This Week in Odessa History

100 years ago

Jan. 13, 1922

American Legion elects officers. The local American Legion boys held their annual election of officers at their regular meeting at the city council chambers Friday night and the following officers were elected to take charge of Rudolph M. Stumpf post for the ensuing year: Cecil E. Jenks, post commander; Joe P. Keller, vice commander; Jake Hopp Jr., adjutant; H.H. Rieke, finance officer; C.A. Bragg, Alex Kramer and Dave Greenwalt, trustees.

First new dollar. The first dollar of the new coinage was brought to the Record office Tujesday by Jake Hopp Jr. It had just come out from the mint in a small advance shipment to the Old National bank at Spokane, which forwarded one to their correspondent, the Union State bank of this city. The coin is called the “Peace Dollar,” and is a fine-looking one and was fully described in last week’s issue of the Record. One thing that all that saw it here missed is the broken sword that reports said was to be found on it. Mr. Hopp says that a large shipment of the new dollar will come to the west at an early date and then banks here will be able to supply their customers one or more of the coins for keepsakes if they wish them. General circulation of it will be limited somewhat for at least a year, according to the predictions of larger bankers.

Ritzville wins hard struggle. The Ritzville basketball team finally won one of the hardest contested basketball games ever witnessed on the local floor when it met Odessa Hi at the Community hall here Saturday night. Ritzville has beaten the boys in a former game 42 to 9 and got a flying start on this one, but by good teamwork and close guarding, the locals gradually crept up on the quintet from the south until they tied them. The game was everybody’s game after that, but near the close the breaks went to Ritzville, and the local boys lost with the score 21 to 16. As Odessa’s is a team composed entirely of first year men, while there were some lettermen on that of their opponents, the result is very gratifying to their coach and also their supporters among the townspeople. Everything now indicates that it will take only a few more games for the boys to get into the winning column and win their share of games when the conference series come on.

75 years ago

Jan. 9, 1947

The Odessa 4-H Beef club reorganized at a meeting at the Sol Walter ranch on Friday, naming Alva Gettman president, Mary Ann Smith vice president, Wayne Lenhart secretary and Myron Walter reporter. New members added to the club include Janice Fink, Charles Schoonover, Jerry Walter, Jon Walter and Roberta Walter. Elmer Gettman is the new leader and Sam Fink is his assistant.’

50 years ago

Jan. 13, 1972.

Liquor profits and taxes bring Odessa funds. The town of Odessa received $10,793 from the State Liquor Control Board last year as the city’s share of liquor profits and taxes generated by the state liquor system during the year ended June 30, 1971.

Lincoln county received $15,766.

The figures were disclosed today in the annual report issued by the State Liquor Control Board for fiscal year 1971.

The cities and counties in the state and state government itself shared almost $69 million in liquor profits and taxes during the 12-month period.

The total included $44.4 million to the state general fund to help pay for the state general fund to help pay for the cost of education, welfare, public health, public safety and other functions of state government. The cities of the state shared a total of $18.7 million. The 39 counties split a $4.7 million melon.

In addition, $1.1 million was handed over to the State Health Department to help finance its alcoholism program.

Tigers drop league openers in close contests. The Reardan Indians romped off to an 11-point half-time lead in the opening Bi-County league game here Friday evening, only to be tied by the Tigers 38-all in the closing minutes of the contest. The Tigers upset the Indians in the home contest last year, and nearly pulled it out of the bag again this year after trailing through three quarters of play. “Odessa played outstanding defensive ball throughout the game,” Coach Myron Kramer states. “Keith Stoney, Cody Miller and Greg Haase did an outstanding job of rebounding which favored the Tigers.”

Reardan’s big gun was Steve Telecky who bucketed 24 points of the 43 tallied by the Indians. High-point man for Odessa was Haase with 17 of the 41 total points for the Tigers.