The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Ten Years Ago

July 28, 2011

For T. J. Hersey, running her father's grocery store in Dayton is a way for him to live on. Hersey is now a third-generation grocer in the town. Her grandfather, H. W. Stephenson, came to Dayton in 1938 from Portland, Ore., and he opened up a grocery in 1944. Hersey's father, Gail Bennet, took over in 1961 and ran the neighborhood Steve's Grocery on Fourth Street until he passed away last year.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

August 1, 1996

Waitsburg's Days of Real Sports Queen Stacey Wolfe placed first at the Toppenish Pow Wow Days Parade on July 4. The following weekend Stacey and Flag Bearer Stata Powers took first place at the Caledonian Games Parade and Rodeo on Sunday. Queen Stacey was accompanied by Karen Mohney and Gail Wolfe when she took another first at the Dayton Depot Festival Parade. The royal court of Queen Stacey and Flag Bearer Stata Powers, accompanied by Val Powers, were at the Chief Joseph Days parade and rodeo grand entry the last weekend in July. When Stacey isn't busy representing Waitsburg, she can be found at the pool in Prescott as a lifeguard.

[Photo caption] The Waitsburg swimming pool project is progressing. City workers George Niño, Sr., William Wilson and Tim Pettichord recently finished installing drainpipe and were readying the area for a time when the decking will be poured. The city council hopes to finish the project this fall.

Fifty Years Ago

July 29, 1971

Waitsburg City Council appointed Mrs. S.R. (Laura Jean) Hevel to fill the unexpired term of Councilman Joe Abbey who resigned after moving into a ranch home out of the city limits. Mrs. Hevel, a native of Pendleton, Oregon, is a graduate of Oregon State University and taught school before coing to Waitsburg. She and her husband, Dr. S.R. Hevel, are parents of David, a University of Washington Senior, and Claudia, a Sophomore at Stanford. The newest member of the Council, as far as City records show, is the first woman to ever serve as an active member.

Waitsburgites can pretty well figure that the harvest season is officially here when they can stand on Main Street and watch the combines make their rounds on Reservoir Hill. Such was the case Monday morning when Ron Kenney started harvest operations with three machines on the hill immediately north of town. The hill, which ripens early because of the south and east exposure, is usually one of the first fields to be ready.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

August 1, 1946

Bob Carney has purchased the local delivery service from Roy Crall and took over the business on Thursday, Aug. 1. Mr. Crall is working for Pictsweet Foods.

The Bramlet-Kessler Sawmill on Lewis Peak in the Blue Mountains, which is operated by Frank and Ralph Bramlet, and Leland Kessler of Waitsburg, is cutting this week some of the largest timber ever taken out of this part of the country. The timbers are 44 feet long, some 10 by 26 feet and others 12 by 28 feet.

Betty Anderson was awarded the honor of being all-around camper of the Camp Fire group attending Camp Kiwanis last week from the Blue Mountain district.

One Hundred Years Ago

July 29, 1921

Miss Wilma Mock and Mr. Milford Gould were quietly married Wednesday at Dayton.

Miss Celestia Loundagin and Mrs. Lucile Holbrook went into camp at Guntle Springs on the Coppei the first of the week.

Merrill Cox and Bob Weller returned the first of the week from a fishing trip over on the Little Salmon. They report splendid fishing.

Ralph McKinzie killed a very large rattlesnake in the road near Starbuck Sunday. The rattler was 4 feet long and 2½ inches in diameter at the middle and had 7 rattles and a button.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

July 31, 1896

Harvest is now in full blast, and the demand for harvesting supplies is on. If you are looking for the best goods adapted to harvest requirements, try Davies and Wilson's. See their $2.00 harvest outfit consisting of Jumper, Overalls, Gloves, Drawers, Undershirt and Shirt. It's a corker for the money.

Rev. V. C. Evers, who has been pastor of the First M. E. Church for the past four years, is to be succeeded by Rev. M. C. Reuter. Rev. Evers is a good man and able.

Mrs. J. C. Arnold had the misfortune to lose a valuable Jersey milk cow this week.