Editor’s note: Due to an editor’s error, last week’s edition of “Out of the Past” failed to appear in the print edition of the Chieftain. So this week’s installment incorporates items from last week’s edition as well.

100 YEARS AGO

Jan. 10, 1924

Fire destroyed the home of W.B. Day west of Crow Creek Pass back beyond the J.A. Whitman home. Dr. Day was away from home and the children were attending school. It’s believed that fire started from the flue in the upper part of the house. The fire likely had been smoldering for some time before it broke through the roof.

L.A. Stanley, water master, has received a petition signed by a number of landowners on the Imnaha River, asking the state water board to determine the rights to the river’s water. As the situation now stands on the Imnaha, all rights which were initiated before the year 1909 and which have not been established in court are not under the jurisdiction of the water master. He can not make a distribution of water unless the rights involved have been determined.

Jan. 3, 1924

New Year’s Day saw 14 below-zero temperatures in Wallowa County. The temperature did not rise higher than 4 above through the day, and started downward as soon as the sun had vanished behind the beautiful white shimmering mountains. There is an old saying: When the days begin to lengthen, the cold begins to strengthen. It is very common for a thaw to come during the holiday week and for some of the coldest weather of the winter to follow the next week. So here it is.

Hunting accidents in Oregon during the fall season left five people dead and eight injured, according to a report from the state Game Commission. The most common error was believing a man was a deer. Accidental discharge of guns killed three and injured two. Careless aim caused the injury of four persons. Notices have been sent to those responsible for these accidents calling their attention to a provision in Oregon law prohibiting any person guilty of accidentally killing or injuring another person from carrying or bearing firearms in the state.

75 YEARS AGO

Jan. 13, 1949

Fire at the A.J. Oliver ranch last week destroyed the barn and 10 head of registered brown Swiss cattle, including Nellie’s Pete, grand champion bull at the Pacific International last year. The fire, of undetermined origin, started early Friday morning. Also lost in the fire were two registered Chester white sows,19 pigs, about 50 tons of hay, a considerable quantity of grain and other feed, a reserve herd bull, three coming yearlings and five calves, along with the milking machine. Mr. Oliver estimates the value of the animals lost at about $8,000.

Some of the friends of Sam Wrey, who has been living by himself down Davis Creek, last week feared that he might be ill, not having heard or seen anything of him for some time. A party was organized to go down the canyon on skis to check up on him.

Wrey was found to be all right at his cabin with some food left but his fuel supply low. He was glad to see the group come in and said that he planned on coming out in a day or two. The snow was about 5 feet deep in the vicinity of the cabin and it was necessary to fashion a pair of skis for him to enable him to make it out with the party. Mr. Wrey is about 70 years old, but active for this age.

Jan. 6, 1949

Declaring that game law violations must cease, Justice of the Peace George Rogers imposed 30-day jail sentences on Joe Dillion, Forrest Snyder and Miles R. Hage, who were arrested Sunday by a State Police officer on a charge of shooting pheasants out of season. All three pleaded guilty.

Fines of $25 and costs were imposed by Justice of the Peace George Rogers this week on Bob Stuart, Wilbur M. Reece, Dean Sasser and Bob Dimmick, who were charged with disorderly conduct growing out of a fight at the Liberty Grange dance last Friday night. The four entered a plea of guilty and were given suspended jail sentences for 30 days each.

50 YEARS AGO

Jan. 10, 1974

Thirteen years of ownership of the Enterprise Livestock Auction Co. came to an end for Lloyd Thompson when he sold the facility to Ben Johnson. Ben Johnson has been a resident of Wallowa County for the past year and lives at the former Ben Strickler Ranch east of Joseph. Thompson became the owner of the yard when he purchased it over a decade ago from Bill Schaan, now of Baker. With the sale of the yard, Thompson announced that he plans to do some cattle ranching of his own.

Jan. 3, 1974

A half-full custom concrete truck belonging to Stone Sand and Gravel slid backward 60 yards and tipped on its side before entering a ditch when driver Tom Ellson failed to reach the top of a slick hill near the old hospital building in Enterprise. A D-7 Caterpillar belonging to Kit Construction eventually righted it before the concrete set up. No one was injured.

25 YEARS AGO

Jan. 14, 1999

An estimated 75 percent of Wallowa County farmers have already taken advantage of the accelerated program offered through the Agricultural Marketing Transition Act. In all, 240 local farms are registered through the local Farm Service Agency, which coordinates the farm subsidy program. October 1998 was the first time farmers have been allowed to receive full payment in advance of the crop year. Previously the federal program authorized a split payments at both Dec., prior to farming season, and Sept., about the conclusion of the crop year. Their alternative was full payment in September.

Jan. 7, 1999

What had stood for over 110 years since Wallowa County was established as a county in 1887 fell in some four minutes when, without discussion, members of the Wallowa County Court voted unanimously to change their name to the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners. The order which authorized the change included the transfer of duties, the creation of the board and the transfer of powers. Ben Boswell has been a proponent of the change, arguing that he is not a judge and Wallowa County Court has not been a court for many years.