Good Ol' Days

125 Years Ago

From the Colfax Gazette, Friday, November 19, 1897

Three Palouse Youths of Tender Years in Trouble

In the female department of the county jail three youths of tender years lie awaiting the action of the court. They were brought down from Palouse Sunday by Constable Callison. On the night of November 5 the store of the W.S. Willis Co. Was entered through a broken window and a quantity of canned salmon, sardines and other eatables stolen. Three nights later the house of Heistand & Warner was entered in the same manner. Here the cash register was smashed and $14 in cash taken. On the evening before the latter burglary the key to the back door of this store was missing at closing time. A scantling was nailed across the door inside. Suspicion fell upon these boys, who are brother named John, Edward and Jimmy Smith, aged 14, 12, and 10 yeears. They acknowledged both robberies amd said they stole the missing key, but broke in a window when they found the door barred. They implicate another youth of 15, who went to Wardner on the morning after the burglary. They say he got $10 of the $14 stolen. They will probably be sent to the reform school, the prospect of which seems pleasing to them.

100 Years Ago

From the Colfax Commoner, Friday, November 17, 1922

Kiwanis Club Holds Meeting Tuesday

About 40 Present at Kiwanis Club Tuesday

President Tifft presided at the meeting Tuesday, noon and C.S. Yelle acted as sergeant-at-arms. The attendance prize for the day went to J.D. Lewis, which was given by Fred Miller, and consisted of a collection of foreign coins.

The school committee for the Martha Washington school reported as to the conditions found there and of the good the children were getting from the play ground and of the readiness of the teacher to co-operate with the committees. Samples of the work done by various pupils in penmanship and other subjects were submitted with the report. Rev. Wyatt suggested that there should be some one appointed to regularly keep the play ground in repair as there have already been some accidents from the apparatis being out of order.

75 Years Ago

From the Colfax Gazette-Commoner, Friday, November 21, 1947

Point after Touchdown

Stan King of Colfax, has extra point after the Lakeside school, Seattle, had made a touchdown against Bothell. In the first six games this season King, a halfback, racked up a total of 606 yards on individual rushing. He carried the ball 54 times to make his average 11.22 yards per try. He also scored 32 points. In Lakeside's homecoming game, played against Issaquah, Craig Weisman, Colfax, played both end and halfback and scored two touchdowns.-Picture courtesy Lakesdie Tatler.

50 Years Ago

From the Colfax Gazette, Thursday, November 16, 1972

Colfax students polish lines for "Man Called Peter"

Final practices for "A Man Called Peter" were underway this week in the Colfax auditorium. Curtain time for the Friday-Saturday run will be 7:30 p.m. Gather around as Susan Largent plays the paino are (from left) Gloria Morgan, Bruce Tempel, Marc Hart, Claudia Magon and Bruce Jones. Practices for the production have been underway for several weeks.

25 Years Ago

From the Whitman County Gazette, Tuesday, November 20, 1997

Elberton school razed

The recent feature story on Elberton stated that the Elberton school burned down. According to Chuck Hubner, Colfax, the school was torn down. Oral Smith, now of Colfax, confirms the fact that the school did not burn, but was torn down and salvaged. Hubner says it was purchased by Charles Famming of Oakesdale, and the bricks from the building were used for the Presbytarian parsonage in Oakesdale, which was built by Hubner's father, Leo.

10 Years Ago

From the Whitman County Gazette, Thursday, November 15, 2012

Lyons makes veteran's wall

At the age of 89, Harold "Hal" Lyons, now of La Quinta, Calif., has his photo and military biography as part of the Palm Springs Elks Lodge veterans' military wall. A graduate of Martha Washington Grade School and Colfax High School, Lyons entered the military in 1942. He flew B-25s, B-17s and B-29s with the 93rd Bomber Group in the Pacific Theater. He was honorably discharged in 1946. Lyons belongs to the Old Bold World War Pilots Club and shares his stories with other war pilots. He keeps in contact with his home area by organizing a Cougar golf tournament each year. Lyons also played in the Codger Bowl game at Colfax which featured Colfax and St. John football teams in a re-creation of the 1938 game.