This Week in Odessa History

100 years ago

November 10, 1916

Michaelsen & Koth safe blowed open Saturday morning.

Considerable excitement prevailed in our town Saturday morning when the report was passed around that the Michaelsen & Koth store had been burglarized that morning and over $400 in cash obtained as the result of the yeggmen’s efforts.

The robbery took place about 3 a.m. and the entrance to the store gained through a plate glass in the side street door which was cut and pushed inside. After gaining admittance the robbers prepared for their exit by opening the back door to the alley and then started work. The combination knob of the safe was knocked off with a sledge taken from one of the blacksmith shops in town, after which the crack between the door and the safe was filled with soap and nitro glycerine poured into it. No attempt was made to muffle the explosion following, which not only blew off the safe door, but wrecked a large Burroughs adding machine standing in front of the safe. The explosion was quite a loud one and was heard by different people, some of which lived more than a block away.

As soon as the safe was cracked, the thieves gathered up about $180 in silver and over $400 in bills, but left a large amount in checks and made a safe getaway through the rear door.

75 years ago

November 13, 1941

Boy escapes injury from falling horse. A narrow escape from serious injury or death was sustained by Merlin Kissler during the week end, when the saddle horse on which he was riding stepped into a badger hole, falling hard enough to break its neck. Thrown violently, the lad sustained scratches on the face.

Boy Scouts take in Pullman meeting. The local Boy Scout troop sent a delegation, under direction of Howard Derr and Leland Boyk, to Pullman on Friday and Saturday to take in a district meeting of Boy Scouts, with a program of activities including the University of Idaho-WSC football game on Saturday.

Those making the trip included Lawrence Libsack, Donald Zier, Billy Jessett, Donald Zicha, Paul Totusek, Terry and Burwin Murray, Ralph Heimbigner, Eugene Walters, Howard Michaelsen, Mark Cosgrove, James Odell, Delbert Schafer, Weldon Weber, Lowell Flemmer, Alvin Birge, Arther Derr and Billy Raugust.

50 years ago

November 10, 1966

Lions plan annual Turkey Carnival. The Odessa Lions Club has announced plans for its 25th annual Turkey Carnival scheduled this year for Saturday, Nov. 19, at the City hall.

Chairman of the 1966 event is Bob Gudgel. The club uses the carnival as a fund-raiser for its variety of civic projects, such as the new tourist facility across from the English Congregational church [Editor’s note: Today’s Foursquare Church.]

Thirteen committees have been established this year to make the necessary preparations and handle the activities of the day which are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Committee members are:

Kids Entertainment and Hall Decoration: Jerry Schafer, Leo Lobe, Gordon Kiesz, Homer Reed.

Tickets and Door prize: Henry Schafer, Paul Schafer, Clarence Schmidt, Harold Keller, E.M. Bartalamay, Marvin Fink.

Fish Pond: Cal Graedel, C.E. Meek, Al Wolf, Dean Edwards.

Electricians: Dong Bates, Bill Jessett.

Turkey and Ham purchase: Henry Braun, Ed Salo, Ed Hindorff, Dave Weber.

Game Table: Al Wagner, Winston Weber, R.E. Suchland, Dick Dashiell, Harold Gies, A.J. Weber.

Wheel: Gale Salo, Bob Deife, Del Kirstein, Frank Groh.

Cashier: Bob Zacher, Clarence Hemmerling.

Rifle Shoot: Don Weishaar, K.E. Gudgel, Merlin Traylor, Norman Krell.

Game Table: Paul Lightbody, Merle Spurling, Ray Buxton, Marshall Roberts.

Advertising: Merle Janke.

Corn Game: Lewis Kagele, Ray Schorzman, R.L. Tanck, Art Jeske, Al Fink, Herb Sackmann, Harold Hoefel, Bill Wenz, James Anderson, Clint Thompson. Lunch Counter: Don Schibel, Ben Smith, Joe Pavliska, Don Fode, Lonny Lobe, Frank Wraspir, Tom Litzinger, Al Wacker, Ron Stehr, Bert Haase.

Season-end scoring, tackling. At the close of the Odessa High School football season, the scoring champion by a wide margin was Jim Evavold with 24 touchdowns and 14 extra points for a total of 158 points. Forrey Walter followed with 10 TDs and 6 extra points for 66; Steve Evavold with 5 TDs and 3 extra points for 33; Tom Schafer with 4 TDs and 5 extra points for 29.

25 years ago

November 14, 1991

More than 60 at open house. Both Dr. Linda Powell and the group of 60 or more Odessa area residents who attended an open house at the Odessa Convalescent Center last Sunday were enthusiastic over the possibility that she will become Odessa’s resident physician.

Dr. Powell is a candidate for the position at Odessa Memorial Hospital and the Odessa Clinic being vacated by Dr. Jim Cornell.

Odessa Memorial Hospital administrator Carol Schott said she was surprised at the large attended at the open house. About 30 visitors had been expected.

Mayor-elect in spotlight across state. Mayor-elect Denny McDaniel and the town of Odessa, too, were basking in the statewide attention created last Tuesday when he won the mayoral race with a write-in vote.

That in itself was remarkable enough to make news. Voters rarely take the time or trouble to write in a candidate’s name, a fairly complicated procedure in which the name must be written on the envelope for the ballot. Out of 416 votes cast for mayor, McDaniel received 216, 49 more than the closest opponent, Ed Deife.

10 years ago

November 9, 2006

Oom Pas and Mas entertain festival crowds in Spokane. Odessa’s own Oom Pas and Mas were a big hit this weekend at the Fall Folklife Festival held at Spokane Community College.

For the third year in a row, the band performed before a very large and appreciative audience. The dance floor in front of the stage was full for most of the performance, and the Chicken Dance was, of course, the most popular dance of them all.

Tighter control urged to cure Biergarten ills. Rising expenses and falling profits at the Biergarten topped the list of concerns when the Deutschesfest committee of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce met with the heads of several subcommittees Monday night to discuss this year’s Fest and begin making plans for next year.

Committee members discussed ways to cut down on waste in the kitchen and Biergarten. More stringent cost-accounting methods and inventory controls were also suggested. The new storage addition to the Biergarten, which was constructed prior to this year’s Fest, represents one such step already taken toward keeping more careful track of the supplies owned by the Chamber.