100 YEARS AGO

Sept. 5, 1912

Marr Flat road, an important proposed improvement, was one of the matters to come before the county court at its meeting this week. The court is not likely to appropriate any money until spring, but work may begin this fall. Interested landowners and Joseph merchants are planning to contribute enough money to grade one of the hills at once so wagons can pass.

The frost of the season visited the mountain districts of Eastern Oregon last Thursday night. Along the Wallowa River it was a real freeze, and potatoes, beans, cucumbers and tomatoes were cut to the ground. The minimum temperature in Enterprise, one of the frostiest spots in the county, was 23 degrees. The high mountains are again white with snow far down from the summit.

David Diggins, a pioneer in the northwest, died on Monday at his home in Joseph. He was 79 years old and some time ago suffered a stroke of paralysis.

Enterprise was without city water most of Saturday while the pipe was being lowered under the concrete bridge on River Street. When the bridge was put in it was not placed low enough.

70 YEARS AGO

Sept. 3, 1942

George Cleaver of La Grande has been appointed receiver of the Wallowa Lake Lodge property at the head of Wallowa Lake by Judge R. J. Green. The mortgage indebtedness is said to be around $2,500 and there are unpaid taxes of about $1,700.

JOSEPH Its gotten so these days when a party of women gets together they begin to chatter about their experience in the hayfield and other unusual jobs they had to do. Grace Hays says there isnt anything she hasnt sampled in her quarter of a century of raised stock on Snake River and farming in Wallowa Valley. Doubtless Minnie Tucker is equally experienced, and drove derrick horses for four unloading crews this summer out at the ranches.

Corporal George Rogers made temperature tests at the point in Wallowa Lake where Luann Brady of La Grande was drowned Aug. 2. The water was found to be 36 degrees at 210 feet.

Roscoe Bellows, government meteorologist and field man, has been in Wallowa County looking over several mineral deposits. The government is particularly interested in mercerized cinnabar and molybdenum.

50 YEARS AGO

Sept. 6, 1962

Over 2,500 head of feed cattle jammed every available bit of space in the stockyards of the Enterprise Livestock Auction Co. Monday for the ninth annual Labor Day sale sponsored by Wallowa County Stockgrowers Association. Gross sales amount to $415,415, up considerably from last year.

A number of new teachers reported for duty when the Wallowa schools opened for the school year. They are W.D. Baldwin, grade school principal; Mrs. Donald Grove (the former Berl Colvin), fifth grade; and in the high school Fred Arnst (PE and football coach), Larry Juelf (English), Richard Field (science and math) and Louis Tata (music).

Sale of the Guy Craig ranch a mile east of Enterprise was announced this week by the Erwin Real Estate Agency, which handled the transaction. Purchasers are Mr. and Mrs. Bob Freels, who have extensive ranching interests in the Indian Village area 30 miles northeast of Enterprise.

Jim Willett of Wallowa showed the grand champion Hampshire female at the State Fair this year. Larry Fleshman of Joseph had the grand champion fleece in the Romney class. Perry Johnston ranked third in the state contest to pick the grand champion sheep showman.

25 YEARS AGO

Sept. 3, 1987

For Oregon sawmills, 1986 was a very good year, producing 8.15 billion board feet of softwood, the highest volume in the state in 13 years. Locally, Boise Cascades Joseph mill processed about 40 million board feet and neighboring Sequoia Forest Industries about 37 million board feet. A mill official at the Rogge mill in Wallowa would not release production figures.

A propane leak was blamed for causing the fire that destroyed the ranch home and a pickup truck, belonging to Keith Cameron on Powwatka Ridge northeast of Wallowa early Monday afternoon.

Jill Yost, incoming Enterprise High School freshman, acquired a registered Suffolk ram lamb and two registered ewes at a national sheep sale in Salt Lake City to upgrade her flock for FFA.

Jan Baker, new Diversion Services Coordinator, is in the process of recruiting participants in the Wallowa County Volunteer Companion Program.