<p>This photo of the famous WWII bomber that was forced to land on an inadequate airstrip on the Enterprise golf course exactly 70 years ago appeared on the front page of the July 16, 1944, publication named “Sunday News,” subtitled “New York’s picture newspaper.” The cutline reads, “Gee Willikers! Little Jerry Broman gets his first close-up view of a giant B-24 Liberator bomber, thanks to a forced landing which brought the plane to a field near his Enterprise, Oregon, farm. Huge Liberators, bigger and faster than the Flying Fortress, are at work for Uncle Sam all over the globe.” Our apologies for not remembering the name of the reader who brought in this gem last year for us to photograph.</p>

100 YEARS AGO

June 4, 1914

The big sturgeons in Snake River have been biting in great shape during the past week. Three whole fish were brought in a large tank in the creamery where they were seen by 500 people during the afternoon. The fish measured 7 feet 2 inches, 7 feet 1 inch and 6 feet 8 inches. They were caught by John Bailey and his son Otis and Asa Hulse.

The elk at the Billy Meadow pasture are now in the care of H.C. Cooper of the U.S. Biological Survey. The state has withdrawn all support from the elk band, and the United States government, which furnished the elk in the first place, has been put to the necessity of taking care of them.

Through the energy of the hill country east of Crow Creek, the road into their district is now described as a veritable boulevard. Private citizens have donated fully $150 worth of work to the road. Last week Henry Haas and C.F. Graves put eight horses at work on a big grader and did wonders to the road from the head of Dorrance gulch to the Wrenn corrals.

PRAIRIE CREEK Mrs. Bert Sprague is carrying herself in a sling this week as a result of a kicking match with a cow. The cow kicked at Mrs. Sprague and missed her, but Mrs. Sprague kicked the cow and sprained her foot badly.

70 YEARS AGO

June 1, 1944

Several hundred residents of Enterprise and vicinity watched the skies Tuesday night in growing and helpless anxiety as a large four-motored bomber flying in an overcast sky and obviously in distress circled low over the house tops and fields with all the landing lights on and dropping flares. The plane, a mammoth B-24 Liberator bomber with crew of 10 men, was finally brought down on the Enterprise airport after an hour or more of trial runs. Skimming the trees and clubhouse on the northeast of the narrow field, the plane skidded about 700 yards, with all the wheels locked, coming to a stop only about 150 yards short of the end of the field, where fences, a creek and an embankment would have wrecked the ship.

WALLOWA C.F. (Frank) Carper, S 1-c, was guest of honor at the home of his sister, Mrs. Earl Haney, Sunday. He has been in the navy since March 8, 1942, and was home on his first leave since joining. His twin brother, Red, is in the army and somewhere in India.

Several members of the Panther patrol of the Boy Scouts, with their leader Gerald Perren, and a few boys from the Indian patrol, left last Friday just after school was out, for a weeks camping up Hurricane Creek. Those going were Gerald Perren, James Voetberg, Robbie Long, Jack Long, Patrick McGinnes, Jo Hallam, Arthur Homan and Howard Edwards.

50 YEARS AGO

June 4, 1964

The newly formed Wallowa County Library Board held its first meeting at the courthouse on Tuesday, May 28. The members of the new board, as appointed by County Judge Fred Himelwright are Mrs. Carol Coppin, Mrs. Stan Shell, Mrs. Edith Clark, Mrs. Carol Wulff, Mrs. Cleo Conrad, Mrs. Jo Pifher and Rowena Adey.

Final plans are nearly completed for the initiation of Little League Baseball to the residents of Wallowa County. It is expected that there will be six teams in the league, two from Joseph, three from Enterprise and one from Lostine.

Photo caption Mrs. W.H. Wergen of Enterprise received the Gold Heart Award for long and devoted service to the Oregon Heart Association from Portland attorney John Kedall, newly elected president.

IMNAHA Tuck and Lucile Tucker came down on Wednesday. They kept Naomi and Gary Marks from Wednesday evening while their folks were moving cattle to the Divide.

25 YEARS AGO

June 1, 1989

Members of Northeast Oregon timber industry unveiled their own proposal for managing the Tepee Butte fire area to Sen. Bob Packwood at La Grande Friday with a plan calling for increased logging of the 59,740-acre burn.

Up to 60 log trucks with yellow ribbons fluttering in the breeze are expected to roll into Enterprise Saturday when local loggers and supporters of the timber industry rally at noon at the Wallowa County Courthouse. Organizers of the Yellow Ribbon Coalition rally hope to draw attention to the Tepee Butte Recovery Project, according to Pat Wortman, county commissioner and member of Save Our Snake (SOS).

Last week Congressmen Bob Smith and Ron Wyden introduced the Rural Health Care Improvement Act of 1989 to encourage health care professionals to serve in rural areas. The Smith/Wyden Bill would establish a Critical Care Access Facilities Program to provide special payments to hospitals that are the sole source of health care in a community.