Looking Back

100 years ago

Guy G Harvey, district highway engineer, told the Davenport city council that the state might pave the Sunset Highway between Davenport and Reardan next spring and asked what the city would charge to provide the expected 40,000 gallons daily during the project.

C.E. Ivy, secretary-treasurer of the Lincoln-Adams County Pioneer and Historical association, attended a meeting of directors at the picnic grounds on Crab Creek and reported that the creek is entirely dried up for the first time in history.

Two Odessa girls and another who has lived here for a year or so have graduated from Cheney Normal School. Miss Edna Weber, Miss Martha Deife and Miss Marie Weitz have all secured teaching positions in the area.

75 years ago

A grass fire from a tiny start west of Odessa was spread by fanning winds despite the efforts of all of the town’s fire trucks. The fire also destroyed a structure supporting the 110,000 volt transmission line from the Stratford substation.

Commissioners of Adams, Lincoln and Ferry counties met in Davenport and named Representative W. C. Raugust of Odessa to succeed John H Robertson as state senator from the eighth legislative district following his resignation to head a state department.

Davenport elevators are still short of the expected million bushels so far this season. Harvest in the area is about 90% complete. At present about 15,000 bushels are coming into Davenport daily.

50 years ago

New Principal at Davenport High School, Wally Pfeiffer, is settling into his new position. He and his wife are excited to be back in a small town after living in Moscow ID.

Three additional patrol cars will be on the road by the first week of September. Lincoln County Sheriff Don Forbush said that the cars were purchased from the Washington State Patrol at a “considerable savings.”

The Odessa School Board entertained a request to delay the start of the school year due to the delayed harvest. Ultimately the Board decided that school would start as scheduled and that any student who misses class due to working will be able to make up any missed work.

25 years ago

Results of a recent tobacco compliance check in Ferry, Lincoln, Stevens and Pend Oreille counties are in and our region had 84% compliance. Of all the counties checked, Lincoln had a compliance rate of 80%, the state average.

Members of the Odessa City Council were shocked by a letter from Public Works Director, Robert Breshears, that stated he would not approve funding for the Highway 21 realignment project. Breshears encouraged the council to reevaluate the ir options for realignment. County Commissioner Bill Graedel said he would be contacting the State’s County Road Administration Board which arbitrates controversial road matters.

The Lincoln County 4-H Drill team will entertain during this year’s county Fair and Rodeo. The team was started as part of a Horse Camp under the direction of Lydia Widmer and includes 12 members from Odessa.

10 years ago

Davenport Resident Phyllis Ziemer celebrates her 99th birthday party during dinner at the Davenport Retirement Village. She was also celebrated during regular services at Zion Lutheran Church.

For the third consecutive week Lincoln County was hit by strong thunderstorms. The area was hit with 60 mph wind gusts. The same storm produced a rare haboob in the Ritzville area which caused very low visibility.

36 Odessa area youngsters attended a two week Chef Camp. Campers learned about cooking from scratch, nutrition and organic gardening practices. The camp was funded by a grant obtained by the Odessa School District.