This Week in Odessa History

There was much excitement early in April when Odessa High School’s debate team won the state championship and the right to represent Washington in the national forensic contests in 1937.

Although it’s a forgotten activity, debate teams flourished among the high schools of the region, and Odessa often had a winning team. The national competition in 1837 took place the first week in May in Jacksonville, Ill., and if Odessa’s state champions were to attend, it would be up to the citizens of the community to send them there.

The Record reported the progress of a fund-raising campaign in its issue of April 6, 1937

The thermometer is broken! Through an intensive campaign, the town of Odessa has raised a fund to send its state championship debate team back to Jacksonville, Ill., to compete in the national forensic contests next month.

With the news that a team from Odessa High school had won the Washington state championship a committee from the Odessa Commercial Club was appointed to supervise the raising of money, and an appeal was sent out to all organizations of the town. Dances, plays and entertainments have been presented, with generous response, until the money has been raised to send the team east in a manner fitting their honor and giving ample opportunity to prepare debate material as they go. Starting the week with $571.60, the drive took on added speed in an effort to break the thermometer before publication this week (The Record had carried front-page weekly graphics representing a thermometer showing the progress of the drive). A donation from the Odessa Trading Company finished the drive that brought the fund over the top, now totaling $647.60.

Those who will make the trip include Superintendent (of Odessa schools) L.W. Lee and four members of the team, Holdine Busch, Florence Weber, Ann Schwabenland and Wilmar Luiten. Miss Weber is unique in that she had four years of debate experience, one of the few high school debaters in the nation to have accomplished that achievement.

100 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

April 5, 1912

The regular monthly meeting of the Odessa Commercial Club decided at Tuesday night’s meeting to ask the town authorities to provide for a clean-up day in the business district once each week, or at least once each month, setting aside a certain day for the work and asking the business men of the town to clean the streets in front of their places of business to the center of the road, and the alleys at the same time. The town will be asked to provide teams to haul away the rubbish after it has been raked up, and if this is done it is thought the business men will do their part toward keeping the streets and alleys clean.

A lively runaway occurred Thursday noon, when a team owned by Jake Wolsborn, a rancher living southwest of town, and driving by his son, aged 16 years, became frightened at Frank Fix’s motorcycle and went tearing down First avenue, with the boy tugging wildly at the reigns. The team soon got beyond his control, and turned the corner at Third street, upsetting the buggy and spilling the boy out, the buggy falling on top of him. Many rushed to the scene, expecting to find the boy seriously injured but he crawled out from under the wreckage, little the worse for his accident, while the team kept on going, headed toward home.

75 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

April 1, 1937

Odessa’s annual spring clean-up days will be on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 6 and 7, it was announced this week by Mayor Jno. C. Jantz. All residents will be expected to clean the streets adjacent to their property and have all rubbish removed to the city dump.

Confirmation services were held at the St. Matthew and Pilgrim Congregational churches on Sunday morning, with large classes at each.

At St. Matthew church a class of 16 received the confirmation exercise, in connection with a communion service. Those making up the class included: Dorothea Eckhardt, Laverna Lenhart, Virginia Weitzel, Dora Schafer, Florence Wacker, Joe Hardung, Lavine Hardung, Melvin Kissler, Lavin Cook, Harvey and Lester Lenhart, Arthur Wederspahn, Arthur Haase, Robert Schafer, Emil Roth and Lavon Giese.

At the Pilgrim Congregational church a class of 17 young people were confirmed with a communion service. Those forming the class were Elaine Deife, John Deife, Ruby Deife, Velmer Deife, Viola Hemmerling, Esther Jasmann, Virgil Kiesz, Emanuel Kuch, Bernice Lenhart, Phyllis Lenhart, Frederick Lenhart, Lydia Lenz, Irene Quast, Melvin Raugust, Wilma Raugust, Lillian Roloff and Stanley Weishaar.

25 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

April 2, 1987

The Odessa High School Knowledge Bowl team, which last year earned top spot among B schools in Spokane competition, tied for second place this year, coach-advisor Duane Pitts has announced.

Ken Weaver is the Odessa team captain. Other members are Shane Gilbert, Brian Neale, David Sayrs, David Nixon and Ethan Herdrick.

10 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

April 4, 2002

The long wait for the beginning of construction of the Highway 21 realignment may be coming to an end.

Difficulties with the state Attorney General’s office over Lincoln County’s plan for funding the final phase of the state route revision through Odessa have been cleared up, Lincoln County District #1 Commissioner Bill Graedel said Tuesday.

The opportunity for a potential pork grower/processing/export project for the eastern Washington region will come under discussion on Monday, April 15, at a meeting in Moses Lake sponsored by the Grant County Economic Development Council.

A pork raising industry is seen as a means for utilizing barley and other feed grains produced in the region.