From the Dayton Chronicle archives

Ten Years Ago

February 19, 2014

The 2014 Columbia County Fair Hostesses have been selected to represent the county: Haley Jo Puckett, 16, daughter of B.J. Garcia and Amanda Dobbs; Stephanie Nerf, 16, daughter of Belinda Cook and a student at Waitsburg High School; Sam Sweetwood, 15, daughter of David and Leslie Sweetwood; and Carissa Price, 15, daughter of Derrick and Zandra Price.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

February 17, 1999

Gov. Gary Locke visited Port facilities here in Dayton and voiced his commitment to help economic growth in rural sections of Washington State, and opposition to any plan which would require the removal of the dams from the lower Snake River.

Julia Mead, co-chairperson of Citizens for Community Projects (CCP), the group which is building the Youth Athletic Complex, and co-chairman Jack Himmelberger, updated the City Council on work that has been completed. When the project started, the estimated value of the athletic complex, located along the Touchet River dike between the youth ponds and the hospital, was $175,000. Two hundred ninety people have donated 630 hours of labor to build the two athletic fields and cash donation so far are $26,000.

Fifty Years Ago

February 21, 1974

Chuck Amling, chairman of the Lions Sight Clinic, announced the telebinocular testing of elementary school children started on Monday. The testing will be conducted by members of Dayton Lions Club and/or their wives who have been specially trained to test for problems in four major fields of sight, convergence, far point and near point, and perception.

A newspaper drive, a joint project between the Lions and Explorer Post 332, is planned for a later date, the local residents are asked to start saving their old newspapers and bundling them. The paper drive will be conducted as it was during the World War II.

The second joint project between the Lions and Explorers got under way with the cutting of 50 cords of apple firewood and will be available for residents who wish to purchase the firewood.

Kristy Boggs has been named Dayton High School 1973-74 Betty Crocker Family Leader of Tomorrow, winning the honor by competing with other seniors in the written knowledge and attitude examination. Kristy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Boggs, is now eligible for state and national honors and has received a specially designed award from sponsor General Mills, Inc.

Gasoline Shortage-Residents of Walla Walla are getting behind an effort to get back 500,000 gallons of gasoline a month that has been lost by the closure of 20 stations in that area the past two years.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

February 17, 1949

Wednesday afternoon and night, a chinook nearly isolated Dayton, as flood waters raged in the streets. As it has been in more than a decade, flood waters were on the rampage, showing a lack of a needed drainage system in the Dayton streets, with the greatest volume coming down Mustard Hollow ditch. The Sixth Street Bridge between the Blue Mountain Cannery and Dayton Avenue has been closed, as it has been in failing condition for some years, with the temporary supports holding the bridge were removed last summer, the high water put the finishing touch on the bridge's usefulness.

Supt C. A. Nelson announced that at the request of the county commissioners, all school busses were being taken off the roads for the week because of the mud and the "bottom dropping out." Only ten percent of the school students are bus riders so the schools will not be closed.

One Hundred Years Ago

February, 1924

No information available.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

February 18, 1899

G.W. Miller, who resides on the Snake River, in this county, is taking steps to secure pensions for the survivors of the Indian War of 1855. In justification of his cause, Mr. Miller has addressed the legislature of Washington and Oregon with an urgent entreaty.

Stock in the Columbia mines on Cummings Creek is selling very rapidly, over one thousand dollars' worth will soon be taken in Dayton.

Work will start on the mine in less than a month.