This Week in Odessa History

100 years ago

April 30, 1920

The past week while a little cold nights has been fine growing weather for wheat and its progress has brought smiles to the faces of the farmers. There has not been enough wind to do any damage and another week or ten days will do away with any further danger from that source. Monday and Tuesday temperatures rose into the mid-70s. Since then the weather has been a little cooler and present conditions are favorable for showers or a general rain.

F.J. Guth, senior partner in the Odessa Hardware and Implement Co. intends to build a new garage on the Ganson and Brooks lots he has purchased. His business has grown to such proportions that its present quarters are no longer sufficient. The garage will be a concrete structure 75 x 125 feet with a full plate-glass front. When the garage is completed, the auto, truck and tractor product lines will be moved to the new building, while the old building will continue to house the hardware and implement product lines.

The commercial club will meet May 4 to discuss having the Great Northern No. 2 train stop in Odessa so that people could take an early train to Spokane, transact their business and return the same day.

75 years ago

April 26, 1945

The champion steer at the Odessa fat stock show Saturday was shown by Alva Gettman, who won last year and went on through to the championship of the Spokane Junior Livestock show

Odessa schools closed this week due to the mumps epidemic that has prevailed for several weeks. School will reopen next Monday.

Count the names in new telephone directory and you will find 13 more users in Odessa than there were one year ago. The total now served by the local telephone office is now 299.

50 years ago

April 30, 1970

Judy Haase of Spokane, daughter of Ulla Sivara, Spokane, and Harvey H. Haase, Seattle, was married to Jerry Burghard on April 14 in Albuquerque, N.M. Burghard had just returned after spending 22 months in Viet Nam. Mr. and Mrs. Herb Burghard attended their son’s wedding.

Odessa’s young, inexperienced trackmen tied for 8th place with 19 points in Ritzville’s 24-team annual invitational. Junior Ric Thompson placed second in the javelin and sixth in the pole vault to score nine points. Freshman Keith Cronrath led for 7½ laps to win the two-mile run by 150 yards in the excellent time of 10 minutes, 31 seconds, scoring 10 points. Spectators, athletes and officials broke into applause as he sprinted the last 220 yards, said coach Lee Boyk.

George Amen, resident of this area since 1893, died April 25 in the Ritzville hospital at age 90. He was born in Frank, Russia. His father died when George was two years old, and his mother then married George Lenhart. They came to the U.S., settling in Walla Walla in 1888. Amen married Anna Schafer of Odessa February 13, 1908. He is survived by his daughter Mrs. David Schoessler of Yakima, son Otto Amen of Ritzville, one sister Katie Weizel of Ritzville and three brothers, John Lenhart and Jacob Lenhart of Ritzville and Fred Lenhart of Odessa.

25 years ago

April 27, 1995

Bids ranging from $20,000 to $35,000 have been given by two firms to move Odessa’s historic flour mill to a new location. The mill is owned by the Odessa Union Warehouse Cooperative and faces demolition unless it is moved. The Odessa Economic Development Committee has assumed research on the relocation, including finding a site and determining the cost of moving it. The committee’s plans are to move the building a block away from its current location. The mill was erected in 1902 and contains 20-inch square, 40-foot-long, single-span timbers that support the building.

Spring Fling 1995 had many activities to offer: A wild horse adoption beginning at 8 a.m., a quilt show beginning at 9 a.m., special lab screenings at the hospital, yard sales all over town, a fish pond in the WWP building, arts and crafts in Old Town Hall, a car wash at the police station, a parade on Fourth Ave., games at Finney Field for all ages beginning at 11 a.m., a horseshoe tournament on the museum grounds beginning at noon, a BLM nature walk at Lakeview Ranch beginning at 1 p.m., family portraits offered at Old Town Hall beginning at 2 p.m., a horseback ride at Lakeview Ranch beginning at 2 p.m., a walking tour of historic homes following the portrait session, visits at the museum and St. Matthew’s historic church from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., face painting all day at Old Town Hall, Odessa Palettes painting sale all day, a BLM exhibit at Record Square all day and a dance in the community center from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.