DAYS OF YORE: July 25, 2024

Days of Yore for July 25, 2024

10 years ago—

Fire from an errant weed burning project is suspected of causing the fire that did major damage to a storage shed at the Gilliam County Road Department facility in southwest Condon. A strong wind from the west pushed the flames through the long building causing considerable damage to the building. Larry Hardie’s quick response in activating the water truck prevented more devastation.

Jim and Diane Hassing and Nick and Cody Bettencourt represented the Condon Elks Lodge and the Lodges in the Northeast District July 13-17 when they journeyed to New Orleans, Louisiana for the 150th annual National Elks Convention. It rained all but one day, but that didn’t seem to hamper a good time.

25 years ago—

Some time ago, Darla Seale’s sister, Jane, was in Uzbekistan with a group assisting with medical aid for children. Country Flowers of here and a doctor on the trip combined to send 120 Beanie Babies with the relief workers for the children there.

The Columbia View Recreation Committee at Arlington is moving ahead in its plans to develop a nine-hole golf course at the south edge of the town. The committee is currently completing cost and feasibility studies, which have been funded through a Gilliam County Enhancement Fund grant. Land for the course was donated by Tom and Nancy Proctor. The committee overseeing the project anticipates opening the course for play in the spring of 2001.

50 years ago—

Kenna Shean is the new Director of Mental Health Services for Wheeler and Gilliam Counties. The two counties have budgeted the expenses so that Wheeler will pay 60% and Gilliam 40%. The Wheeler County Mental Health Clinic will be located in the old ASC office on the corner of 1st and Washington Streets in Fossil. There will also be an office in Condon in the Gilliam County Medical Center. Mrs. Shean and four of her six children will be moving to Fossil from Baker. Holly will stay in Baker for her last year of high school and Michelle will be attending Willamette University this fall. Bonnie, Valerie, Dierdre and Jerry will attend school in Fossil.

Mr. and Mrs. Marty McQuain became the new owners of the Condon Nursing Home July 1. The couple, at the present time, do not plan to make any changes in the operation of the home. McQuain is also football coach and shop instructor at Condon High School.

75 years ago—

Condon and Mayville citizens are reminded to keep a lookout for the fireworks display which is to be shot from the top of Mt. Hood Saturday and Sunday evenings July 30 and 31, by a group of mountain climbers.

Horses were trucked to the Roy Philippi El Paradise Rancho on Rock Creek Sunday by members of the Arlington Saddle Club to participate in a trail ride and general “get together”. Riding enthusiasts took the winding trail up Rock Creek and the less energetic remained at the ranch house to play cards. Later in the afternoon, there were exhibitions of jumping and roping with a side game or two of horse shoes.

Last Friday business took Dale Wood and Jerry Schreiner to the Antone country. However, their minds were diverted by the inviting fishing streams in which they claim, were fish “yeah long” and they didn’t even have a pin and a string to try their luck.

100 years ago—

“Let George do it,” is the city’s motto for the healing of these ugly wounds in the pavement on Main Street. George Parrish and George Stewart are getting to be experts applying the “black hot-stuff.” They are being very efficiently supervised by a large corps of interested citizens.

The Arlington Bulletin estimates the automobile traffic through that place at 1200 cars per day. In recent traffic census about 400 cars passing both ways were cars from outside Oregon.

From the Condon Times 1909—

A man named McDowell came to town with the news that Bill McIntyre, a former resident of Sherman County now living in Ferry Canyon, was dead in his cabin. It appears that McIntyre was working for A.K. York and having some dispute with his employer quit and went home to his cabin. York for some reason, phoned him there and getting no answer McDowell thought something was wrong, rode over on his horse and found McIntyre dead. He brought the news to town and notified the coroner and authorities of the occurrence, who took action at once to expedite matters and have everything ship shape and in order. Bill’s grave was dug in the cemetery and his coffin ordered from S.B. Barker, but when the coroner went out after the body he found Bill McIntyre’s abode in apple pie order and the corpse gone off to spend the 4th in Sherman County. Now what’s to be done? No one would care to be buried in a second-hand grave and the county will have all kinds of trouble to get rid of it even at half price. People who die are requested to stay dead in future and not incur all this unnecessary trouble and expense.