From the Dayton Chronicle archives

Ten Years Ago

October 15, 2014

Sparks from a fire pit on the South Touchet Road ignited grass, brush and timber, racing upward into sparsely timbered grassy hillside, eventually consuming 228 acres, while being fought by Fire district 3, Department of Natural Resources crews and others, whose efforts prevented the fire from spreading into heavily timbered areas. A small triangle burned at the intersection of Payne Hollow and Pettyjohn Grade roads, the roadways halted the spread of the fire which started at the bottom of the South Touchet canyon.

Dayton Middle School Students of the Month! Juniper Kerr (6th grade), Kira Boggs (7th grade) and Kailey Newhouse (8th grade). Middle school teachers base the selection on achievement, honesty, respect, responsibility citizenship, improvement, effort and attitude.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

October 13, 1999

Five local high schoolers, Kristin Lyonnais, Matt McCauley, Nikki Jagelski, Amber Steinhoff, Kristyn Scott and their adult leader raised approximately $1,300 for the youth program. These youth are hoping to raise money so they can attend World Youth Day in Rome, Italy, August 13-29, 2009.

Dayton High School Principal Jude Cornaggia, announced that Mason Mendel and Mary Reeves have been named Commended Students in the 2000 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Fifty Years Ago

October 17, 1974

Lloyd and Charlotte Hutchens, son John and wife Lynn, will be honored as Columbia County "Conservation Farmer of the Year" at a Kiwanis Club noon luncheon. The award, presented yearly since 1950 to area farmers who exemplify the best use of land management and soil conservation practices, is sponsored by the Columbia County Conservation District and the Dayton Kiwanis Club.

Eight Dayton FFAers, John Burnette, Randy James, Jack Himmelberger, Skip Mead, Mick Hoon, Lorrie Oliver, LaZelle Russell and Sandra Gibbins will be going to Kansas City, Mo., to attend the National FFA Convention.

Four members, James Smith, Steve Kerckhof, Mark Thorn, and Sandra Gibbons of the Dayton FFA Chapter placed second out of 27 teams competing in the state meat judging contest at Washington State University.

Seventeen members of the Dayton Explorer Search and Rescue (ESAR) Post No. 332 and two adult leaders returned from Spokane after locating the body of the two-year-old child that was reported missing, at the bottom of an eight-foot septic tank.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

October 13, 1949

Columbia County, long famous for wheat, peas and other agricultural products, can now be equally proud of her junior cowboys. George Oliver, just returned from recent conquests at the Portland International Livestock exposition. George, a member of the county 4-H livestock judging team, and one of the twelve boys entered in a calf scramble, was lucky in roping an Angus calf to take home.

All boys and girls in Dayton between the grades of seven and mine are invited to join a dancing school which will consist of 10 lessons, if interested are to call Mrs. E. J. Drenckpohl for information.

Elwood Hansen, American Legion member, overseeing the scotliting of kid's bicycles, reported that he and his associates "safety marked" 200 bikes belonging to local kids. Hansen estimates there are at least another hundred bikes in Dayton that should have appeared for the marking.

The County agent's office has announced that Columbia County has been given 30 bushels of a new type of short-strawed white winter wheat, called Elmar, which was developed at WSC as part of their anti-smut campaign. The pure seed was given to Lewis Patton and his son, Bob, under the direction of the Washington Crop Improvement Association and was planted.

One Hundred Years Ago

October, 1924

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

October 14, 1899

San Francisco: The transport Pennsylvania with the First Washington regiment aboard, who were stationed at Yokohama, arrived shortly before noon and anchored in the stream off Folsom street wharf. Arrangement have been made by General Agent Calderhead, to run a special excursion train from Dayton to Seattle, consisting of three coaches, to give the friends and relatives of the volunteers an opportunity to meet them on their return. Levi Ankeny, the Walla Walla millionaire, who has generously offered to pay for the transportation of the entire regiment from this city to Seattle.