The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Ten Years Ago

April 1, 2004

Preston Hall Sixth Graders gave cancer patient Cathy Eastwood $400 they had raised through a quilt raffle to help defray the expenses of her eight-week stay in Southern California. Eastwood will receive proton beam radiation treatments at Loma Linda University Medical Center to at­tack tumors in her brain.

Opened in the midst of America's "Noble Experi­ment" - Prohibition - "The Service Station," at 235 Main Street, may have been a local source for booze during the years between 1920 and 1933 when the sale, manufacture and importation of intoxicating liquors was against the law. A "hidden" room uncovered under the floor or Waitsburg's first gas station lends support to rumors repeated by several Waitsburg old timers that moonshine from stills in the Blue Mountains could be obtained there. Last week the long-time Main Street landmark gave way to the wrecking ball, so to speak, to make room for a new Waitsburg Clinic and Waits­burg Ambulance facility being planned by the Columbia County Hospital District No. 1.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

March 30, 1989

Betty Branson entertained the members of Odako Club at her home on Mrch 23rd. Dona Jean Smith was co-hostess and Jackie Ely won the door prize. Members voted to donate $100 toward the cost of finishing the Hat Shop in the Ritter Building. They also voted to buy four National Geographic books to donate to the Waitsburg School Library as a memo­rial to the Peterson family.

Scott Branson reported that the FFA has been very active in sub-district and district activities. He said that Gina Gawith placed fourth in the Creed competition, while the Ritual Team of Gina Gawith, President; Sara Payne, Vice-President; Jessica Hofer, Secretary; Elisa Fullerton, Treasurer; John Stacy, Reporter; and Jenni Hofer, Sentinel, took third place. Reuben Stokes took a second place in ex­temporaneous speaking; Amy Branson a 2nd place inpublic speaking; and the Parliamentary Procedure team took 2nd. Members of that team are: Amy Branson, President; Ra­chel Hinchliffe, Vice-President; Amber McCaw, Treasurer; Lynne Carpenter, Reporter; Sheila Davis, Sentinel; and Angi Magill, Secretary.

Fifty Years Ago

March 27, 1964

Waitsburg Lions met Wednesday, March 25 and elected the following officers for the coming year: President, Turk Ely; Secretary, Bob Sickles; Treasurer, Fred Zuger; Tail Twister, Bob Danforth; Lion Tamer, Cecil Webber; First Vice President, Ken Jantz; Second Vice President, Don Ga­gnon; Third Vice President, Clint Donley; Directors for two- year terms, Carl Henze and Bull Zuger, Hold-over Directors from last year, Ernest Rohde and Bob Patton.

Spring is officially here, even though it appears that no one bothered to inform the ground hog that his moratorium on fair weather had elapsed. (Maybe the reason could be traced to a simple case of snow-blindness on Mr. Ground Hog's part!)

Seventy-Five Years Ago

March 31, 1939

In common with the State of Washington, the First National Bank of Waitsburg celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Mr. Ellis of the State Highway Department met with Central School pupils and explained the working of the Schoolboy Patrol. Boys commissioned to supervise traffic are John Hixon, Raymond Jeremiah, Kenneth Smith, Lloyd Beckley, James Henry, Richard Roberts, Gerals Hawks, David Roberts, Leonard Telecky, Elmer Hays, Donald Wills and Dewain Hodge.

The Misses Virginia Rinehart, Lucille Wise, Doris Beck and Patricia Hirsch were the girls chosen from the Waitsburg High School to represent the Girls' League at Pullman, Saturday for Play Day. Mrs. Fred Detering ac­companied the girls. John Davis, caretaker at the City Park, has the peonies in fine state of cultivation and other beds in perfect condition. The hedges are trimmed and the lawn is cut short, making the park an inviting sight to the passerby.

One Hundred Years Ago

April 3, 1914

Winners in the Declamation contest were Marion McAninch, first; Elvira Southard, second; and Calla Sum­mers, third.

Dick Roberts, the well-known Wilson Hollow farmer, has quite a curiosity at his place. He has a small herd of goats and a few days ago one nanny goat gave birth to four kids, one of which was red in color. All four are still alive and are perfectly formed. The birth of quadruplets is said to be almost unheard of among goats.

Mrs. Fred Aldrich with her two sons now drive their big new touring car from Walla Walla to their Alto ranch Friday afternoons.

While turning a corner on the road to Waitsburg, Frank Neace broke a wheel off his car.

Born - To the wife of Jean Harsh of Huntsville Satur­day, March 28, a daughter.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

April 5, 1889

Prof. R. O. Hawks of Huntsville will spend the sum­mer at Philometh, Oregon. Prof. Hawks is one of the finest teachers on the coast.

Virgil McKinney has given up his position as cleark in the general mercantile store of J. H. Morrow & Co., pre­ferring the life of a farmer and handler of stock to that of measuring tape.

Dr. W. G. Albau, H. M. Hill and Lee F. A. Shaw passed up on yesterday's train for Dayton to institute an encamp­ment of Odd Fellows.

R. F. Walker was in the city from Coppei last Saturday and made the Times office a very pleasant call. He says ground was never in better condition, to insure an abundant crop than it is this spring.

Last Saturday was a lively day in Waitsburg, and our merchants did a large business. No town in all the land has a better class of businessmen than has Waitsburg.

Miss Ada Phillips will next week begin a term of school at the Bateman school house on the Coppei.