This Week in Odessa History

Reported in The Record 37 years ago was an occasion of considerable significance to Odessa Post #7395 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars– its members had burned the mortgage.

The event had taken place at the annual Veterans Day dinner in the V.F.W. Hall. It signified the final payment of $1,000 on the V.F.W. Building, previously named the Finney Building, one of the oldest structures in downtown Odessa.

D.M. Hemmerling, a signer of the original mortgage on the building with Mr. and Mrs. Al Wagner, Bob Lubold Jr., V.F.W. commander, Larry Erichsen, senior vice commander, and Don Hasse, junior vice commander, participate in the mortgage burning.

The building was purchased in 1957 by the V.F.W. and the American Legion. Later, the V.F.W. took over the obligation. Other officers of the two organizations in addition to Hemmerling signing the original document were Rod Kittilson, Leonard Provost and Bill Richardson.

100 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

October 31, 1913

The people of the south part of Lincoln county will be given an opportunity of something worthwhile next week when the Washington State College institute is to be held in Odessa.

Prof. O.L. Waller, head of the civil engineering department of the state college, will give an illustrated lecture on road making. Good roads are something that southern Lincoln County needs, and needs badly. The stereopticon views which accompany the lecture make it doubly interesting and give pointers which could not be brought out clearly enough in a talk alone.

The Institute will take up a variety of subjects which are of especial interest to farmers which include Orcharding, Diversified Farming, Dry Farming, Seed Selection, Farm Irrigation and Sanitation, Dairying, Livestock and Disease of Animals. A moving picture outfit accompanies the institute as well as a Victrola phonograph and these are used to make the talks more interesting.

75 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 3,1938

A public meeting is announced for the Family theatre on Monday night at which time Sam Allen, Davenport, and Miss Kelly, Spokane, will speak on the welfare act.

The Odessa Consolidated school district sold five country school houses in Adams and Lincoln counties at public auction Saturday. The purchasers were Daniel Haase, Sam Schafer, George Hilner, C.L. Catlow and Walter Catlow.

G.E. Engle, county supervisor of the conservation program, announces that the Davenport office is ready to accept applications for heat loans on 1938 wheat. The amount possible to borrow is 49.2 cents per bushel. Applications cost $1.50 for warehouse stored wheat and $3.00 for farm storage.

50 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

October 31,1963

From the 1903 column of the Spokane Daily Chronicle we report this bit of pioneer Americana:

“There is to be one town in the Inland Empire wherein not a single saloon can do business and where not one drop of liquor can be sold.

“Babcock, Cornish & Co., of Spokane, who own the townsite of Irby, and who are the founders of the little town on the Great Northern, have adapted a novel method of handling the townsite.

“In every deed that is given for a town lot in Irby, in every deed that is given for a tract of land adjoining the town, the purchaser finds a clause inserted to the effect that ‘this property is never to be used for the sale of intoxicating liquors or for carrying on a saloon business.’”

10 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

October 30, 2003

Odessa might end up with three water reservoirs rather than two as a result of Monday night’s action by the Odessa town Council approving an amendment of the contract with USKH Engineering for the new south hill water tank.

This week, construction was nearing completion on the 158,000 gallon concrete water tank on the south hill.

The new north hill water tank proposed in the contract amendment approved by the Council would be a 99,000 gallon cast-in-place concrete tank, similar in design but smaller than the tank now under construction.

Both the new and proposed tanks will supplement the 500,000-gallon reservoir on the southwest hill.

25 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

October 27, 1988

Dr. Jim Cornell and PA Larry Sayrs alternates in driving a new extended care vehicle to Wilson Creek each Monday and Wednesday afternoon for mobile office hours, offering help from the medical community to our outlying area. Based at the Odessa Clinic, the van is equipped to handle all routine and some emergency-care needs of patients; the step is the first in moving medical care into communities without facilities.

At first just a suggestion, later a goal, and now appearing to become a reality; that is the assessment of a new swimming pool for the Town of Odessa, as seen by members of the Odessa Swim Pool committee.

An architectural proposal will include a cost estimate and suggestions for building an economical but durable pool.

A pool committee spokesman said the initial plan is to construct an indoor-outdoor facility that will be available for all citizens year-round. A local group has offered a donation if consideration is given to adding a racquetball court.