Love - The Odessa Record "By Your Relative"

Hi, here I am again.

Continued from last week “The Schibels.”

I asked Jeff Schibel what he remembered about the Batum grain elevators and who the closest neighbors were? His answer for the Batum grain elevators was “the “boxcars” the Odessa Trading Co. would load with grain and then have them taken west toward Moody Ruff, Moses Lake, Washington and for neighbors, there were the Webers, Finks, Heimbigners, Melchers, Kageles. Jeff also mentioned the railroad tracks were not maintain very well and before they were finally removed, the condition of the track and its road bed was deplorable..

Jeff also told me, the winter of 1964-65 was a one to remember. So I looked in The Odessa Record and discovered the following - Two articles in The Odessa Record - 1/7/1965:

(1.)“2 – 14 inches of Frost: The frost depth varies from two to 14 inches in this area, according to a survey taken yesterday by Soil Technician Hans Kraus. The ground is frozen but two to three inches under an average 10-inch snow cover in stubble fields, Kraus reports. In winter wheat fields, or fields held over for spring planting, the frost depth varies from 12 to 14 inches with but a six-inch average snow depth. Depending upon how the snow goes off, Kraus said, the tilled fields with deep frost could conceivably cause a heavy run-off in this area.”

(Note: In the L-B-D, the coulee did flood where the railroad tracks were located and the area around the elevators at Batum for sure. Jeff Schibel mentioned he remembers the snow depth around the farm to have been 24 – 30 inches while at Batum the water depth was at least 10 – 12 inches.)

(2.) “Worst We’ve Ever Had: Road conditions in this area of Lincoln county are ‘the worst we’ve ever had,’ Julius Winter, district I road supervisor, stated Tuesday. ‘There was just as much snow in 1949-50 but we could move it,’ he said.

The wet, heavy snowfall over the week end has taxed the county road crew of this district to capacity. Every piece of equipment and the full staff has been on the job since Saturday trying to clear roads which extend from the Grant county line to Mohler, and the Adams county line to one mile north of the Coffee Pot road.

Eleven to 14-hour shifts have been put in on road clearing, Winter said. He hoped to have at least one-way traffic lanes on all county roads served from Odessa by today. (Thursday).”

(Note: Jeff also told me they were without power at the farm for at least two weeks.)

Until next time.

Your Relative,

Spokane