will be held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church here from November 8 to 13 inclusive, the Rev. W.B. Bender has announced. The Rev. Lyle Davis of the Gonzaga University staff in Spokane will conduct the services. Principal talks will be given each evening at 7:30 o’clock and subjects will concern in general the foundations of the Catholic faith. Protestants are cordially invited to hear these addresses, Father Bender said. Morning services will feature topics of especial interest to members of the parish.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette

Nov. 7, 1963

Among the 34 Campfire Girls who gave a hand making the first step of the Colfax and Community Fund a success were these eight who met at the home of their leader, Mrs. Bill Durham, to stuff envelopes. Pictured are Vicki Durham, Thelma Gudmundson, Nancy Wallace, Carol Meyer, Sandy Archer, Jan Berry, Dianne Stover and Kathy Tague.

Colfax Elementary School is inviting all parents to visit school and eat hot lunch next week during American Education Week, Principal Leonard Jennings announced today. In order to equalize the number of visitors, an invitation sent home with children suggests that parents with surnames A through G visit on Tuesday, H through M on Wednesday, N through R on Thursday and S through Z on Friday. Parents who wish to eat the hot lunch are invited to make reservations.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette

Nov. 10, 1988

Carl Lindhag of Colfax “graduated with honors” when he concluded a 28-year career with the state Department of Transportation at the end of October. Lindhag, who has been one of two supervisors for the local division for the past nine years, was named maintenance man of the year for the district which includes the eastern counties in the state.

Fred R. Bell of Colfax has been named a partner in the accounting firm of LeMaster & Daniels, according to Robert L Burton, managing partner. Bell joined the Colfax office in 1974.

In a photo, Glenna Parvin, deli manager at excell foods in Colfax, hired on a new employee on election day (who resembles President Ronald Reagan). She said the new guy in the department happily volunteered to take inventory in the jelly bean department. He plans to locate here after closing out a job on the east coast.

In a photo, Kienan Slate of the Bulldogs stands with the winners in the A division cross country race Saturday at Pasco. Montesano’s Brent Hooper finished three and one-half seconds in front of Slate. The duo finished 19 seconds in front of the rest of the pack.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

Nov. 6, 2003

Hundreds of area residents joined doctors, nurses and staff members to launch the new surgery wing at Whitman Hospital. The visitors were conducted on group tours of the building and listened during a formal ribbon cutting ceremony for the new $6.3 million facility. A total of 410 signed the guest book. Visitors were required to put on paper booties to help keep the area sterile. Tour groups entered at the north end of the new building and circled through two recovery areas, looked into central sterilization and one of three surgery suites, the core of the improvement project which was started more than five years ago.

The ribbon cutting ceremony was conducted in front of the new nurses’ station where members of the Whitman Hospital Auxiliary assisted caterer Memorial Events in serving snacks. Hospital Administrator Jon Davis presided at the opening ceremony and board chair Cindy Wigen of LaCrosse gave the opening address.

The cast of the Colfax High School production of “The Music Man” will include eight senior stage veterans. They are Michael Cammack, Ben Aeschliman, Becky Casteel, Kate Foley, Jesse Kuhn, Sarah Hardy, Carissa Miller and Kayla Prewitt.