This Week in Odessa History

Three persons were killed in a fiery airplane crash 79 years ago in Farrier Coulee, 19 miles southwest of Odessa. The accident, which occurred on November 12, 1934 ,. was the Odessa area’s first air disaster.

Here is the report in The Odessa Record of November 16, 1934:

“Burned to a crisp when their airplane crashed, burst into flames and was destroyed in Farrier Coulee. Monday afternoon at 2:15 , the bodies of Three Wenatchee men were found and were taken to Ritzville and later to Wenatchee after identity had been established.

“The three men were identified as barnstorming pilots Arthur Brennan and Earl and Doc Archers, all of Wenatchee. None was a licensed pilot.

“Odessa curiosity seekers visited the wreck on Monday evening and brought back to town an identification plate from the plane body, which declared it to be a Waco Model 10.

“These men, who had worked in the apple harvest, had purchased the plane at Wenatchee and were on their way to Kentucky to visit relatives.”

100 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 14, 1913

On the first of next March, Odessa and Lincoln county citizens, who have annual incomes sufficient to bring them under the scope of the new income tax law will be called upon to pay their pro rata of the tax. The income tax law applies to all men who have income above the exemption limit. For instance, if a man is a bachelor and has an income of $4,000 he will be required to pay one percent on $1,000 or a tax of $10 to the federal government.

Just what the procedure will be made in collecting the tax is not yet announced but it is considered probable the internal revenue collector will send an agent over the state between now and March 1 to list the probable payees of the income tax.

75 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 17,1938

Special services will be held at the English Congregational Church on Sunday morning on the 25th anniversary of the organization of this church.

In the year of 1913 many people of the Odessa community gathered to organize a church to be associated with the Congregational churches in the state of Washington. On November 16, 1913, the Rev. W.S. Pritchard of Spokane arrived to take charge of the work.

In January officers were elected and departments organized to complete the organization of the church. Ministers who have served since include the Rev. J. Charles Evans, the Rev. W.L. Zabel, the Rev. W.C. Rhea, the Rev. George Glasspool and the Rev. M.J. Galle.

The cold weather of the past week was broken this week with the coming of March-like weather. Bright sunlight, with warmer winds, broke the freezing temperatures, although frost is still reported at nights. In parts of the country where snow had fallen the warmer weather cut the snow, exposing bare ground.

Farmers are worried over the winter wheat left exposed to the cold, even though welcoming the freezing as a relief from the insect pests of the past season.

50 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 14,1963

One of the proudest moments in Washington history occurred on November 11, 1889, when the newly created State of Washington entered the Union as the 42nd state.

Among the early ranchers at the time in the area were such men as Fred Geissler, B.J. Lyons, George N. Lowe and others who remained to become well-known residents.

Statehood was a big step. Gone were the days when the long lines of white canvas covered wagons moved in column across the plains toward Washington Territory.

The 1890 census showed there were then 349,390 people in the new state. Laws were needed and Governor Elisha P. Ferry, our first governor, met with his legislature. For 143 days these men toiled and studied, emerging with 174 laws to form Washington’s first statutes.

The young state embarked upon a program of progress, with colleges and institutions to care for its people.

About the time of Washington’s statehood the gold rush to Alaska was on, and in 1900 the census showed the state at 418,103. In 1910 it had climbed to 1,141,990.

With the coming of the railway, settlers began to arrive and Lincoln county went through a change from cattle to wheat.

The early Lincoln county residents cast their statehood ballots at the Crab Creek post office, 12 miles northwest of Sprague, central site for mail for this large area.

10 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 13, 2003

Odessa has the possibility of creating an historic district to preserve historic buildings and to offer tax relief to property owners wishing to make improvements in historically significant structures.

Representatives of the Certified Local Government (CLG) Program, a state and federal partnership which received appropriations from the Historic Preservation Fund, and Eastern Washington University, were in Odessa to look at some of Odessa’s commercial buildings and residences and to confer with town officials on a plan for preserving the town’s unique historic appearance.

When CLG programs are adopted and followed, communities find that they can bring not only economic growth but also are the key to a well-structured downtown area that can help promote business and tourism.

25 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 10, 1988

It was the end of an era at mid-week, when the new owners of the property most recently used as a Halloween haunted house took steps to clear the lot. The Voise family will erect their sausage-manufacturing plant on the site across First Street from the Deutsches Fest sausage booth; the building at one time housed Strate Funeral Home’s local facilities.

Dr. John F. Gahringer of East Wenatchee was one of a dozen photographers from around the state named as winners in the 1988 Washington Centennial Photo Contest in Spokane last month. Gahringer is known here for photographing historical and community progress subjects.