This Week in Odessa History

Sixty-four years ago the commissioners of Lincoln Hospital District #1 advertised for construction bids for the Veteran’s Memorial Hospital in Odessa.

Early in 1946, the Veterans of Foreign Wars had planned to erect a memorial to Odessa’s war dead. A living memorial in the form of a hospital was proposed rather than simply a monument. This grew into a community effort, with Lincoln County’s first hospital district being formed in Odessa. Financing was made available through Hill-Burton funding and a local bond issue. The hospital was opened in 1950. It was built for an original cost of $135,000. Subsequently, its name was changed to Odessa Memorial Hospital.

Here is The Odessa Record’s story on May 19, 1949, of the call for bids and a description of the new facility.

Construction bids will be called about June 14, after which the actual building will follow.

The large structure is designed to include full surgery and maternity suites, with nurseries, bedrooms, solarium and other essential departments of a modern hospital.

Coming with the announcement of the hospital bids was a report that a new doctor’s office and clinic, to be built just east of the hospital site, of pumice blocks and red brick, to match the hospital design. Con H. Eckhardt will finance and erect the building, which will include space for two medical office suites.

The clinic building has been leased to Dr. Kenneth Gudgel, of Spokane, now with the Deaconess Hospital. He has arranged to take occupancy on August 1. Mrs. Gudgel is a trained nurse and speaks German fluently.

100 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

April, 1913

The remainder of April’s history is missing from the 1913 newspapers. The 100 year column will resume in May.

75 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

April 28,1938

With winter wheat reaching the boot stage, appearances now indicate an early harvest for Odessa, with a possibility that harvest may start as early as the latter part of June or first of July.

Winter wheat has grown steadily during the entire season and has sustained a great height, with indications of strong yields.

In the final Lincoln county rural school declamatory contest held at Creston on Friday night, Marylin Blue of Long Lake was awarded first place; Marion McPeak, Mohler, second and Grace Ott, Irby, third.

The rattlesnakes have come out of hibernation and snake stories are again the rule. Harold Carlson cut a hole in the number of snakes in the county by discovering a den on his place, after which, with the aid of burning waste oil, he killed nearly 100 reptiles.

50 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

April 25,1963

Don Lobe reported to Police Chief Ray Buxton that from $40 to $50 worth of tools had been taken from his truck parked near the Grange Supply. The tools were marked, and were in a Brea marked tool kit. This is the first robbery reported here recently although they are common in the area.

Burglars, believed to be the same men, entered the high school and grade school at Quincy, peeling the vault and taking an estimated $149 from the high school.

The same night at Sprague a truck was stolen from Sprague Implement company, with several Unico tires and cigarettes.

A cable fence around the grass area and track at Finney Field is becoming a necessity.

The various users of Finney field are welcome at all times to use the facilities, and they are also expected to treat all facilities with respect so that other groups may find the field in good condition.

25 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

April 28, 1988

To bee or nor to bee.

That was the question raised by complaining citizens at the Odessa town council meeting last Monday night. The residents were stirred up over beekeeping in their neighborhood, bees owned by Art Schauerman and maintained by brother Mel Schauerman in Art’s backyard.

Despite an extended series of charges against the bees and their invasion of neighborhood back yards, mayor Harold Kern eventually pointed out, “We really don’t have an ordinance on bees, so I don’t know what category to put that in.”

After several weeks of below-ground level work with foundations and footings, workmen at the new high school building site have begun to appear at the surface.

While construction progress is not dramatically evident yet, Clerk of the works Chip Hunt estimates that mid-May will see walls rising off the surface attended by a sudden increase in the workforce.

10 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

April 24, 2003

This Friday night, May 2, is the 12th annual Odessa Healthcare Foundation wine/microbrew tasting party.

The Foundation has chosen “Come Fly with Me in 2003” as their theme. This year the money is earmarked for several projects such as new carpeting in the hospital, a sit-to-stand lift for the hospital and a new washing machine.

Spring Fling took on new life this year as there were four different events that kept visitors circulating around the downtown area despite the wind and cold that greeted everyone Saturday morning,, April 26.

New to the Spring Fling was a daylong music festival sponsored by Lou Geer of Viking Tours. The music began on Friday night with a gospel festival.

Visitors also manage to hit some of the garage sales that were close to the downtown area.

Saturday at 11:30 a.m. the vintage aircraft paraded into town and parked at the Odessa Show and Shine.

Quilt Show aficionados spent hours looking at the displays that lined the Odessa High School gymnasium.