This Week in Odessa History

Celebrating Independence Day in Odessa

 

Last updated 6/22/2017 at 6:33pm

--Archive photo.

Marlene Gies (left) and Mailyn Anderson are shown in front of Gannon Hall on the WSU campus while checking class schedules for the Washington State 4-H conference June 12-19. They are members of Thrifty Homemakers 4-H Club, Odessa.

100 Years Ago

The Odessa Record

June 22, 1917

Big crowd will celebrate here. Where are you going to celebrate the Fourth?

You will miss it if you dont celebrate in Odessa for the biggest crowd that ever came to town is looked for here on the July 4th and 5th and the celebration will eclipse any celebration in the Big Bend country.

The big posters announcing the main features are now out and are being distributed by the committee and on this page will be found the full program for each day. The celebration begins with a big parade at 10:00 on the morning of the Fourth and will continue two full days. There will be bands and concerts, horse races and ball games each day and foot sports will be in operation up to 11:00 p.m. The Odessa Concert Band will furnish dancing for all who are devotees of Terpscihore. $800 will be distributed for prizes and winners of horse races, ball games and foot sports.

It is going to be some celebration and you will miss it if you don't come to Odessa one or both days.

Odessa Farmer crushed to death.

Samuel Mayer, one of the Odessa country's most prosperous farmers and respected citizens, was the victim of a shocking accident which terminated fatally at his ranch about 10 miles north of Odessa Monday morning.

The accident occurred about 10 o'clock while Mr. Mayer in company with his son, Arthur, Rudolf Brauer, a hired man and Andrew Handel, a young man that farms part of Mayer ranch, were filling a ditch in which they had laid water pipe which was to conduct water from a new water system to the house.

In order to make quick work of the job, they were using Mr. Mayer's tractor engine and a Fresno scraper, the plan being to back the engine to the ditch and pull in the dirt with the Fresno at the end of the chain. The first part of the work was completed with great rapidity and in a few minutes more would have completed the task when Mr. Mayer, who was assisting his son in running the tractor, threw in the reverse and walked backwards behind the engine to the ditch. Just about three feet from the ditch he backed into a little pile of dirt and rocks, slipped and fell upon his back, his body lying across the ditch which was partly filled with dirt, and before he could arise or even assist himself the tractor, which was traveling about three miles an hour came into the ditch upon him, the heavy frame crushing his chest and left side of his head. Death was instantaneous and so suddenly did the big machine come upon him that he never uttered a word or made an outcry after he fell.

As the motor was still running, Brauer sprung to the machine, switched the levers and attempted to pull the tractor off the body, but one wheel had dropped into the ditch so that it could not be done.

75 Years Ago

The Odessa Record

June 19, 1941

Rainy weather delaying harvest. Rainy weather this week is delaying the ripening of winter wheat and unless a change comes soon the harvest will be later then expected. Winter wheat heads are turning yellow and its kernels are in the dough stage. The stand everywhere is exceptionally good and, barring an electric storm or scorching wind, there is now plenty of moisture to mature one of the best crops ever raised here. While spring wheat is about two weeks later, it has grown in places higher than the winter wheat. It is all headed out and some farmers say it gives promise of an equally good crop. The last rain beat down much grain in draws, which raised after being flattened by the first storm.

Many go to 4-H Club Convention.

Fifteen 4-H club members entrained from here Sunday night on the nine- coach Great Northern special train for Pullman to attend an eastern Washington 4-H club convention held at the Washington State College. While there, they will room at dormitories and eat at the commons.

Eight of these boys and girls from Odessa, in charge of their leader, Merle M. Hood, were Viola Gross, Betty Laney, Richard Laney Wayne Walter, Maurice Weishaar, Billy Smith, Bob Praetorius and Bud Praetorius. The others came from the north district to take the train and included Wayne Watson, Charlie King, Jr., Clarice King, Wilbur; Ruth Christensen, Ivan Christensen and Betty Hoyt, Govan. The convention will close June 20.

50 Years Ago

The Odessa Record

June 22, 1967

Hospital auxiliary wants German recipes. Plans are well underway by the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary for compiling a cook book using favorite recipes from the homemakers for this area. Recipes now needed are in the following categories: pickles, salads, main dishes, vegetables, candies, jams and jellies.

All recipes should be turned in by July 15 to any Auxiliary member or Mrs. Kenneth Gudgel, cookbook chairman.

The Auxiliary is especially hopeful of collecting a number of German recipes used in this area, for example potato dishes, cottage cheese, homemade noodles, dumplings, homemade sausage , Pfeffernuesse and any other German favorites.

25 Years Ago

The Odessa Record

June 18, 1992

Youngsters, parents flock to new pool for grand opening. It wasn't exactly the kind of day that you'd say "let's go swimming," but even so the youth of Odessa and many of their parents flocked to the new water recreation facility for its dedication and opening early Sunday afternoon.

It was a temperate 65 degrees and overcast, threatening rain, which did indeed occur late in the afternoon. The new $400,000 facility, which includes four separate pools was ready Right up until the last minute, lifeguards and volunteer workers who had contributed much of the labor for the project, were sweeping and polishing it up.

The dedication ceremony was brief. Unlike the opening of Odessa's first swimming pool in 1928, there were no lengthy speeches and the band did not play.

Odessa town council member Carl Ryan, who headed the committee overseeing the construction of the facility, stood on the diving board of the main pool clad in swimming shorts. Beside him was Mayor Denny McDaniel, who cut the ribbon strung between the diving board railings.

'Safe and Sane' fireworks OKd in town on 4th. There will be no ordinance in Odessa restricting the use of fireworks on the fourth of July.

The Odessa Town council considered this proposal at its Monday night meeting but instead decided to let stand the "safe and sane" fireworks relgulation which has prevailed for the past 21 years.

Safe and sane fireworks are those which state law allows to be used anywhere. They include sparklers, firecrackers, and the like, available at authorized fireworks sale outlets.

Odessa has no fireworks sales outlet this year, and has not had one for at least the past three years. In Odessa and elsewhere safe and sane fireworks stands have been operated by civic groups as fund-raisers.

The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners earlier this month passed a resolution limiting the use of fireworks in unincorporated areas of Lincoln County to July 3, 4 and 5 this year. The ruling does not apply to incorporated areas. The commissioners cited extreme dryness and the high danger of fire in the county as the reason for the firework limitations.

The proposed ordinance which council members considered then dropped would have limited the use of safe and sane fireworks to July 1 to 5.

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 

Our Family of Publications Includes:

Cheney Free Press
Ritzville Adams County Journal
Whitman County Gazette
Odessa Record
Franklin Connection
Davenport Times
Spokane Valley News Herald
Colfax Daily Bulletin

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024

Rendered 03/25/2024 11:22