Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
125 years ago
The Commoner
June 24, 1892
The citizens of Colfax have ample reason to rejoice today. After weeks of waiting on the part of the people of the city, and long deliberation on the part of the Sisters of Charity, the news came over the wires at 10 o'clock yesterday in the following words:
Office for hospital at Colfax accepted. Letter will follow.
This means that a $40,000 brick structure is to be constructed, for the purposes of a hospital, in the city of Colfax, without delay. Originally there were three bids for the hospital, from Colfax, Pullman and Palouse City. The last-named place was out of the contest last week, and the inducements of the other two competitors were under consideration until yesterday.
Pullman offered a large tract of valuable land and a cash bonus. The offer of Colfax was an ample piece of land and a large cash bonus.
The sister superior of Vancouver visited the various proposed sites, and was particularly impressed with the general advantages here.
The chamber of commerce deserves praises for pushing the matter to the fortunate termination, and much praise is also due to the individual efforts of William Codd, who has worked persistently to secure the good result obtained.
The property upon which the hospital of the sisters of charity will be erected is known as the John Batt estate, and it is pleasantly located on a hill-slope facing the north, in the southern part of the city. The location is about half mile from the center of the city, and at a convenient distance from the business portion.
The benefits of such an institution are inestimable. Not only will it be a desirable addition to our buildings, but it will be a ready resort for all cases of sickness or accident that demand more than the ordinary care. In this respect, it will receive patronage from every section of the Palouse country.
As a means of saving expense to the county, it will be a veritable blessing.
***
The following gratifying figures of the population of various Whitman County towns have been returned by the deputy county assessors from the official enumerations just taken by them. While the returns from all are not yet in, the growth and advancement of all but one since the government census of 1890 exhibit in a pleasing way the general prosperity and increase of population which abounds in Whitman County, the beauty spot on eastern Washington's dimpled cheek.
The enumeration of Oakesdale inhabitants was taken in conjunction with outlying precincts and no reliable result of the work can now be given. Endicott is in the same condition. The returns from Rosalia are not yet in.
The relative positions of the towns in regard to population and importance, omitting Oakesdale, whose figures are not known, which is entitled to fourth place, are: Colfax, first, Palouse, second, Pullman, third, Tekoa, fifth, Garfield, sixth, Farmington, seventh, Uniontown, eighth, Colton, ninth. The figures for some of the small towns being missing their rank cannot be given.
Official populations:
Colfax 2500; Palouse 1525; Pullman 1350; Tekoa 632; Oakesdale (missing); Farmington 401; Garfield 514; Uniontown 279; Colton 276; Johnson 132; Staley 26.
100 years ago
The Colfax Commoner
June 29, 1917
The Red Cross campaign which ended Monday in Asotin and Whitman counties ended in a campaign of success and more than $50,500 was raised by the committee that had charge of the campaign in the two counties. Chas. L. MacKenzie, who was appointed as manager of the Red Cross campaign in the two counties by the president of the United States, had some hesitation in accepting the position in view of the fact that the two counties were asked to subscribe $50,000. Mr. MacKenzie was asked to raise this amount of money in seven days. It meant that subscriptions to the amount of $7,000 a day was to be raised or about $1,000 an hour for each working day of eight hours.
The full amount of money was raised in less than seven days. In fact, the members of the committee admit that the major portion of the money was raised in one day. The work of building up an organization to campaign for these funds fell upon the shoulders of Mr. MacKenzie and U. L. Ettinger. To these two men goes the credit of building up a Red Cross organization that swept more than $50,500 into the national Red Cross fund in twenty-four hours. Able assistants were secured and every man took off his coat and did the work that was assigned to him.
As a result of this canvass, Colfax citizens and farmers subscribed $12,237.27; Pullman $4,000; Palouse $2,560; Tekoa $2,500, Garfield $2,500, LaCrosse $2,500, St. John $2,500; Oakesdale $2,375; Lamont $2,138.50; Rosalia $2,000; Asotin $1,760; Farmington $1,550; Thornton $1,500; Uniontown $1,134; Colton $1,127; Endicott $1,100; Washtucna $1,100; Clarkston $1,100; Malden $1,000; Steptoe $700; Winona $650; Elberton $600; Hooper $550; Johnson $500; Albion $400; Anatone $300; Belmont $200. Total: $50,481.77.
***
G. L. Strickler secured the contract for grading and clearing the three and one-half miles of road leading from Uniontown to the Idaho line. The contract was let by the State Highway Board at Olympia this week to Contractor Strickler on his bid of $17,276. The contract calls for grading, grubbing and clearing of the road and the work is to be completed this year.
Mr. Strickler is a well known contractor who is now completing the La Crosse Dusty road. He expects to move his outfit to Uniontown as soon as possible.
75 years ago
June 26, 1942
Whitman county's annual fair, which was scheduled to be held September 17, 18, and 19, will be canceled in accordance with the request of Joseph B. Eastman, coordinator of defense transportation, announces A. F. Harms, who has served as fair manager in past years.
The fair has been an important activity for 4-H clubs for the past 15 years. In view of the cancellation, Mr. Harms is suggesting that local 4-H clubs arrange for exhibits and demonstrations on a community basis in connection with regularly scheduled grange, PTA or other organization meetings.
Four-H club members were urged by Harms to continue their emphasis on Victory garden projects, as well as all other vital food production and food preservation activities.
During the past three years, the fair has been financed through an appropriation by the commissioners. The cancelation makes possible the return of the 1942 appropriation of $2,400 to the current expense fund.
***
R. H. Sutherland, local contractor, returned Monday from Washington, D. C., where he obtained from officials of the agricultural division of the WPB permits for the construction of a second pea processing plant here and grain elevator for Worth Brothers at Cunningham, Wash.
Mr. Sutherland is himself interested in the proposed pea plant and with an unnamed associate has obtained an option on railway property as the site. If present plans materialize definitely, construction would start by July 1, Mr. Sutherland said.
50 years ago
Colfax Gazette
June 29, 1967
Operating an indoor pool during the summer season is beginning to take its toll on the Colfax civic center budget, according to the records of Paul Vollmer, manager of the center. Vollmer reports the income at the pool has totaled $685 to date.
“We're trying to run an indoor pool at the same cost of running an outdoor pool,” Vollmer said.
Payroll for the two lifeguards and part-time checker at the pool will average about $800 a month for the 12 weeks of pool operation, Vollmer said. Payroll costs on the Colfax pool at Schmuck park averaged about $900 per month last year.
On the other hand, pool income at Schmuck park totaled $2,200 last year. Vollmer said $650 of the $685 collected at the civic center pool this year came from season tickets.
With the bulk of season ticket purchases already in the books, the indoor pool will still have to realize $1,515 to equal last year's “outdoor” income.
Finances for the pool's operation are coming out of a $3,600 civic center budget established by the council.
***
Sale of the Empire Food store by Glen Frazier to Lewis Bressler and Jack Crossett has been completed and plans for renovations and remodeling are well underway. Crossett has purchased the inventory and Bressler bought the building in which he plans to open a meat market with equipment purchased from Crossett.
A large opening is planned between the two businesses that join each other with groceries on one side and meats on the other. Crossett plans a new floor, new front with marque and 24 feet of new food freezer display cases. His stock will be increased by a third.
Crossett has operated the Crossett Food Market for 19 years, having purchased it as Cold Storage Market from E. C. Robinson. He and his wife, Pat, have three sons, Tom, Dick and Mike, and daughter, Susie.
Bressler comes from Elk. He is a graduate of meat cutting school in Toledo, Ohio, has been employed by Happy-Vale, Ellensburg, and Lee Bros., Calif. He, his wife and three year old daughter will live in the apartment in the building he purchased.
25 years ago
Colfax Gazette
June 25, 1992
Predictions of early harvest and light yields became a reality Monday when Almota Elevator Company set a new record first day for grain delivery. The record advanced by two days when Alan Morgan brought in fall barley Monday.
P&L Farms, Phil and Larry Largent, trucked in fall barley the next day.
La Crosse Grain Growers planned to take in their first load of barley Wednesday.
As expected, test weights were light, 48 and 42 pounds per bushel.
The first loads of the 1992 harvest were weighed in by Ken Brood, who has been with the farmer-owned grain handling corporation 17 years.
“The barley was ready,” he commented. Moisture content was down to 9 ½ percent.
Brood said the previous first day for receipt of grain at Almota was June 24 in 1986.
Not only will test weights be down, but “yields will be kinda on the short side,” he added.
***
An episode of a Camas Prairie railroad engine touching off fires along the Snake River breaks was repeated Sunday when many fire crews were called to the area to halt a string of fires.
Fires Sunday were generally downstream from those which followed the same pattern two weeks ago when fires were touched off by the train.
Volunteers from at least seven departments battled the blaze for up to 11 hours as the blaze threatened buildings, burned crops and hay.
The railroad engine, which was traveling upstream to Lewiston touched off at least three major fires with one at Central Ferry, one two to three miles downstream from Almota and one between Almota and Boyer.
Crews fought the fires with the wind generally pushing the blaze upstream.
At Almota, the fire threatened to take houses located on the ridge behind the terminal. Firemen had to set backfires to stop the blaze.
Ed Johnson, commissioner with the Dusty-Onecho-Wilcox Department, said crews beat the fire by about 10 minutes.
The fire moved up out of the breaks and consumed crop land. Farms of John Aeschliman, Marvin Aeschliman and Dale and Craig Culbertson were all hit by the blaze. An aerial photo has been ordered to help determine the amount of the crop loss.
10 years ago
Whitman County Gazette
June 28, 2007
Chambers, south of Pullman, in its heyday had a store, school, service station and seven dedicated streets. The town is now gone except for grain elevators. Herman Larson of Pullman built a permanent signpost to mark the town's site. It can be seen on the east side of Highway 195 four miles south of Pullman. He remounted the old sign, which some say dates back to the 1940s, on a permanent, welded signpost which he made in his shop with donated material. The wheels were donated by Bobo Brayton, former WSU baseball coach.
***
The town of St. John has issued a second call for bids on construction of the town's new library and town hall building. Plans for the building were retooled after the first round of bids came in more than $100,000 over budget. The new bids will be opened at City Hall on the evening of July 24.
With the high quotes on the first round of bids, the town conferred with building architect Robert Zimmer, Seattle.
St. John Clerk Linda Hayes said the building will remain much the same as it was designed, only smaller and with a few ancillary changes. She added she was looking forward to the expanded quarters.
“Compared to what I'm in now, it will be a dream,” she said. “I'm just happy it will have room for storage.”
The new building will be 2,850 square feet, scaled down from the 5,000 square feet proposed to voters in 2005, but significantly larger than the 792 square foot quarters currently shared by Hayes' office and the town's library.
To cut costs, the designer eliminated a floor heating system, changed the air conditioning system and eliminated a garden area in back of the building.
The building will include the city hall office, expanded space for the library, a conference room and a kitchenette.
***
Starting the second week of July, Idaho Highway 6 between Palouse and Potlatch will be closed for construction. Survey crews are already at work on the project.
Highway 6 links with east end Washington Highway 272 at the state line.
The contract for the construction project calls for 75 working days. The highway will be widened, resloped, and re-aligned.
Drifting snow and water and mud runoff have been problems over the years for the highway segment.
The Cove Road route from Palouse to Idaho 95 will be the alternate route during the closure of Highway 6. The Cove Road, which was the object of a Whitman County upgrade three years ago, connects with Idaho 66 and intersects with Idaho 95 south of Potlatch. The Cove Road route is normally used by Palouse area residents as a link to Moscow.
Latah County arteries north of Palouse also provide a route to Potlatch.
In addition to harvest and other farm uses, the Palouse-Potlatch highway link becomes a popular route for residents from this side of the border who head for Camp Grizzly, Laird Park, White Pine Drive and other destinations in the Potlatch District of the Clearwater National Forest.
Scarcella Brothers Inc., Seattle, submitted the low bid on the project at $3,594,594.
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