PIONEER PORTRAITS

Fifteen Years Ago

October 7, 2010

Shortly before midnight Tuesday, an empty boxcar broke free on the main rail line in Dayton and made a freak, high-speed getaway, waking residents throughout the Touchet Valley and eluding sheriff's deputies before it finally slowed enough to be secured just past Prescott. No damage or injuries were reported from the runaway car, which exceeded speeds of 60 miles per hour and barreled without warning past numerous unguarded crossings in Dayton, Waitsburg and Prescott. It also crossed Highway 124 just west of the intersection with Bolles Road. "It's lucky that it happened when it did and didn't get derailed," said Steven Butler, dispatcher for the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, which got its first call about the runaway car at 11:40 p.m. Ray Mings, a resident of Prescott whose home is about 50 yards from the rail line, said the passing car "sounded like a jet going by." With no lighting and moving close to freeway speed limits, the car could have caused a serious accident had any automobiles crossed its path. After a 17-mile race through the valley, the boxcar finally began to slow as it met a grade heading southwest toward Walla Walla just past the ball fields at Prescott High School. There the brake to the car was manually applied and its mysterious journey brought to an end.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

October 5, 2000

[Photo Caption] Say Cheese : Trophy winners from the Waitsburg Gun Club are kneeling: Perry Bigelow, Neil Witt and Joe Abbey. Standing: Delbert Mock, Frank Bramlett and Dean Hermanns. This must have been taken several years ago as these dudes have aged.

Fifty Years Ago

October 9, 1975

Sign in a restaurant: "Our customers are always right. Misinformed, perhaps, inexact, bullheaded, fickle, even downright stupid, but never wrong."

Seventy-Five Years Ago

October 13, 1950

The "Class of 1968" met for a birthday party honoring Larry Conover and Kenneth Keve at the Ivan Keve home. Guests were Linda Hixon, Nickie Dunn, Janet Everly, Chuck LaMay, Julie Ann Stonecipher, Teddy Seaton, Robbie Tenney, Sherrie Donnelly, Timmie Huwe, Billie Bloor, Mary Leid, Dianna Wills and their "Mommies".

Miss Erma Lee Kessler and Kenneth Smith announced their betrothal at a recent family dinner and are making plans for their wedding during the holidays.

One Hundred Years Ago

October 16, 1925

Alfred Hales, representing C.A. Hales & Sons of Waitsburg and Pasco, this week sold here at the home ranch 1500 head of breeding ewes to Lewiston buyers for $13.00 per head.

Mrs. Clarence Eaton brightened up our dingy old office Monday by bringing in a really wonderful bouquet of her dahlias.

Prescott businessmen are reported to be working on plans to erect a Mullau Trail monument at the intersects of Second and D Streets there, to serve as a road marker of the old Mullau Trail.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

October 19, 1900

Col. E. F. Babcock has some very beautiful specimens of the Jonathan apple on exhibition at P.H. Abbey's grocery. This variety is an excellent dessert apple and is also a fine shipper.

J. B. Caldwell has a new 5-cent cigar which contains a very excellent grade of tobacco. It is called the "Color Bearer."

Cards are out announcing the approaching marriage of Miss Belle Roberts of this city and Mr. Howard Amon of near Harrington.