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This Week in Odessa History

The wheat crop of 1930 in the Odessa area was the worst in history up to that time, but it was only the beginning of what was to be four tragic years of crop failures, drought and depression.

The nation was just beginning to experience the Great Depression, which would go on until the middle of 1934. By 1930, wheat prices had fallen to a 25-year low and would sink even lower by 1932 to only 32 cents a bushel.

Here is a report which appeared in The Odessa Record on July 4, 1930, telling of prospects for that year:

The wheat crop of the Odessa country is the shortest in history this year, the southwest district, where seeding was early and the finest stand of grain ever seen there came on so rapidly that hopes were held for a bumper crop, is hit the hardest. In parts of that section, for the first time since the land was broken up from sagebrush, the crop is very close to a failure. In some places there, farmers now admit their harvest will not bring enough wheat for seed feed.

The cause of this was two killing frosts, which hurt their wheat just as it was coming out of the boot, with insufficient moisture to bring it out again. After the rains started, enough water fell to give the southwest district more moisture than it has had in two years but it came just a little too late.

As one comes north and east, where the crop was not so far advanced, the wheat stood the frost better. In a few cases, farmers say they will have as much wheat as they had last year, but in general the yield in the Odessa country will be less than the crop of 1918, which until this season was the shortest crop in history. The cool weather since the rains is maturing the wheat which remains, so that it will be in excellent quality. Even that which is now being cut in the Ruff district is said to be grading Number 1.

John C. Jantz, manager of the White-Dulaney Company warehouses in this area, says there will be very little wheat sold by farmers in the south district. He says that he doubts if the company’s Ruff warehouse will draw any wheat this year. At Wheeler, where Dills Bros., and others have corps which will go about 5 bushels to the acre, there will be only a few carloads handled. Moody, Lauer and Schoonover houses will also ship a little wheat.

Mr. Jantz owns several farmers in what appears to be the hardest hit section near Ruff, and he is afraid he may have to buy some seed wheat to seed the land for the next crop. Farmers now are cutting their wheat with headers. They are hurrying up with the work so as to be able to do some work in harvest elsewhere.

100 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

July 5, 1912

In 1911 there were issued in the State of Washington,12,135 marriage licenses, as is shown by figures taken from the reports of the counties on file with the state bureau of inspection. This would be an average of more than 1,000 marriages each month or 250 each week, while estimated on the population of the state the ratio of marriages would be about one to every fifty persons in the state.

75 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

July 17,1937

Fred Lenz, youth of the Marlin area, can state that he does not fear a rattlesnake bite, it became apparent this week, when it was reported he had been bitten by a rattlesnake 10 days ago and suffered no material ill effects. When bit he was wearing heavy boots and the fangs of the snake penetrated just deep enough to mark his leg, without breaking the skin. The bite was given care at home and no ill effects resulted.

25 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

July 2, 1987

Seventh district state senator Scott Barr was named late last month to a committee of business and labor leaders, educators and politicians who will advise Gov. Booth Gardner on the state’s proposal to locate the Superconducting Supercollider in eastern Washington.

The site proposed lies in Lincoln County, part of Barr’s congressional district.

Gardner said June 24 the committee will provide overall guidance for the preparation of the proposal to the US Department of Energy to locate the $4.4 billion project here.

10 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

July 4, 2002

This is the time of year we are confronted with rattlesnakes who are looking for shade and water. They wander into the residential areas to keep cool in the grass, around buildings and under porch steps, and that is where they become a problem.

Sitings have been going on now for at least a month. The old timers in town are used to these intruders.

The best advice is always look where you are walking, look over your lawn and flower beds carefully and if you decide to sit on the front or back porch, make sure you don’t have a friend coiled up along side you.

 
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