This Week in Odessa History

For three weeks in November 1909 Odessa fretted over an act of charity which was reported to be coming its way.

The town of Palouse in Whitman County, according to Spokane newspapers, was sending a freight car loaded with fruits and vegetables for the farmers of the Odessa and Quincy areas.

The people of Odessa were indignant over the circulation of a report that there was a shortage of food, The Odessa Record reported in its issue of November 12.

No one seemed to have known how the story about poverty in Odessa got started. The wheat harvest had been on the short side that summer, but was far from being considered a failure, mayor Frank Guth was quoted in the Spokane Spokesman Review’s issue of November 11, denying reports of any food shortage in Odessa.

“Odessa people and the ranchers residing within a radius of 15 miles this year raised and have marked about 1.5 million bushels of wheat,” Guth told the newspaper. “Instead of being starved for vegetables, the people are enjoying prosperity,” the mayor declared.

But this didn’t stop the shipment from coming. The freight car was loaded by members of the Whitman County Farmers’ Union and sent off to Odessa.

There was no report on how the people of Quincy reacted. After the shipment arrived in Odessa, The Record gave this report in its issue of November 19:

The much advertised car of vegetables, donated by the farmers of the Palouse country at the insistent of L.C. Crow, state president of the Farmers’ Union, arrived last Sunday, billed to the local Farmers’ Union.

After a conference, the officers of the local Union decided to refuse the shipment, as they did not know of any farmers in this vicinity who needed vegetables or who were not well able to pay for them. The Odessa area has been blessed with good crops for several years, and taken generally, the farmers are far removed from want, the large deposits in the local banks showing that the community is in a very prosperous condition financially.

In every community there are a few improvident people, who live in the present and make no provision for the future, but here the number is very limited.

Outside of two or three poor families here in town, we do not know where any subjects for charity could be found. Least of all the farmer, who has grown rich from the products of the soil during the past few years.

The freight car still remains on the siding here. Agent Brown of the Great Northern Railway is at a loss to know how to dispose of the stock of vegetables he has acquired.

100 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 3, 1911

Miss Clara Weisgerber is now in the lead in the Odessa Princess contest, according to the count made by the committee at noon today. The contest closes at noon next Friday, Nov. 10 and the fortunate young lady will be entertained free during the week of the Apple Show in Spokane, besides being bestowed with many honors as a member of King Apple’s court. Other candidates running for the position are Miss’s Pauline Guth, Olga Preusse, Anna Rhuby, Mabel Nurnberg, Goldie Terrill and Mabel Spry.

75 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 5, 1936

Interest centers this week on a contest among high school and grade students, with $25 in prizes for the best essay entitled, “Why I Should Buy a Chevrolet.” The contest is in connection with the showing of the 1937 Chevrolet cars at 1:00 o’clock on Saturday. Adult visitors at the presentation will be given a chance to compete for a series of prizes.

The contest and presentation is being sponsored by the Odessa Trading company, Chevrolet dealers in Odessa.

A fire that broke out on the roof of the Burris home at Marlin during the absence of the family, defied all efforts to fight it and destroyed the home on Saturday night, a heavy wind causing a fire scare that called residents to call Odessa for aid. The flames burned the power line, throwing the town into darkness, and the heavy wind scattered sparks through the lumber yard and about warehouses, keeping the fire fighters busy.

In response to the call here, Mayor Jantz drove to marlin, remaining there until late in the night, aiding in guarding company property there.

50 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 9, 1961

The first snow of the season fell during Thursday night to greet Odessa people with a white Friday. Daytime temperature soon removed all traces of snow.

Weather has continued at the freezing level, and accompanying winds drove the chill into protective clothing. There has been a trend toward warming weather, about normal for the season.

Five concrete fallout shelters are being built in a group project by the Kagele brothers at their separate ranches. Plans not only provide for the shelter, but make the structures usable as root cellars and similar farm needs.

The cemetery 14 miles southwest of Odessa in the Scheller and Kiehn neighborhood has been cleaned up, the sand piles removed, grounds leveled, sprinkled and grass seeded. The fence has been replaced with steel posts and new wire.

Time and equipment has been furnished by Jake Kiehn, Roland Schafer, Reuben and Walter Scheller.

25 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 6, 1986

A proposed retirement center in Odessa has caught the interest of a group here and research continues into the project.

Efforts are underway to determine the feasibility of developing such a center locally, where the primary objective would be to provide pleasant surroundings for local retirees.

Keeping costs under control is a primary concern to the group.

The spokesman pointed out the entire community of Odessa would benefit from the existence of a community center here. “Hopefully, it would draw retirees from other areas as well.”

10 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 15, 2001

Veteran’s Day was observed last Friday with spirit and enthusiasm at two assemblies attended by the entire student body of the Odessa schools.

This year, with the national emergency very much on the minds of everyone, the patriotic occasion had a special meaning for school children.

Governor Gary Locke will attend a celebration marking the opening of the Odessa Industrial park on Friday, December 7.

The celebration, in addition to a ribbon cutting and open house at the North Basin Seed plant, will welcome to Odessa Kevin Heinen, the operator of the seed cleaning and processing facility the first tenant in the industrial park.