This Week in Odessa History

100 years ago

From The Odessa Record

August 6 , 1915

The 18-day subscription contest of the Odessa Record closed last Monday evening after one of the most successful campaigns for new subscriptions ever held in this country. Miss Martha Schafer was the lucky winner of the diamond ring, and Miss Rose Lowe won the bracelet watch, each of these contestants having well up toward the million mark in votes. Maggie Deife was third, Trella Finney fourth, Hilda Schatz fifth, Emma Ruff sixth and Mrs. J.V. Ott seventh. Practically 200 new subscribers are getting the Record for the first time this week and this means that the paper has at least 800 readers each week. Our bona fide subscription list is now undoubtedly the largest of any of the small town publications in the Big Bend.

R.M. Kelly slugged by hobo. When returning home at 9 o’clock last Monday evening from a meeting of the city council R.M. Kelly was slugged by an unknown person just as he was on the approach of the Third street bridge across Crab creek and he fell to the embankment five feet below as a result of the blow. In a bewildered state Mr. Kelly managed to reach home where he was unable to give an accurate account of what happened until he had been under care of Dr. Mitchell for some time. The assailant, however, failed to get anything from Mr. Kelly, it being thought that he, or they, took flight from three approaching automobiles. The blow was a most severe one and was squarely on the back of the head, it opening up the scalp to the bone in three bruises each an inch long. He was confined to his home for several days after the assault.

Storm damage. Odessa was visited by one of the heaviest wind and dust storms in recent years last Monday evening about 8:30, following an oppressively hot day. The storm came from the southwest and traveled with such high velocity that several windmills were blown off and the barn of Gottlieb Hemmerling, north of town, was moved from its foundation. The greatest damage was done to standing grain. Some farmers report quite a heavy shattering of grain from the wind. In some places, standing grain was blown down. The power lines near Harrington were put out of commission and lights were off for the night and until noon the next day.

75 years ago

From The Odessa Record

August 8, 1940

Reject bids for play field. Bids were opened Saturday night for the play ground work, with one bid, that of Schauerman brothers. The bid, approximately $7,000, was rejected as beyond estimates. The board is now engaged in a revision of plans, seeking a more economical structure for the grandstand. As originally drawn by the engineer, too much material and workmanship were called for, leaving little for completion of the remainder of the field. The new plans will include the features of the rejected plans, including shower and dressing rooms, public rest rooms, and large seating capacity, but will be of simplified construction.

Commerce Club to meet. The Odessa commercial club will resume its regular meetings on Wednesday, following a five-week vacation period, and will immediately take up the matter of a fall festival. Every merchant and rancher is reminded of the starting of meetings and urged to be present by the president, E.J. Wachter. Plans for the festival will be revealed by H.H. Strate, in charge of the trade day committee, who has had several committees at work on preliminary plans. As outlined by the committee in charge, the club will have offered its plans for a one-day celebration, with activity every moment of the day. One of the features will be a series of boxing matches, another a wheelbarrow race between business men, carnival attractions, singing, horseshoe contest, contests for women and other fun features.

50 years ago

From The Odessa Record

August 5, 1965

School was slated to begin August 30 with enrollment at 533 students (271 elementary, 91 jr. high, 171 high school). Faculty members were first grade, Mildred Bosma and Betty Holman; second grade, Doris Goetz and Aileen Swenson; third grade Jackie Eide and Colleen Becker; fourth grade, Elsie Schauerman and Verna Mae Walter; fifth and sixth grades were combined and taught by Norman Erickson, Leland Boyk and Mildred Deife. In the junior high, teachers were Donald Andrews (science), Phil Roth (math), Judy Zagelow (English), Gerald Ray (social studies and P.E.). Roth also taught ninth-grade algebra and Zagelow taught junior English. High school teachers were Patrick Watson (math, chemistry), Anona Heimbigner (English), Jonah Heimbigner (Wash. state history, German), Betty Updike (home ec., English), Lou Iksic (industrial arts, English), Oscar Undeberg (history, biology), Allen Johnston (music).

Administrators were C.P. Holm, elementary and jr. high principal; Al Latimer, high school principal; Homer Reed, superintendent. Janitors were Art Schauerman, Bob Marshall, Henry Reihs and Henry Seibel. Bus drivers were Fred Scrupps, Reuben Heimbigner, Sam Homberg, Earl Iverson, Edwin Jasman, Eddy Kern, Ed Stehr, Walt Winter and Stan Wraspir. Cooks were Maude Giese, Carol Seibel and Pat Reister with noontime help from Nellie Hammerling.

25 years ago

From The Odessa Record

August 9, 1990

The Great Campout was held Friday evening in the town park, and by late afternoon tents were springing up in all corners. Youngsters under the supervision of Odessa Summer Recreation Program director Becky Coe were scurrying from one activity to the next, and in the barbecue-pit area helpers were activating the old charcoal, getting ready to prepare the evening meal.

10 years ago

From The Odessa Record

August 4, 2005

Basin Asphalt of Moses Lake took out some pavement as well as installing it on Odessa streets. Drivers of two empty semis which had brought bulk asphalt to the Highway 21 realignment project mistakenly took the wrong road out of town on their way back to Moses Lake. They traveled south on division from First Avenue, where trucks are allowed for local deliveries only. The first semi made it around the corner at Division and Third Ave., but the second snagged a huge boulder placed inside the cub and also knocked down a tree.