From the Dayton Chronicle archives

Ten Years Ago

March 13, 2013

James Moyer has been named director of Washington State University's Agricultural Research Center. He will also serve as associate dean for research for the College of Agricultural, Human and National Resource Sciences. Moyer, a native of Dayton and an alumnus of WSU's agronomy program, is a renowned plant pathologist, and has focused his research on virology – particularly, the population structure and dynamics of tospoviruses.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

March 11, 1998

Jack Dieringer displayed the new admissions box that he made and donated to the Depot.

Local author Reverend Bob Shields wrote stories for others as well as himself. Shields claims writing is in his blood. In 1970 Shield and his wife Grace began a ghost writing business out of their home. Working for a Florida-based literary agency and a New York agent, they and their staff, reworked or wrote from outline more than 3,000 manuscripts. In 1980 the Shields' founded Manuscripts International.

Fifty Years Ago

March 15, 1973

Bill James, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ross James, has been serving for the past six months aboard the USS Ramsey in waters off Vietnam. James is serving a four-year enlistment, his wife Jean and their two children, have been living with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Doug McKinley.

Eight Future Farmers of America crops judging teams are expected in Dayton for the Crops Judging contest to be hosted by the Dayton Chapter and members of Columbia County Crop Improvement Association. At the contest held at Central Valley, Mark Thorn was third-high individual scored 943 out of a possible 1,000, Mary Sue Evers succored 909, Wes Harting scored. 848

Seventy-Five Years Ago

March 11, 1948

C.J. Broughton, owner of the nationally famous Wheatland Shorthorn spread of Columbia County, announced the sale of a bull, Wheatland Brigadier, to Jim Short of Redmond, Ore., for the sum of $5,000. The bull, a half-brother to the grand champion of the Spokane show, Wheatland Monarch, which set a record for the Old Union Stockyard show bring in a record price of $4,200.

Cliff Hinkley of Lewiston and Bob Hansen, stockman from California, looking for pasture due to the drought in California, contacted Fred M. Norris, who located pasture for 1,000 head of cattle.

Greg Kohn, representing the Marsh Aviation Company, has been seeding Sweet Clover for George Canright 168 acres, Roy Eslick 100 acres, Bill Payne 100 acres and Carl Penner 100 acres. This is the first try for the sweet clover project.

One Hundred Years Ago

March 10, 1923

Basking on the warm rocky slopes of the Yakima River canyon, a clan of 123 rattlesnakes were suddenly sent writhing and twisting in death agony over the sliding shoal when their home was disrupted by a blast of dynamite in the interests of government road building a shorter and better route from Yakima to Ellensburg through the Yakima River canyon.

Rules for Buying Tractors: The United States Department of Agriculture advises farmers not to purchase tractors unless they will be able to do at least one of the following things: (1) reduce the number of work stock; (2) reduce the amount of hired help; (3) increase the acreage cultivated; (4) increase the amount of crops produced on acreage now under cultivation.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

March 12, 1898

Immigrants for Washington - New York: The Steamship Kaiser Wilhehn der Grosse from Bremen brought 605 steerage passengers, the officials at the immigration bureau to be the most desirable company of first-class passengers that has arrived. Every man in the party had from $2,000 to $4,000 and are bound for the Dakotas and Washington.