Good old days

125 years ago

The Commoner

Jan. 4, 1889

The Colfax creamery building is well underway and construction work is rapidly increasing. The building will be sufficiently commodious for the manufacture of a large amount of creamery products. The location, however, does not meet with the approbation of some of the stockholders.

On Monday evening at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Fullerton, 12 couples of young people were assembled to watch the old year out. It is needless to say that the occasion was enjoyed by all present.

The report of the holiday festivities at Dry Creek, a Christmas tree and entertainment at the Hubbard school house on Christmas Eve, and a sumptuous New Years dinner at the home of Mr. and Mrs. William Kennedy, was received yesterday, but too late for publication in this paper. We have space, however, to say that each are chronicled as being an event long to be remembered by the people of Dry Creek.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

Jan. 2, 1914

The old superstition that 13 is an unlucky number should be forever dispelled by the record of the year just passed. It has certainly not been unlucky for Colfax, Whitman County and the Palouse Empire. The year has been a bounteous one. It has brought happiness, prosperity and contentment to the people of this favored section.

The year 1913 has again demonstrated that Colfax is the best town in the best county in the best state in the Union and has more firmly fixed Colfax’s claim to being the financial center of the county. Colfax’s four banks take the lead in deposits, loans and discounts, cash on hand, resources and surplus of the 33 banks in Whitman County and contain 40 percent of the wealth in this great county.

W.E. Powell, state lecturer for the Grange, is to tour Whitman County in January and deliver lectures to grange members and their farmer friends in the hope of arousing more interest in the social and business features of the grange work. Mr. Powell is a pleasing and forceful speaker. He was formerly a Christian minister, but gave up the ministry to enter grange work. He held pastorates in Pullman, Palouse and Coeur d’Alene several years ago and was very popular with church people, but took a deep interest in the economic problems of the farmers at that time and was frequently called upon to deliver addresses at meetings of the Grange.

75 years ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner

Jan. 6, 1939

A complete broadcasting and receiving station was first put in operation by the state highway department here at 5 o’clock Tuesday afternoon when KQSC reported for service in a call to the federal communications commission in Seattle. The Colfax station is the 48th station to be installed in the state but since it was licensed three more have been authorized. Reports on the weather conditions are among the services which the station here offers. Anticipated changes in the weather are reported 12 hours in advance. At 8:05 Wednesday morning it was reported that rain would fall at 3 p.m. and continue through the night, a correct prediction.

The new board of directors of the Kiwanis Club, holding its first meeting of the year at the Old National Bank branch Tuesday evening, voted to sponsor the furnishing of hot lunches to needy students in the local public schools. Supplies which heretofore have been furnished by the WPA from its commodities depot here have been ordered stopped. In making it possible for the lunches to be continued the Kiwanis Club is engaged in one of its major underprivileged child activities.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette

Jan. 2, 1964

Colfax Jaycees had to vote twice before they could agree on a candidate to represent Colfax in the annual Junior Miss contest. George Kettletey congratulated Linda Felber as the candidate. The runners-up were Marilyn Munson, Jerri Sanders and Bonnie Baker. Linda’s talent was dramatic reading. The state pageant will be later this month.

Henry Meiners, Pullman, was recently issued a building permit to construct a $6,000 machine shed on his farm near Pullman by the county’s engineer’s office. Other permits issued recently include Lawrence Largent, Colfax, repair home on farm property, $2,000, and Walter Broeckel, LaCrosse, remodeling farm home, $2,000.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette

Jan. 5, 1989

The last time the reader board in front of Almota Elevator’s main office in Colfax read $5 for the Portland current bid price on white wheat was December of 1974, said Gary Behymer, manager. White wheat reached that mark on Friday and continued to hover at that point Wednesday morning.

County Commissioner John Henley Jr. of Hay was named chairman of the board of commissioners for 1989 Tuesday during the commissioners’ first meeting of the new year. In her first official action as commissioner, Nora Mae Keifer of Pullman made the motion.

In a photo, a snowman appeared to be thumbing his way north from the courtyard of the Whitman County courthouse. The visitor appeared in the morning and courthouse maintenance men aren’t sure how he made the scene.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

Jan. 1, 2004

Visitors who drove through Colfax during the Christmas break did not see three kings but it is entirely possible they saw the trio’s transportation mode, a camel. The one-and-a-half-year-old, 800-pound Bactrian Camel named Qi Wang can be seen wandering the Palouse hillside south of Colfax at Serenity Acres, a llama ranch owned by Jennifer Bowman who recently purchased the camel through a breeder in Spokane.

A Mellor family gathering went into a work party mode for The Courtyard project on Main Street Friday. The crew was at work moving excavated dirt back into the center of the building which is now undergoing extensive remodeling.