This Week in Odessa History

Residents of rural Odessa are used to the post office’s daily mail delivery, but before September 1, 1911, farm families had to rely on general delivery, coming into town to pick up their mail.

The July 28, 1911, issue of The Odessa Record announced the coming of the new rural free delivery service. Two routes would serve Odessa. The Automobile, just coming into general use, made this possible.

The report follows:

Postmaster L.C. Weik has received word from the Post Office Department in Washington, D.C., that two rural mail routes will be established out of Odessa on September 1, both to have a tri-weekly service.

Route 1 will serve 49 families and beginning at Odessa runs in a southwesterly direction two miles to Weber’s corner, then south eight and one half miles to the Cordes place, then west two miles to Andrew Janke’s place, then north seven and three quarters miles to the Star Ranch, then northeast two and one quarter miles to the Weber place and back to the Odessa Post Office, covering a distance of 24 miles. This route will pay $560 per year, and the carrier will leave the Odessa post office at 10 a.m. , three days each week, returning at 5 p.m.

Route 2, services 66 families, is to be a loop route and starts at the Cordes place and runs south to the H.A. Schlichting place, a distance of 3.6 miles, then east three miles to the Congregational Church, then south 2.5 miles to the District 18 school house, then west five miles to the Mennonite Church, then north five miles to the Henry Derr place, then east two miles to the Henry Horst place, then both one mile to the place of beginnings, covering a distance of 22 miles. This route pays $520 a year and is the second loop route to be established in the state, the only other one of this kind now in operation being in Spokane County. The mail for this route will be delivered by the carrier of Route 1 to the carrier of Route 2 at the Cordes place at 12:30, returning at 6 p.m.

A civil service examination will be conducted by Postmaster Weik to select carriers for these two new routes.

100 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

July 26, 1912

The county superintendent’s annual report just completed by County Supt. Wm. U. Neeley is one of the most complete reports ever put out by that office.

The number of census children shows 5758 children between the ages of 5 and 21 years. The number enrolled is 4684, while the attendance is 3442, both items showing a substantial increase over last year. There are 142 school districts in the county, 134 being of the third class, 8 of the second class and none of the first class.

It requires 221 teachers to maintain the schools, at an average salary of $91.34 for men and $68.78 per month for women, these salaries showing an increase of 7 percent and 3 percent respectively over the salaries paid last year.

The average cost per child ranges from $18 to $355.95.

75 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

July 29,1937

The weather was hot in Odessa this week, but there was no means of establishing an official recording. A wind storm, crashing through town on Saturday night, swept away the structure housing the government instruments and broke both thermometers.

A striping crew that passed through town last week painted a brilliant yellow stripe down the center of the highway for the convenience of drivers. Owing to the heat of the pavement the stripe on the main corner here did not stand up, hardly showing at the present time. The stripe cost the city $35.

A large bullsnake wrapped around the knee-action of an automobile he was lubricating at the Central Service Station in Davenport, greeted Hugh Bumgarner. He did not see the snake until he was nearly through, and was startled when the reptile began to hiss and writhe.

25 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

July 30, 1987

The Odessa community float garnered more shiny reward at the Cheney Rodeo Days parade recently, where the local float earned the Mayor’s Trophy.

A two-hour open meeting called by the State of Washington Department of Community Development to discuss with interested area residents the impact of the Superconducting Super Collider drew fewer than a dozen last Thursday afternoon.

At the present time, at least 20 states have expressed interest in hosting the project. Those 20 will be pared to what is called a “short list” by December of this year-- and the Lincoln County sites is almost certain to be included on the short list.

10 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

July 25, 2002

Nearly perfect harvest weather brought the combines into the wheat fields this week, as growers looked forward to an average crop, but one that will be more marketable than in several years past.

Halme construction workers were right on time Monday morning, reporting for duty on Odessa’s First Avenue enhancement project. They began breaking up downtown sidewalks, some sections of which were nearly 100 years old.

The first phase of the project, removal of concrete and asphalt, is scheduled to be completed by July 30.