This Week in Odessa History

100 years ago

The Odessa Record

February 16, 1917

Catholics build house and hall. The members of the Odessa St. Joseph's Catholic Church have announced a change in the building program they had outlined for this spring and arrangements are now completed for the enlargement of the plans, which originally only called for a home for Father Phillip so they now include also a parish hall, both of which will be under one roof, the hall to occupy the basement floor. The estimated cost of the newly proposed structure is $3,000 and work will begin on same as soon as it is sure that spring has opened.

Will open clothing store. Janikula brothers will open a clothing and gents furnishing store in their old stand which they recently remodeled. The boys have their fixtures as well as some goods purchased in the west already installed, but will not make an opening for business until they receive an Eastern shipment which is expected at any time but may be ten days in showing up.

OAC basketball season closes. The Odessa Athletic Club basketball team has disbanded for the season, which except financially, was one of the most successful since the organization of a town basketball team. The boys were well patronized the early part of the season, but notwithstanding the fact that the team was a winner and a good article of basketball played, receipts towards the end of the season began to fall below expenses so disbanding found them with a

$20 deficit in their treasury. During the season, the OAC met all comers, won seven games, lost six and scored 318 points to their opponents 300. Big Bend teams were remarkably evenly balanced. The club beat the high school team, lost to Ritzville and Almira and defeated Harrington. In rematches they lost to Ritzville by only one point, defeated Almira, had a split decision in two games against Edwall, defeated Harrington and Lind, lost to Reardan, defeated Krupp and then lost to Lind.

75 years ago

The Odessa Record

February 19, 1942

Recover sacks stolen from warehouse. W.C. Raugust and Sheriff Gordon nicks, the latter of Grant County Wednesday morning recovered nearly half of the sacks stolen from the Moody warehouse last week, stored in a vacant barn north of Marlin. The owner of the property made the discovery when on a routine visit to the property. The find included about 400 sacks of the 800 stolen. Tire tracks at the warehouse and barn agreed.

Penney store will close February 24. Don Tjossem, manager of the local J.C. Penney company store, announces that its final closing day will be the night of Tuesday, February 24, at which time all remaining fixtures will be removed. The Penney company, under its present policy of store adjustments, is closing many of its stores in smaller communities and Mr. Tjossem represents the company in closing these stores. H.J. Weigand, former manager of the store, was transferred to Tekoa, Wash.

50 years ago

The Odessa Record

February 16, 1967

Elevator collapse. A picture was published of the reinforced concrete grain elevator at Reiman, south of Odessa, which had collapsed due to an undetermined cause. The story was published in the preceding issue.

Keller given Acorn Award. Harold "Corky" Keller was the surprised recipient of the Parent-Teacher Association Acorn Award. The award is given to a person who has done outstanding work with the youth of this community.

Keller was born in Wilson Creek and returned to Odessa sometime after a four-year tour in the Navy. He is a local pharmacist who, as a family man, has boys in scouts; one working for his Eagle award, another is a star scout and the third a Webelo. His wife and daughter participate in girl scouts. He has been a Cub Master for four years and has taken the scouts for back-packing hikes, including a vigorous one last fall to the Methow Valley. Along with scouting, he is past president of the chamber, member of Lions and the Camera Club and also participates in Odessa's civic improvement plans.

Tigers end season 8 and 2; play for district seeding. The Odessa Tigers finished their regular season play by defeating Creston 56-44 Friday night at Creston. The victory was especially rewarding because this was the first loss of the season for Creston on their home floor, coach Gerald Ray states.

Scoring for Odessa were Jay Scrupps 24, Tom Schafer 20, Steve Lightbody 7 and Barry Heimbigner 5.

Trapshooting scores drop on Sunday. Twenty-eight aspiring trapshooters pulled shotgun triggers at the Odessa Gun Club range on another windy Sunday. No perfect scores were attained.

The four top shooters were Kevin Kramer, L.J. Bonney, Art Grening and Al Wacker, all with 23 each. Al Fink carried the lone 22 while Harley Wraspir, Neil Lobe, Jake Kiehn and Harold Gies garnered 21 "birds."

Others participating and scoring 20 or under were Lavene Hardung, Fred Weishaar, Edna Leitz, Gale Salo, George Gies, Bob Groh, Clem Groh, Al Hardt, Gary Melcher, Emil Ramm, Don Lobe, Dan Schell, Opal Bonney, Reinhold Suchland, Harry Wolsborn, Don Weishaar, Louis Frederick, Jack Haase and Richard Roloff.

25 years ago

The Odessa Record

February 20, 1992

Lions meet for 50th. Three charter members in the Odessa Lions Club were honored last Saturday night as more than 70 members and guests observed the 50th anniversary of the organization's charter with a banquet and program in the community center.

Paul Schafer, Henry Michaelson, Jr. and Clarence Hemmerling, all of whom were present during the first charter night banquet on December 6, 1941, were given special recognition for their long service in the Lions. The fourth active charter member Henry Schafer was unable to attend Saturday's event due to illness. His nephew Keith Schafer, represented him as each of the 50-year members was presented with engraved weather gauge sets.

First buttercup of 1992.

It's a tradition in Odessa, and the first sign of spring, to bring the first buttercup into the office of The Odessa Record. This year Aaron Wilson, 3 year-old son of Matt and Laurie Wilson, brought in the first buttercup on Valentine's Day, February 14, an unusually early date. Aaron found his buttercups six miles east of Odessa on the farm of his great grandmother, Sarah Walter.

10 years ago

The Odessa Record

February 14, 2007

Beer garden likely for Stumpjumpers. Odessa's hospitality to members of the Stumpjumpers and their families and friends coming April 14 and 15 for the 37th annual Desert 100 classic will likely be extended this year to the motorcycle club's RV encampment 7 miles west of town.

Members of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce voted at their meeting Tuesday to pursue an investigation to setting up a huge tent at the RV s site at Highway 28 and Irby Road, where an estimated 6,000 persons will be encamped for three days. The tent will be used by food vendors from Odessa during he day, and as a place to eat, drink coffee and to gather to be out of the elements during possible bad weather.