Good Old Days: August 17, 2017

125 years ago

The Commoner

Aug. 12, 1892

For weeks the streets of the city and hillsides roundabout have exhibited deep gashes up and down and across them. These ghastly cuts were the trenches dug by a small army of laborers to receive the mains and pipes of Colfax's $43,000 water system. The laying of pipes and mains is now about completed. There are now about 1400 or 1500 feet to place, and the material for this has not yet arrived.

The progress of work on the system is progressing rapidly. The following facts in this relation were learned from Engineer Whitney, in charge:

The excavation on the main part of the reservoir is now complete. The workmen are trimming up the slopes, and the ditch leading to it is being excavated. The hydrants, 47 in number, have been ordered but have not yet arrived. The hydrants are of the Matthew make with Eddy gauge, considered the best made.

The pump house and foundations for the engine and pump are all prepared. The pump is expected to arrive in a few days. It has been delayed by sidetracking on its way out from the east. The pump is of the Worthington make. Its lifting capacity is 1,000,000 gallons each twenty-four hours, or enough to fill the reservoir in twelve hours. The reservoir is 143 feet long, 73 feet wide and 13 feet deep. Its storing capacity is 500,000 gallons. The pump house will be located in the old electric light station at Codd's mill.

The survey for the supply well is now being made and work upon it will soon be commenced. The well will be located near the point where the race of the Eagle roller mills diverts from the river. It will be twelve feet in diameter, and be some distance from the river. It will be cribbed on either side, and the water to fill it will be filtered through rock for the entire distance from the river. This will purify it and make the supply wholesome. From the well to the pump a 14-inch conduit will be run, through which the water will be drawn to the pump and from thence forced into the highly-elevated reservoir.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

Aug. 17, 1917

W. J. Morrell was in the city for a short time Monday and he stated that the farmers of Diamond were urging him to employ every man that he could secure to complete the grain elevator in time so that the farmers could start delivering their wheat by the last of the week. Owing to the shortage of lumber, the workmen were obliged to quit work on the elevator for a time in July and as a result of this forced delay, it was impossible to complete the elevator by the 10th of August, the date which Contractor Morrell had set for the completion of the work.

Grain is now being threshed in the district adjunct to Diamond and in order to not delay the delivery of wheat at this station every available man that could secured has been put at work on the building. The bins and everything necessary to dump the wheat into the pit is in place and the roof of the building will be delayed until all other work is completed.

Mr. Morrell said that the work on a $5,000 bungalow which is to be erected on the John W. Wiseman ranch would be started within a few days. Mr. Wiseman has the majority of the material for the erection of the building on the ground and a force of workmen will be taken to the ranch to erect a new bungalow at once. Mr. Wiseman is anxious to have the new home completed before the rainy season and sufficient men will be employed on the job to complete the building by the last of September.

Chas. Feenan of Pleasant Valley is just completing a new 15,000 bushel storage grain plant. The storage plant is one of the most useful and interesting plants that have been built in the county. Grain is not only dumped and elevated into the storage house by machinery, but it is also delivered from the tank into the wagon when the grain is ready to be delivered to the city. Many farmers of this section have inspected the new storage tank which is pronounced to be the best farm plant in the entire county.

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The residents of La Crosse are planning on building a mile of concrete sidewalks this fall if plans under way are approved by the members of the city council. It is also reported that the people of that city have under consideration the purchase of the city water system in order to derive revenue for the expenditures of the city. The present water system is owned by a private individual who purchased the system a few years ago for something less than six thousand dollars. Since that time the city has made a wonderful growth and the water system is now held at $16,000.

In order to purchase the system it will be necessary to vote bonds for this purpose and many of the residents of the new town are opposed to voting bonds at this time.

Some of the heaviest taxpayers of La Crosse state that improvements of the water system have not kept pace with the growth of the city and they claim that unless it is taken over by the city some action should be taken to force the owner to give better service to the water users of La Crosse.

They point out that the lack of fire protection in the business section and it is stated that little pressure is available and that there is no fire protection in the resident district, hydrants for this purpose having not been installed.

75 years ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner

Aug. 14, 1942

Declaring that sentiment in the Onecho, Star and Hickman school districts now favors mergers with the Colfax district, members of the Colfax board Monday evening conferred with County Superintendent R. R. Maxwell on the possibility of effecting the consolidation under the state's reorganization law, as authorized in the July 24 election over a minority in the three rural districts.

Mr. Maxwell's answer was that the mergers would have to be held in abeyance until the supreme court rules on the constitutionality of the reorganization law on an appeal expected to come before it from Grant county. Supt. Maxwell has been temporarily restrained from effecting the mergers of other school districts of the county through injunction suits brought by representatives of the Lancaster and Elberton districts.

R. N. Peterson, acting superintendent of the Colfax system, stated that in visiting the three districts during the past week, where a 29 to 19 vote had been registered against the reorganization plan, he had found sentiment turned in favor of Onecho, Star and Hickman becoming a part of the Colfax system.

“The people in these districts now see that the Colfax set-up would be to their advantage inasmuch as it would offer better educational facilities, higher teachers' salaries, a smaller tax levy.” In view of the advantages to be gained, Mr. Peterson said, “the taxpayers of the three rural districts were willing to share the bonded indebtedness of the present Colfax district,” a proposition that had also been turned down at the July 24 election.

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In four towns which have reported to the county defense council a revised census on housing facilities there are listed modern homes sufficient in number to accommodate 233 children in the event they are evacuated from coast areas.

The survey, requested by the state defense council, goes more into detail than the census taken earlier in the year, and is being conducted in all towns of the county other than Colfax by C. A. Bruning, head of the evacuation division of the county council.

The revised tabulation was not so much for the purpose of obtaining additional information on housing quarters for both child and adult evacuees as to learn the background of the family and environment of the home into which a child may be placed.

Additional information requested on the questionnaire is relative to the housing quarters for both child and adult evacuees as to learn the background of the family and environment of the home into which a child may be placed.

Additional information requested on the questionnaire is relative to the family's religion and nationality and whether meals would be served.

Mr. Bruning, accompanied by C. A. Erickson, county welfare administrator, spent three days last week visiting all towns in the county, other than Colfax, arranging with their civilian defense coordinators or housing chairmen for the new survey.

In Colfax, the survey is being conducted by Burdette Faires of the city's defense council, in charge of housing, clothing and food, with the help of assistants who are making extensive use of the telephone. His report will be filed with the county council and will be included in the county's total tabulation which will be forwarded to the state defense council.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette

Aug. 17, 1967

A survey to classify and study the functions and pay levels of county jobs is in the final stages of completion and will be reflected in the preliminary county budget which will be presented at the commissioner's meeting next Monday, according to Fred McNeilly, chairman of the county board of commissioners.

McNeilly said “allowances” have been placed in the preliminary budget figures for possible action on results of the study which is being conducted by the state department of personnel under Gail Salisbury, Olympia. The study classifies the county jobs and compares them to like jobs in the area, McNeilly said.

Overall, McNeilly believes the county wage costs will increase with the study's proposals. He said the county pay scales will switch to the classification system gradually if it is accepted by the commissioners.

“We're low in some areas and all right in others,” McNeilly said.

The object of the study, McNeilly explained, is to place values on the work of various county jobs and assign pay values to positions according to function.

“Some employees won't like it, and some will,” McNeilly predicted.

When wage increases are approved, some employees will get more of an increase than others, depending on the classification given to each person's job, McNeilly said. At present, the average non-elected employee in the courthouse earns $430 per month, according to McNeilly.

The survey Salisbury is undertaking covers about 150 employees of the county.

McNeilly said the county had contracted Salisbury to undertaken the survey on a cost basis.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette

Aug. 13, 1992

The county has enough state gas tax money to put the Dry Creek Road project out to bid this fall, said county engineer Brandon Cole.

They are surveying the area now to get information for bid specifications, Cole said. He would like to put the project out to bid around October so they can open the bids in January.

That would give the contractor enough time to crush rock so they could start in early spring 1993, he explained.

The project is listed for 1993-94 on the county's Six Year Road Plan. County commissioners approved a prospectus in June to get the federal funding needed for the approximately $2.3 million project.

The county receives about $350,000 a year in federal funding for road and bridge projects. They used all but $1.10 for the first 3.5 miles of the project.

They had planned to save two years' worth of federal money to finish the last 7.29 miles. Increased state gas tax funding allowed them to do it this year.

According to the Six Year Road Plan, the $2,316,000 project will use $111,000 in local money, $1,744,000 in state gas tax money and $461,000 in federal funding.

Public works director Lon Pedersen noted this project actually will use more state money than federal money.

The reason is the 1990-91 gas tax increase. In addition to providing more money to counties, it also allowed the state to set up a fund for oiling and sealcoating roads. This frees up more local money for construction and maintenance projects.

The remaining 7.29 miles of the Dry Creek Road project is scheduled for 1993-94 on the county's Six Year Road Plan.

The project is the largest the county has ever undertaken. The five mile Thorn Creek Road was the largest previous project.

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The Codger Bowl teams in Colfax and St. John won the 1992 Dussault Award for public relations excellence by the Spokane Public Relations Council. “The Codger Bowl was selected as the recipient of this annual award because of its clever use of an event to build community spirit, a downtown park and gain widespread national attention for this small farming community,” President Kevin Laverty said.

The Codger Bowl was a touch football game played in 1988 on the 50th anniversary of a spirited high school game between Colfax and St. John. It was played by “codgers” who had played in that original game 50 years earlier. The games became the impetus for national attention and development of the community park which was recently completed.

John Lothspeich received the award on behalf of John Crawford, a Colfax grad who developed the Codger Bowl and the Codger Pole concept. Mr. Crawford is an actor in Studio City, Calif. Mr. Lothspeich, one of the players, has been particularly instrumental in the development of the town downtown Codger Park.

The Dussault Award was named for longtime Gonzaga University vice president, Rev. Arthur L. Dussault.