This Week in Odessa History

100 years ago

From The Odessa Record

December 10, 1915

Hardware block going up rapidly. A week of favorable weather has enabled the force of men engaged on Odessa Hardware Co.’s new block now under construction, to make remarkable progress since our last publication.

The building will be cut into four rooms, the corner of which will be the home of the Farmers and Merchants Bank, recently granted a charter as Odessa’s newest banking institution. The hardware store will occupy two rooms and the fourth will be home to an auto garage and sales venue.

School news. The high school girls have started a basket ball team and from six to ten girls are out for practice two afternoons a week. Though few of the girls have ever played we seem to have good material and expect to have a winning team by the time school takes up after the Christmas recess.

The boys basket ball team defeated the Odessa Athletic club team in a close and exciting game, the final score bing 22 to 21. This was the first appearance of either of the teams this season and although the high school team was handicapped in both size and weight they showed much better teamwork.

75 years ago

From The Odessa Record

December 12, 1940

The Odessa Trading Co. will present a free show at the city hall on Tuesday night, with six reels of motion pictures, music and fun with “Happy Brown” in person, and a special film, “The Magic of the Scarecrow.” School students will be shown the pictures during the day, leaving the evening open to adults.

The Odessa Masonic Lodge elected T.C. Anderson as worshipful master; J.A. Carstens, senior warden; David Weber, junior warden; L.W. Lee, secretary and J.C. Michaelsen, treasurer.

The sixth grade had its general class election. Elected were: Jeanne Walter, president; Juanita Roloff, vice president; Louella Iltz, secretary-treasurer; Eugene Lobe, sergeant at arms and Donald Schibel, news reporter.

50 years ago

From The Odessa Record

December 9, 1965

Miss Sharon Chandler, 21, an Odessa High School teacher, was killed at 6:55 a.m. Tuesday when the compact car she was driving smashed head on into a bridge abutment 17.5 miles east of Moses Lake on Interstate 90, the state patrol reports. Troopers said the car sheared off a highway sign, then struck the bridge abutment, burst into flames and rolled 30 feet down an embankment. Troopers said they believed she was killed outright.

Chandler, of Spokane, taught typing, shorthand and physical education at Odessa High School. The tragic accident created a disruptive atmosphere in the school, with classes being excused early in the afternoon.

Ken Kirstein, Eastern Washington Sate College freshman from Odessa is a member of the 1965-66 EWSC varsity basketball team. The 5’11” guard, who won three basketball and two track letters at Odessa High is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Kirstein and is majoring in health and physical education at EWSC.

25 years ago

From The Odessa Record

December 13, 1990

During the nine-day period including December 24 through January 2, Parkside Day Care and Learning Center has scheduled days full of activities for children 1-12. Director JoEllen Wollman said children who have never attended Parkside are welcome, but reservations need to be made by December 18.

10 years ago

From The Odessa Record

December 8, 2005

The Old Town Hall suffered severe damage from a broken pipe found early Tuesday morning. Town workers arrived and found a water pipe from upstairs had burst and flooded the room. The flood caused cancellations of the Odessa Quilt Club’s show which had been billed as one of the major events of Christmas Fest. Senior meals were canceled for the remainder of the week.