This Week in Odessa History

Several sites were considered for Odessa’s airport before the present location was chosen in the 1950s.

Small airplanes occasionally landed in Odessa ever since the days of World War I. The field west of Odessa Cemetery was one of the landing spots. At other times., planes came down on a flat area beyond the hill south of town, in the vicinity of the present Odessa Industrial Park.

None of these sites was developed. The light, single-engine planes touched down on bare earth.

Plans for an airfield were being considered in November 1930, and The Record reported these developments in its issue of November 14, 1930:

A committee of American Legion members composed of Commander T.F. Bresee, W.C. Raugust and J.P. Keller visited two locations they considered suitable for the aviation field the local Legion post had been trying to get for Odessa for more than a year. One of these tracts is on the hill just north and east of the town reservoir and the other on the A.A. King place south of the North Central Highway from the C.C. Dobson place eastward.

Neither of these locations are naturally as well situated as the one on the Gottleib Ramm place south of town. But the cost of either in its raw state is so much less than the price asked for the Ramm location that it is believed that the one selected can be improved to make fully as good an airport cheaper than the Ramm location. Besides, this would furnish a lot of work for Odessa men who need jobs in this time of business depression.

By virtue of being on the highway, the King land appears an ideal location, but just whether or not it will meet the specifications for afield has not been determined. To get such information accurately will require a survey of the different fields by a competent aviator who has experience in the selection of airports.

At their meeting Monday, Legion members made arrangements to secure the services of an aviator to make the survey and report his findings. The local post for several years has been saving money to sponsor an airport for Odessa, and at a recent meeting the Odessa Commercial Club pledged its support to join ex-service men of the community in purchasing land and developing a landing field.

100 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

December 6, 1912

The trial of Philip Ladley, charged with the murder of his wife, Jennie Brice, which will be held at the Odessa opera house Dec. 17 beginning at 8 p.m., promises to be an event of absorbing interest to the people of this community. The prosecution for the state will be handled by the well-known legal light, W.M. Nevins, while Lester S. Harrison, a promising young law student, will appear for the defendant. The judge’s chair will be filled by F.J. Hoagland, well-known to all. Many witnesses from Odessa and surrounding country, who are familiar with the facts of the case, will appear on the witness stand. The jury will be drawn from among Odessa’s most prominent citizens.

This is the first murder trial ever held in Odessa and is attracting wide attention.

The first bobcat to be presented to the county auditor for bounty by a woman in many years, if not in the history of the county, was brought to Davenport last week, by Miss Mary Bean Wright of Krupp, a teacher of that a vicinity, who killed the animal at short range with a rifle.

75 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 18,1937

With a fall precipitation of 2.95 inches of rainfall to date, the Odessa area goes into the winter with almost six times the moisture of last year, the rainfall to the end of that month showing only 51 inches.

An after harvest rain built hopes for a winter wheat crop and many seeded, to be rewarded with later rainfall that appears to assure a good crop.

From all the lakes around the Odessa area comes the message, “the ducks are coming back”, and a nationwide survey reveals this to be a fact.

In 1933, when the duck program was put into effect, it appeared that the days of the waterfowl were numbered. The sum spent in protecting the ducks was $20,000,000 and gave employment to many building dams and digging ditches. It is estimated that it will cost another $25,000,000 before the program is completed.

Evidences are that the restricted shooting will continue in effect for some time, in hopes of building the duck supply up to nearly former size.

25 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 19, 1987

A two-car derailment at the west edge of Odessa last Saturday blocked rail traffic through the area for more than five hours. Train crews removed the damaged cars after trains had backed up in both directions waiting for passage to clear.

No one was injured in the incident.

The Saturday derailment here followed five days after a similar incident at Marlin, where a derailed boxcar blocked the track overnight.

10 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 21, 2002

Odessa’s $400,000 downtown enhancement program was nearing completion this week, and a spokesman for the project said that its final phase – installation of new street lights – should be accomplished before Thanksgiving.

Approximately $101,000 for the project is coming from the downtown property owners’ local improvement district along with contributions for the Odessa Chamber of Commerce and the Odessa Lions Club. The remaining cost is being funded by the state Transportation Improvement Board and the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Four CDs, the album recorded by Odessa’s German band, the Oom Pas & Mas, will be awarded as door prizes at the 21st annual Christmas Fest on Wednesday, December 4.