Days of Yore for August 29, 2024
10 years ago—
Condon has a couple internet ‘stars’ in its midst. Mark Winslow and son Hunter can be seen ‘hunting’ on several internet advertisements for Danner boots. The two were filmed over several days near LaGrande earlier this summer. The theme of the ads is ‘passing on the tradition’ of hunting and quality footwear and the father-son duo adds to the idea. Pronghorn is the boot that is featured.
Jace Troutman of Arlington will represent Gilliam County this year at the Oregon Statewide Spelling Championship at the Oregon State Fair.
25 years ago—
Former Condon resident Paula (Grabenhorst) Derr has recently published an award-winning book on caregiving. Derr, a 1965 graduate of Condon High School, now a registered nurse and Providence Health System emergency services clinical educator at Portland, cared for her mother, the late Margaret Grabenhorst, until she died 12 years ago. That experience spurred Derr to write The Comfort of Home.
Diana Britt of Spray flew to Texas with Phil and Nancy Wilson to attend the graduation exercises at Texas A & M University which listed Kara Wilson as one of the graduates. Kara majored in journalism. Diana reported that the graduation ceremony came to a complete halt when Kara crossed the stage and approximately 16 professors hugged her.
50 years ago—
Leo Salee flew into Condon airport recently from his new home in North Plains. Mr. and Mrs. Howard Rice met their son-in-law and accompanied him back to his home. The flight was made in less than one hour. It was Mr. Rice’s first plane ride. They landed at the Salee front door as his air strip is on the west side of the house and his hangar joins on to the house.
Thieves broke into Asher’s Variety and hardware and heisted more than $1,000 in merchandise. Most of the merchandise taken was small appliances, chain saws, and ammunition. “They seemed to know what they wanted,” said Sherian Asher, general manager of the store. The burglars gained entry by using a bolt cutter to snap the lock on the front door.
75 years ago—
Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred Parman were flown to Condon by Carl Anderson to take their sons, Dick and Ronnie, who had been visiting the past three weeks with Mr. and Mrs. Alex Currie, home to Birkenfeld. However, they found they had a third passenger on the return trip, a chipmunk which Dick caught all by himself the Sunday before while picknicking above Fossil. Latest reports from Birkenfeld were that the chipmunk arrived safely and was quickly adapting himself to his new home.
“It’s legal,” reports Sheriff Harold Stinchfield, “to transport a body by auto from one place to another for burial, provided a permit is obtained first.” The sheriff received a report from a local service station that two men with a body had stopped in Condon to obtain gasoline and other supplies, and told the attendant the body was being taken to John Day for burial. Thinking it a little irregular, the sheriff was notified but before he could get to the station, the car was gone. Stinchfield checked with Coroner Geo. G. Gaunt and with the mortician, Marvin Albee, and learned it wasn’t unusual to move bodies in such a manner.
Title of article: “Dog Bites Champ”. The Gilliam County marble champion, Frank Bettencourt, was bitten on the leg by a dog while conducting funeral services for one of his pet pigeons. He was given first aid at a local doctor’s office and taken to The Dalles for anti-rabies shots.
100 years ago—
Walter Williams received a long distance call from Mrs. Williams who was then in Indianapolis, Indiana, more than 2000 miles distance. This, perhaps, is the most distant call ever made to Condon. Mrs. Williams is on her way home from New York.
Mrs. B.A. Froman and her daughter, Margaret left for Bonny Scotland. Their first visit will be to Mr. and Mrs. Finlayson in Glasgow. Then she will visit friends in the historic town of Blairgowrie, the old home town of many of the Scotch people of Condon. Then she goes to an aunt, Mrs. McKennon, on the island of Skye. Mrs. Froman has ordered this paper sent to her address in Glasgow.
From the Condon Times 1909—
Andy Greiner, a man that probably knows what he is talking about, estimates the wheat in the Mayville district to average 23 bushels to the acre. He says the barley crop is poor and will not exceed 20 bushels.
Leland Steiwer and Wm. Mathieson were over from Fossil in the Steiwer Locomobile on Friday morning. They came over in an hour and a quarter. They say but for loose rock they could make the trip in forty-five minutes.
Mr. Ames, the Ferryman at Arlington, saved two young men from drowning in the Columbia this week. The two boys were making the trip down the river in a canvas boat which upset opposite Arlington, throwing them in the water. Mr. Ames saw the accident and promptly put off to the rescue in a skiff. But for his timely action two more foolhardy idiots would have gone to feed the fishes as neither of the two boat occupants could swim.
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