100 YEARS AGO

May 31, 1906

Thousands of dollars have rained into the pockets of Wallowa County farmers during the past two weeks. Owing to the inclemency of the weather it was deemed advisable to dispense with the Decoration Day exercises as planned.

JOSEPH – The council, after an hour of deliberation before closed doors on Saturday evening, granted two more licenses for saloons here, by a record vote of three to one.

EDITORIAL – The recent attacks upon the President by Democrats in our national congress, and the loud applause by the Democratic leaders and press, would indicate that there is a difference between the two parties. If you believe in standing by our President in his brave fight for a clean government, don’t vote to put men in office who belong to a part that would hamper him at every turn and even make opportunities to block his efforts.

PARADISE – Dave Kuhn and George Frazier made a trip to Lewiston for freight for Flora merchants. … Uncle Billie Stubblefield passed through Paradise en route home with his

family.

70 YEARS AGO

June 4, 1936

Looking over the ruins of the Enterprise Hotel fire Thursday morning, A.L. Emmons at once said he would rebuild. Mr. Emmons will have an architect look over the building and make plans for reconstruction. The hotel was built as a community undertaking in 1902.

Proof of the value of the recent improvements to the Enterprise water system, which doubled the water supply, was given at the fire that burned the Enterprise Hotel last Wednesday night. While the hotel was burning, five streams were poured on the building for four hours.

A town landmark, the Enterprise stable, which has 75-foot frontage on North Street, will soon disappear and in its place modern auto cabins may be built.

LOSTINE – Men have started to work on the Lostine gymnasium at the schoolhouse and the work will soon be in full blast. … The old Lostine Hotel is being reopened this summer under management of Edith E. Nolan, assisted by Vera Rosco. It will now be known as the William Tell team.

50 YEARS AGO

May 31, 1956

Two inches of rain fell in the Wallowa Valley during the past week, sending streams out of their banks, flooding roads and basements, washing out tracks and doing other damage. Total rainfall for the month of May has been 3.17 inches or approximately one-fifth of the average annual rainfall.

No train reached Enterprise from La Grande for an entire week – from Wednesday, May 23, until yesterday – due to a washout near the entrance to the Wallowa River canyon.

One of the old landmarks in Enterprise on the corner of West Second and North streets will soon be gone.

Bob Nunn is engaged in tearing down the Gateway Apartments, formerly the Wright Rooming House. This building was erected near the turn of the century by Aaron Wade and J.B. Olmstead and was rented to the county for a courthouse.

Oregon elk hunters outdid their previous year’s efforts in 1955, when a total of 6,083 of the big wapiti were taken by the state’s 33,009 elk hunters. Umatilla County lead the field with 1,537 elk taken, while Wallowa County was second with 1,123 elk bagged by nimrods.

25 YEARS AGO

June 4, 1981

The Joseph City Council met the town’s new deputy, Ron Jett, Tuesday evening in the regular meeting for June. Jett began work with the Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office on May 25.

“I bought what I thought would sell, not what I liked. And it worked,” is Harold Haller’s description of his business philosophy during the almost 34 years he owned and managed Harold’s Women’s Apparel in Enterprise.

Haller recently received the Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce Business Leader of the Year Award.

He retired from his successful business last summer at the age of 79.

After more than a year of work, the Joseph City Park is taking shape.

Grass was planted this week and the park may be ready to open to the public in July or August.

Mountain men and mules will be putting their abilities to the test next September if a new celebration now being planned works out.

Mule Day is currently being planned by the Eastern Oregon Guides Outfitters and the Rendezvous committee.