This Week in Odessa History

Rabies a big problem for early pioneers

 

Last updated 2/14/2017 at 7:18pm



100 years ago

The Odessa Record

February 9, 1917

Rabid dog raids southwest farms. The southwest Odessa country had its first case of rabies early Monday morning, when a rabid brute, opinions differ as to whether it was a dog or coyote, ran at large in the Doering and Smith neighborhood.

The animal first appeared at the Solomon Doering ranch about 12 miles from Odessa where it bit his dog. It then went to the John Doering place where it bit a dog and some stock. From there it went to Otto Reich's place where it bit a dog and calf and then took a bee line for J.J. Schmidt's place where it arrived at 3 a.m. and bit his dogs. The next place it stopped was at the Frank Schmidt ranch where it bit two dogs and then went on to Jacob Melcher's place where it bit his dog and some hogs. It next arrived at the Henry Schmidt farm and there bit two hogs and fought with his three dogs, biting them all before the scrap was over. In accordance with Adams County regulations, all these dogs were muzzled and Mr. Schmidt is confident that had they not been thus handicapped, they would have killed the brute. Two of his dogs, one shepherd and the other a collie, are valuable stock dogs for which the would not have taken $100. These with his small fox terrier he has chained up to await the outcome. Fred Schmidt shot twice at the rabid brute but missed it in the darkness.

Business men back festival: Big indoor Chautauqua comes through their efforts.

The Odessa community festival means three days of education, recreation and entertainment. The Odessa festival will be the finest thing of its kind that Odessa has ever had. It is to be an indoor chautauqua with a program both afternoons and evenings. The talent constituting this program is taken from the same list that makes up the big seven-day chautauquas given in the larger towns and cities during the summer. We have gathered together some of the best attractions that have come to the Northwest and they are to be given in the Odessa opera house in this three day's program. Don't forget the place or the date (Feb. 26-28).

75 years ago

The Odessa Record

February 12, 1942

Wheat sack thefts investigated. Sheriff Joe Schafer and Deputy Oestrich of Adams county, and R.H. Buchser, state patrolman, were here Tuesday investigating the theft of approximately 1,000 second-hand grain sacks from the Odessa Trading company warehouse at Moody. The sacks and a quantity of wheat were apparently hauled away on a truck.

The thefts, occurring Thursday night, also saw the thieves roll out a bale of new sacks, which were left on the warehouse platform. Entry had been gained by forcing a hasp with a small wrecking bar.

On Monday night thieves again struck, this time at the Nemo warehouse belonging to the Centennial Grain company, taking approximately 2,000 grain bags, used to store grain before cutting into the elevator. Special Deputy Keller was called. Here entry had been gained in a similar manner. Tire tracks were plainly evident at the Nemo job, and at least one tire track at the Moody warehouse.

Trading Company sets record in profits. Manager W.C. Raugust of the Odessa Trading company, at the annual stockholders meeting, reported the 1941 business was the largest and most profitable of the 15 years the firm has been in business here, with total sales of merchandise well in excess of $1,300,000. John Hemmerling was reelected president; John Haase, vice president; Basil A. Oliver, secretary-treasurer and Mr. Raugust, manager.

50 years ago

The Odessa Record

February 9, 1967

Grain spews as elevator collapses. Three sections of a five-bin reinforced concrete grain elevator at Reiman, located eight miles south of Odessa, collapsed from and undetermined cause early Tuesday morning.

Two employees of the Odessa Union Warehouse, J.P. Luiten and Henry J. Schmidt, were at the site at the time along with a truck driver for the Golden Grain Trucking Co., of Pasco. None were injured when lower sections of the two east bins buckled.

Although outside appearances indicate that there are but four tubes in the storage facility, a fifth tube, in the middle, is where the trouble began, Winston Weber, Odessa Union warehouse manger, reports. For some reason the center tube, in which 69,000 bushels of wheat were stored, broke down. The force of the grain rushing into the two east side tubes, broke the outside concrete walls, spilling the grain over a wide area.

Workers at the scene report hearing a rumble or roar just prior to the avalanche of grain. First dust, then wheat, came up through a manhole in the loading house - and the men took off on a run.

Luiten and Schmidt were concerned, for a time, about the truck driver. But when they'd yelled, he had jumped out of the truck cab and went down the embankment across the railroad tracks in nothing flat. Many visitors to the site noted that the top of the northeast bin is cracked considerably. The concrete bins stand 110 feet high, plus a 30-foot headhouse.

First 1967 buttercup is reported. Devon Dawn Smith, three-year-old daughter of Mr and Mrs. Ben L. Smith, is the first one to discover a buttercup in 1967 and have the fact reported to the Odessa Record. With the springlike weather in the area and throughout the northwest, more than buttercups will be blooming soon.

Forey Walter honored for AAU Junior Olympics record. Forey Walter, Odessa, was one of 28 Junior Olympics national place winners from the Inland Empire to be honored last Wednesday at the Spokane Sports Writers and Broadcasters' AAU Awards luncheon.

Walter was one of the three national champions honored at Spokane.

Forey is on the Junior Olympics books as the 1966 100-yard champion, and he'll stay there as co-holder of the national record with two fellows named Clyde Glossom of San Antonio, Texas and James Hines of Oakland, Calif. As a sophomore, Forey won the State A 220 and last spring both the 100 and 220. He has one season of high school track remaining.

25 years ago

The Odessa Record

February 13, 1992

Scablands group headed by Deife. John Deife has been named chairman of the Scablands Steering Committee, an Odessa interest group organized by the Odessa Economic Development Committee to determine the utilization of grant money received by the EDC to study market strategy planning in promoting tourism of the Channeled Scablands.

 

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