From the Dayton Chronicle archives

Ten Years Ago

April 9, 2014

Residents of Smith Hollow, Prater, and Messner roads have requested a speed reduction on the county roads north of Dayton. The roads are posted at 50 mph per state law, due to the numerous hills and curves, as well as children and barn access and the increase in the number of vehicles traveling faster than road conditions allow, the residents are requesting a speed reduction.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

April 7, 1999

The winners of the Annual Dayton Easter Egg Hunt were Dillon Bennett, Chelsie Miller, Matthew Warren and Logan Hays.

The Dayton Historic Preservation Commission held its first workshop on the Downtown Dayton Historic District. The workshop was funded by a $42,800 Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (OAHP) grant which the Commission received in October. The Downtown Dayton Historic District was listed on the Washington Heritage Register, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places is expected in the near future.

Fifty Years Ago

April 11, 1974

After scouring the Pacific Northwest for a place to establish a veterinary practice, Chuck Reeves, and wife Kennie Jean (also a licensed veterinarian) decided to make Dayton their new home and establish a veterinary practice at the James Ogden place west of town, County Road 48. Reeves will primarily work with cattle while Mrs. Reeves will handle horses and small animals.

Clark Brewington is the manager of Columbia REA, the independent non-profit owner cooperative which supplies electricity to 900 customers mainly for irrigation purposes over 1,000 miles of lines in the rural counties of Columbia, Walla Walla, and northern Umatilla. It also serves Walla Walla College, in College Place, Starbuck, numerous privately owned grain elevators as well as an emergency phone station. The REA was started in 1935 and has been headquartered in Dayton since 1939.

Eight Dayton High School FFA teams attended a crops judging contest at Freeman. Dayton's team included Mark Thorn, Sandra Gibbons, Mary Sue Evers, Carl Maxwell and Wes Harting, and placed third.

A contest sponsored by the Columbia County Crop Improvement Association held in Dayton with Dayton placing first, Pomeroy second, Mead third, Pullman fourth, Deer Park fifth, Hunters sixth and Kennewick eighth.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

April 7, 1949

A combination city-county crew was cleaning dried mud off Dayton streets. A maintainer was first used to push the mud out of the gutters into windrows and then the county loader followed load the dirt into the trucks.

According to plans at Blue Mountain Canneries, the 1949 asparagus pack will get underway early next week, with about 250 Texas Mexicans scheduled to arrive in Dayton. Approximately 100 acres of new asparagus will be brought to the factory this year and may be the largest acreage the cannery has ever had here. Pea planting has started, with the "sweets" planting of the Alaska's were started as weather permits.

County Agent Bob Williams announced the first of the week that the state park board had allotted $10,000 for the development of Hidden Valley Youth camp on the Tucanon.

Mayor Henry H. Wellsandt and Councilman Richard H. Moore, chairman of lights, fire and street committee, approved the new street lighting fixture furnished by Pacific Power & Light Company. The city's first street light, a king-size kerosene lantern was used more than 60 years ago, prior to 1889, when Dayton received its first electric service. The kerosene lantern is believed to be one of the first street lights used in the old Washington territory.

The T B League executive committee of the Columbia County Tuberculosis League final report of the proceeds from the 1948 Christmas Seal sale was given and the 1949 budget was submitted for approval. Under the chairmanship of Mrs. Doug Johnston, the county raised $1,363.30 to help the state of Washington go $10,000 over its goal.

One Hundred Years Ago

April, 1924

No information available.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

April 8, 1899

The trotting stallion Philantrim, known as Mohican, will make the season of 1898 at Gholson & Yeo's stable in Dayton. This promising son of Antrim and Helena has shown his ability to sire colts of great size, speed, action and style.