This Week in Odessa History

Odessa was late in getting electricity, not having illumination other than gas lights until August 1910.

Telephone service had come earlier, in June 1903, even before the town was incorporated when service was offered to 25 subscribers.

Among those, only three were residential subscribers, although all four saloons in town had telephones.

Connections with the outside world remained spotty until a long-distance circuit was extended to Odessa in 1910. However, one still could not make a call when the central switchboard operator decided to call it a day.

In October 1911, the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company began soliciting new business in Odessa so that the Odessa telephone exchange would furnish sufficient revenue to give 24-hour phone service to the community.

The Odessa Record gave this report in its issue of October 6, 1911:

Twenty-seven new subscribers were secured in the canvas of the town by E.E. Crandall, commercial agent for the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company. He was assisted by a committee appointed from the Odessa Commercial Club, which, when the phones are installed, will increase the total number in Odessa to 91.

The addition of this number of new phones to the system will necessitate considerable work, and as the poles on the principal business streets are already overloaded, it is probably that a cable will be stretched along three blocks on First Avenue to bring the wires into the central station.

The system will also be standardized throughout, as a majority of the old subscribers had signed contracts either for individual or two-party phones.

A list of the new phones to be added to the system include those in Dr. Lee Ganson’s office, J.M. Bond’s temperance hall, Weber & Reiman’s furniture store, Balmer & Ellis’ barn, Schoonover Brothers’ temperance hall, Joseph Kriegler’s real estate office, Sam Wo’s laundry, the Opera house, Palm Saloon and the farmers’ Home Saloon.

Residences which will have new phones include those of Dr Ganson, W.H. Weber, W.H. Becker, W.L. Chrysler, David Jasman, L. Benningson, L.M. Kastler, C. Yanke, Ed Koth, J.C. Michaelsen, C.M. Smith, W.L. Mosely, D.B. Schimke, L.G. Nuelsen, the Rev. J.R. Riester and Andrew Wagner.

100 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

September 22, 1911

Washington is the most healthful state in the Union, according to the latest figures issued by the Census Bureau, having the lowest mortality rate. The 1910 figures show that there were only ten deaths to each thousand population. The death rate for the country-at-large was fifteen per thousand. All Pacific Northwest states stand near the top. This is largely due to the fact that the people living here are mostly young and vigorous, or what the insurance world calls “picked risks.”

Lincoln County had a per capita deposit in banks of September 1, the date on which the call for state and national banks was issued, of $128.90, the aggregate deposits in the 13 banking institutions totaling $2,262,403.

Little wheat income of the present is represented in the September statement of deposits, which is an increase over that of last year.

The stability of the banking institutions of the county is emphasized by the fact that the deposits foot but 73 percent of the resources. There is reported by bankers small call for loans, harvest money having been provided for last month and present demands for money are easily met by the banks.

75 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

September 17, 1936

Although Odessa wheat growers should be cheered by the fact that wheat crop is better than former years and the world supplies and domestic hard wheat supplies are greatly reduced, the loss of the protein premium is causing much conjecture.

On August 1 the state crop was estimated to be 45,000,000 bushels. This was two million over the 1928-35 average. Production of all wheat in Washington, Oregon and Idaho is estimated at a nine percent increase over last year.

Fifteen men employed during the month of August in the predatory animal killing work, took 353 coyotes, 26 bobcats and five predatory bears, a total of 384 predatory animals.

From Olympia comes word that for the first time in Washington history, vehicles registered in the state have gone above the 500,000 mark. The total number of registered vehicles to date this year is 504,330, compared to 449,425 for the whole of 1935.

50 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

September 21, 1961

Saturday was the changeover to the new telephone numbers, and as expected, there was some confusion. Some called numbers from habit, forgetting the change. Others were confused by the many figures.

After the first day, trouble diminished rapidly and by now calls are generally correctly handled.

There was a general feeling that the new prefix system permits direct dialing of long distance calls. It had been explained that this would not be possible for some time, but eventually the new system would provide for it.

A Mantoux skin test will be given in the first and eighth grades this year. Through this method any new cases of tuberculosis may be found in the schools.

25 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

September 25, 1986

At the beginning of last Saturdays 16th annual Deutschesfest parade, crowds in the street as the colors came by. It was the start of an 85-minute parade of marching units, floats, cars and novelty acts, along with clowns and horses and bands, as nearly 90 entries trooped along First Avenue from the post office to the English Congregational church.

An annual fixture at the Deutschesfest celebration is the flea market, sponsored by the Odessa Coin Club and expanding over the years to take in much of Division Street south of First, along the school bus barn and parking area. Tables set up end to end stretch throughout the area, displaying paintings, jewelry, old books and magazines, and items of every description for sale. This was the Coin Club’s 20th renewal of the flea market predating the Fest itself by four years.

10 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

September 27, 2001

The Board of Commissioners of the Lincoln County Public Hospital District #1, accepted bids on Tuesday for the remodeling and expansion of the physical therapy and rehabilitation to the Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center.

Expansion of the physical therapy and rehabilitation unit will provide some much-needed space. There has been a 20 percent increase in patient load at the unit in the past year.

Odessa’s downtown enhancement project is on hold until next spring, as is the north portion of the Highway 21 realignment.

Mayor Carl Ryan said that the projects had been discussed at a meeting with Lincoln County engineer Bob Breshears and project engineer Brent Rasmussen.

Both the downtown beautification and the Highway 21 realignment plans are related.

At the same time, the combined projects along with a local improvement district will provide for new sidewalks, street lights underground wiring and irrigation systems and other amenities for the enhancement of three blocks of downtown First Avenue.