PIONEER PORTRAITS

Fifteen Years Ago

July 21, 2011

[Photo Caption] Cole Smith from Northstar Construction takes off the old framing around the windows of the historic Mock building, constructed in 1902 and once a pool hall.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

July 19, 2001

Volunteering on a medical mission to the African country of Kenya this summer gave a 20-year-old Waitsburg college student valuable experience treating the sick and injured, but Elizabeth Abbey will tell you she came home most impressed by the trust the Kenyans she helped treat showed her. "They are very trusting," she said. "I know that we helped a lot those people we saw and that we did what we could fore them. They trusted that what we gave them would help. I know they appreciate it." The trust trickled down to the youngest patients the 37-member group, which included two medical doctors and five registered nurses, treated.

Fifty Years Ago

July 15, 1976

Orin Walker presented a sewing machine to the Waitsburg Historical Society Monday night-the first sewing machine to be brought to the Touchet Valley. It arrived here in 1865 when his grandparents came from Oregon to settle below Prescott. The machine is a Wheeler and Wilson model patented in 1852, just three years after Elias Howe patented the first sewing machine in 1849.

Mrs. Tim Pettyjohn of Prescott reports to The Times this week that their two sons are busy on the All-Star Baseball Teams this summer – Keith, 9 years, with the College Place Mustangs and Mike, 11, with the Touchet Valley Broncos. They are the grandsons of Vance Orchard of Walla Walla who is preparing the Historical Society book, "Waitsburg, One of a Kind."

Seventy-Five Years Ago

July 20, 1951

John Richardson, 1950 graduate of Whitman College, will be the new athletic director and manual arts instructor at Waitsburg High School this fall.

Waitsburg swimmers won the honors at the Dayton swimming meet Tuesday afternoon. Taking part were Glenn Vogt, Bobby Webber, Ronnie Milligan, Neil Witt, Bruce Brunton, Jerry Baker, Jerry Todt, Lynn Jones, Carolyn Egli, Patsy Stedman and Deana Land.

Rainbow Girls are having a swimming party at the Glen Smith pool Sunday evening.

One Hundred Years Ago

July 23, 1926

Several hundred people availed themselves of the opportunity to witness the Masonic Grand Lodge ceremonies in connection with the laying of the corner stone of the new Waitsburg High school building on Tuesday, July 20 at 4 o'clock.

Morris Land and Ben Moore left Thursday for a few days fishing trip beyond Godman.

Clifford Light, Fred Zuger and Lewis Neace returned Sunday from a few days on the upper Tucannon.

The highway between here and Dixie was opened to travel Sunday.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

July 26, 1901

Misses Adelle and Eva Morgan, accompanied by Messrs. Platt Morrow and Wesley Bowman spent last Sunday under the refreshing shade of fir trees in the Blue Mountains.

The Preston-Parton Milling Co. has decided to give its employees a week's vacation under full pay this year. The mill will not shut down however and the boys will get away two or three at a time. Con Dixon is taking his vacation this week.

John C. Neace was in the city the latter part of the week having returned from the Rock Creek country where he went to gather up several car loads of horses belonging to Lewis Neace and sons. The horse, some 400 in number will be shipped to better pasture in Montana.