Pilot Grote makes another rescue

Published 11:52 am Tuesday, January 6, 2015

100 YEARS AGO

Jan. 7, 1915

The house of George Lathrop in Leap burned down last Saturday afternoon. Nearly all the contents went with the house, as there was not time or opportunity to save more than a few trifles. Fortunately for the owner, the house was insured for about $700. Reports from Leap are to the effect that the fire started in the roof, probably from a defective flue… Mr. and Mrs. Lathrop and four children were all at home at the time.

Children of Enterprise gave a very pleasing juvenile production in the opera house last Friday night as a benefit for the city library. It was a representation of “Tom Thumb’s” wedding.

For the convenience and accommodation of the traveling public the railroad company has made arrangements at the Enterprise station to sell sleeper berths to Portland, instead of the agent reserving them at La Grande as heretofore.

Early days in Wallowa county, before there was any Enterprise, were recalled last week by the return, for a short visit, of Hawon Stubblefield, a brother of Mickel Stubblefield. Their father was W.K. Stubblefield, whom older residents of the county still recall most kindly as “Uncle Billy.” The visitor had not been here since 1909. He now lives at Pilot Rock, Umatilla county, where he drives a stage.

70 YEARS AGO

Jan. 4, 1945

On June 6 Pfc. Glen E. Madison of Bartlett was among the pioneer American troops that stormed the beaches of northern France. Pvt. Madison has been awarded his fourth bronze campaign star as the result of participation in the battle of Normandy, having already landed in the D-Day invasions of North Africa, Sicily and Italy. Teaming with infantry, amphibian engineers are given the exacting task of storming enemy beachheads… A lumberjack and farmer before entering the service, Pfc. Madison is the son of Edward Madison of Bartlett.

Final figures on the sixth War Loan drive in Wallowa county reveal one of the best records of the war. The county quota was $260,000 and bond sales amounted to $369,536, or $109,536 over the quota.

IMNAHA – Mr. and Mrs. Vern Warnock and Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Maxwell went to Enterprise Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Warnock went on to La Grande Saturday where Vern will take treatments for sinus trouble. Mr. and Mrs. R.G. Moore made a hurried trip to Enterprise Saturday morning to catch the Warnocks so Mrs. Moore could go to La Grande with them for medical advice.

DISPLAY AD: DANCE Sat. Night Jan. 6 At Roup’s Hall, Joseph, Oregon. Music by Rhythmeers. Adm. 50¢ including tax.

50 YEARS AGO

Jan. 7, 1965

Ted Grote, flying a helicopter out of the Joseph airport, accomplished another rescue mission Saturday. He was called to bring out Mrs. Jean Blanchette who had fallen Friday at the 4-O Ranch on lower Day Ridge and broken her leg. One of the men at the ranch rode down to Troy and radioed in for help. The Day Ridge road was blocked by snow. Grote took off in very stormy weather with poor visibility but made it to the ranch. After picking up Mrs. Blanchette he ran into too much overcast to return to Enterprise with his ship and had to set down at Flora where he was met by Verne Russell who brought the injured woman in to the Wallowa Memorial Hospital.

It has been hoped, and expected, that some prognostications on the weather would be forthcoming from this area’s foremost prophet, Truman Poulson, whose forecasting apparatus is set up in a strategic location on the snow and windswept banks of Crow creek. But Poulson, after being buffeted and marooned for a week by storms in the Clarkston-Asotin area, battled his way home and was so shook up by his hair-raising experiences he has not been heard from since. Poulson’s unique approach to weather forecasting through the observation of the actions of meadow larks, robins, squirrels, field mice, coyotes, and other fowls and beasts of the forests and range, has focused a great deal of attention on his predictions.

25 YEARS AGO

Jan. 4, 1990

Sequoia Forest Industries this week announced that it has changed its legal name to R-Y Timber, Inc. The Joseph sawmill, which employs 70 persons, is one of two mills owned by Ronald Yanke of Boise, Idaho that will operate under the new business name… Parent company Sequoia Forest Industries owns a total of six mills in Oregon, California, and Montana.

Joseph artist Ramon Parmenter recently completed a bronze sculpture of the National Football League’s all-time leading pass receiver, Steve Largent, who retired from 14 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 23. The sculpture, created at Parmenter’s studio in Joseph and poured at Parks Bronze in Enterprise, was presented to Largent during ceremonies conducted before the Seahawks-Redskins game, the last contest of Largent’s career.

The Wallowa County Nursing Home has agreed to pay $20,300 in back wages to 15 of its employees. The settlement between the nursing home and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees was reached in August, and payments are being made in installments… The employees, through their union, charged that they were owed back wages for lunch periods they worked and were not paid for over the past six years.