From the Dayton Chronicle archives

Ten Years Ago

February 26, 2014

Art Sunderland, Columbia County Extension Agent, and his wife Jean were recognized for his lifetime of achievement in the arena of Natural Resource Conservation and service to the citizens of Columbia County. Art and family came to Columbia County in the summer of 1954 because they wanted to settle in a community where agriculture was prominent, where they could engage with families and make a difference on the land and in the community.

Sixty-nine years ago, U.S. Marines Claro Bergevin, Bob Budig and Owen Agenbroad, were at war with the Japanese, landing on the volcanic beaches of Iwo Jima during World War II. The trio met for lunch to commemorate D-Day.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

February 24, 1999

The Columbia County Hospital District and Dayton School District No. 2 each recently received $60,000 in Day Estate money. One of Dayton's most prominent early doctors, William W. (Will) Day and his wife Jessie, upon their deaths, placed a large amount of farm land and other assets in a trust to benefit the hospital and school. The principle of the estate is to be held in trust in perpetuity.

Local farmers Robert "Jay" Lyman of Lyman and Lyman and David Carlton of Carlton Farms, Inc. recently won first places in the 1998 National Corn Growers Association's Corn Yield Contest in Washington. Jay Lyman won first place in Class A non-irrigated. David Carlton won first place in class A no-till non-irrigated.

Fifty Years Ago

February 28, 1974

News reached Columbia County from the Environmental Protection Agency Director (EPA) Russell Train in Washington, who gave the appropriate state agencies in Washington and Oregon the green light to release DDT for use in fighting the tussock moth in the Blue Mountain area. Nearly two years, the federal EPA banned the use of the toxic substance, the only apparent and readily available chemical that can destroy the insect. Over 650,000 acres are infested, not counting the 50,000 acres or so of timberland that has been dead or defoliated. County Commissioner Vernon Marll stressed the fact 80 per cent of all tussock moth infestation in southeastern Washington occurs in Columbia County alone.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

February 24, 1949

Both the Northern Pacific or Southern Pacific trains made it into Dayton, the tracks between Dayton and Huntsville were flooded and the trains were stopped before they reached that section.

During the flood, the local Pacific Tel. and Tel. Exchange phone operators, Mae Allen, Ethel Nichols, Bernice Daggett, Juanita Daniels, Lois Payne, Doris Jones and Clara Jackson, Manager, were on duty during the excitement caused by Dayton's recent flood.

W. G. Hughes, verified the report that he had been appointed agent of the local state liquor store by the state liquor commission.

The "greeters and caterers" who were the most popular at the Pool Truck & Implement company store at Saturday's free lunch were: Herschel Slack, Ora Fletcher, Bert Delany, Dean Pool, Clarence Kauffman, Lester Forrest, Edwin Ault, Armand Marks, and Henry Delany.

Tuesday afternoon, the Touchet River broke through its banks upstream from the sewage disposal plant, another break through the gravel bank occurred about three blocks above the south end of Second Street.

Six honor students of Dayton High School, Catherine Nelson, Ann Pool, Dwyla Donohue, Jim Sutton, Nancy Vining and Blaine Hoskins, were straight A grades for the first half of the year.

One Hundred Years Ago

February, 1924

No information available.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

February 25, 1899

The administration has determined rapidly to extend the jurisdiction of the United States over the Philippine group in its entirety, delay is dangerous and general paralysis of such interests of the islands support will be brought about through failure promptly to replace Spanish sovereignty by that of the United States.