Good old days

125 years ago

The Commoner

Nov. 16, 1888

The skating rink enclosed last winter in the northern portion of the city by Dr. Harvey and Arthur Howe, and which will be a source of enjoyment to those who love the smooth and treacherous ice, will be again placed in proper shape for the skating season now near at hand, by those gentlemen, where for a trifling sum and evening can be enjoyably spent in that exhilarating exercise.

As the head of the Commoner staff passed through Uniontown last Tuesday evening, he learned of a grand wedding festival which was then taking place in that town. The groom was George Jacobs, a worthy citizen, and the bride an estimable daughter of Henry Esser. The Commoner joins in congratulating the happy pair.

The Commoner is as staunch a democratic newspaper as it was before the election and remains as firm and honest in its belief of the principles of democracy which it then advocated but until another opportunity presents itself, we will endeavor to fill its columns with more local and general news and make it the very best newspaper in Whitman County.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

Nov. 14, 1913

A great volume of smoke arising from burning tar in a vacant lot north of the Ripley transfer stable on Mill Street caused a fire alarm to be turned in Saturday afternoon. The tar, which was being heated over an open fire to be applied to the roof of the building, boiled over and ignited, spreading flames some distance around, which for a time looked dangerous but were finally extinguished without damage.

Completion of the work of enlarging to twice its former capacity and otherwise improving the North Ward school building, which stands as a monument to the progressive spirit of the people of the city, who have ever kept abreast of educational demands, was fittingly celebrated last Friday night by a housewarming party, planned and carried out by the teachers and pupils of the school, who issued invitations to about 500 citizens to attend the function, the invitations being personally delivered by the pupils.

With the completion last Saturday of the Dean Way and Park Street contracts, there has been expended in Colfax in the last three years, or summers, to be more exact, $250,000 for street improvements, and the result is that Colfax is the best paved town of its size in the country, a distinction that is worth part of the cost as an advertisement and is a real asset, which has already been demonstrated and may be figured in along with the comfort and commercial value.

75 years ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner

Nov. 11, 1938

Colfax residents dug out galoshes, mufflers and gloves Wednesday while drivers experienced difficulty in navigating their cars on the highways, and many vehicles required wreckers to return them to the road from ditches after the first heavy snow of the season. Exactly 3.5 inches fell during the day, the heaviest fall for so early for November in years, according to Mrs. Blanche Aegerter of the weather station. In 1931 two inches fell on the 10th of the month but since then no more than one inch has been recorded so early. No snow fell in November last year, only a trace fell the first in 1936, one inch fell on the 9th in 1935, when but 2.7 inches fell during the entire month.

Playing at the Rose Theatre is “Marie Antoinette,” starring Tyrone Power and Norma Shearer. “1938’s Greatest. Never in the proud history of stage or screen has such a glamorous romance captured your heart. Two and a half hours of countless thrills. Record cast of thousands.”

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette

Nov. 14, 1963

Orville Widman, county superintendent of schools, is pictured buying the first Christmas seals sold at the beginning of the 1963 campaign. He is a member of the board of directors of the Whitman County Tuberculosis association. Mrs. Ralph Henning, Thornton, chairman of the education and publicity committee, is handing Widman the seals while Mrs. Naomi Chryst, executive secretary, and Mrs. Evans Bunker, president, both of Colfax, are also in the photo.

Approximately 400 people are expected to attend the annual stockholders meeting of the Colfax Grain Growers, Manager Jack Hallett said. The meeting will start at noon with a dinner at the Community Building at the Palouse Empire Fairgrounds. The dinner will be served by the Steptoe ladies group, and will be followed the business meeting. The meeting will include reports by President Ralph Henning, Thornton, and Hallett.

With the closing of a deal this week for the 3,000-acre Hugh Huntley ranch near Diamond, Glen Miller and sons of Amber became Whitman County’s largest owners of cultivated land. The near million-dollar transaction, which was handled by Vic Davidson and Bo Henry of Colfax Security Co., gives the Millers title to 10,000 acres of wheat land and they lease an additional 3,000 acres.

Members of the “royal court” to reign at the Colfax High School Junior Prom are Stacia Neil, freshman princess; Varian Field, sophomore princess; Joeen Sheer and Sandy Reidner, candidates for queen, and Marna Bafus, senior queen.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette

Nov. 17, 1988

Gordon and Joyce Bryan of Colfax and Les and Olga Maley of Thornton donned appropriate attire for the county’s opening celebration for the state’s centennial year. Both couples joined the parade from the courthouse, where the proclamation of statehood was received, to Colfax High School for the centennial program. The parade included horses and wagons or buggies, flags, Camp Fire and Boy Scout units and the WSU marching band.

The county commissioners admit they are feeling caught between a rock and a hard place concerning an in-town property in Rosalia, the former Anderberg Chevrolet building. The property is not only behind on real estate taxes by about $3,152 but was condemned in 1985 and is in such disrepair it is a danger to residents. The continuing deterioration of the building also threatens to damage an inhabited office building next door that shares a common wall.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

Nov. 13, 2003

Whether it’s driving a deep sea diver into a shipwreck, learning about the Soda Springs Mammoth, or experiencing optical illusions in the people kaleidoscope, there is plenty to do at the new Palouse Discovery Science Center in Pullman. Located near Schweitzer Engineering on Hopkins Court, the center will host the grand opening of the 11,000-square-foot facility this weekend. With 9,000-square-feet of space available for exhibits, kids and adults can enjoy the many hands-on and interactive displays.

Volunteers at the FISH food bank in Colfax sort out food donations which rolled through the door Saturday morning after Colfax Boy Scouts collected food bags around town. A total of 1,930 pounds of food were donated by Colfax residents and collected by members of the two Colfax Scout troops.

Colfax Mayor Norma Becker picked up 27 votes to move to a two vote lead over challenger Harvey (Pete) Rice. The count now is Becker 366 and Rice 364. Rice had a 12 vote lead on the election night count.