This Week in Odessa History

100 years ago

July 29, 1921

Harvest is well underway all over the Odessa country and the yields are turning out even better than anticipated during the critical time about three weeks ago. In some localities the yield is no better than last year, but the general average is much better, and conservative men like W.L. Smith now predict a general average of about 15 bushels an acre. Wheat hauling has begun, and Sol Reiman, manager of the Odessa Union Warehouse company, reports that wheat is rolling into all of his company’s stations – Odessa, Irby, Lamona, Nemo, Lauer and Schoonover – and that they will start shipping new wheat. Wheat price is currently $1/bushel.

Batum wheat yield good. W.C. Raugust, the Batum grain and lumber man, was a Record office visitor last night and reports harvesting well along in his vicinity. The yield is much better than anticipated a month ago. Jacob Schaal, who had just finished cutting a quarter section, reported having got 1,100 sacks from it. His warehouse is taking in over 200 sacks a day and it is grading well.

Pioneer Picnic reduces surplus. In order to meet the expenses of the 1921 Pioneer Picnic, it was necessary to dig into the $3,854 cash surplus on hand to the extent of $1,883, according to the report of the secretary C.E. Ivy. The receipts, with the cash balance, totaled $10,345. The disbursements were $8, 373, leaving a surplus of $971. Gate admissions were $3,063 and dance hall receipts $1,567.

75 years ago

July 26, 1946

Plans to complete the Odessa curb lighting system were given an additional boost last week when the city council issued a call for bids for the materials required. It is intended to renew the entire street lighting system of the community. Improvements continue to be apparent along Main street, among them a new neon sign at Suko Motors, venetian blinds to replace the old awnings in the bank building and several newly painted store fronts. Residential properties continue to expand with carpenter crews busy in all parts of town. This week a house was moved to town by the J.B. Odell family in which Mrs. Odell’s parents plan to make their home, coming here from Montana.

50 years ago

July 29, 1971.

With winter wheat, both red and white, being harvested to capacity at this time, yields are running from 40 to 55 bushels per acre on dryland fields. It is not uncommon to hear of yields nearly double that of an average year. In the Ruff area, one farmer who normally averages 12 to 15 bushels/acre on one piece of ground, cut 28 bushels/acre this year. North of Odessa another farmer reports 44 bu/acre of Moro, about double the normal yield for that field.

Mike Hutsell is new town marshal. Mike Hutsell, a deputy sheriff in Lincoln County assigned in recent months to the Odessa area, has resigned his position the county to accept employment with the Town of Odessa as town marshal. He will take over August 1, it is reported. Art Winter will continue to serve the community on a part-time basis. Since the rock festival and the resignation of Ray Buxton, the town has been served by Mike Hutsell and other sheriff’s deputies on call. Bob Gilbert and Duke Wraspir have been on night patrol.

Notices have been sent out by the town as a result of residents registering complaints about vacant and other properties on which weeds have been growing and on which debris has been piling up.

25 years ago

July 25, 1996

Assisted-living units expected to be ready in 1997. Plans for Lincoln County Public Hospital District’s 10 to 12 assisted-living units call for the facility to be constructed and ready for occupancy in the summer of 1997.

The state Department of Ecology announced this week it has approved Odessa’s Wastewater Facility Plan specifying a treatment plant for the town’s proposed sewer, which will discharge treated effluent into Crab Creek. Ecology praised the proposed treatment plant as being able to “do a good job of treating the wastewater” and being able to satisfy water quality requirements. On July 1, in a stormy meeting during which citizens had presented a petition “requesting, encouraging, recommending and directing” the Odessa Town Council to get on with the sewer project without further delay, the Wastewater Facility Plan was approved by all but one council member.

Retirement living is committee’s goal. “Our job is not yet done,” said Odessa Senior Housing Committee executive board chairman Riley Allen. The hospital district is addressing one segment of Odessa’s senior housing program, and we’re looking at others.” Allen was speaking at the committee’s meeting last Friday when the organization discussed its future direction and immediate plans. Both he and District #1 County Commissioner Bill Graedel expressed the need for housing in Odessa “at the next level down.” This they defined as retirement living quarters for seniors who don’t need nursing home care and who don’t require assisted-living accommodation.