July 14
20 Years Ago-1993
The annual garden tour sponsored by the Columbia Gorge Master Gardener Association will be July 17 and will include visits to live gardens in The Dalles. Programs are available and admission can be paid at any of the live gardens. Those taking the tour can start at any of the gardens. The tour stops and the highlights of each are: Ron and Dewanda Clark, Marie and Fred Thomas, Jean and Rusty Hampton, Oleta and Lincoln Hackett & Marian and Don Rohde.
In the wake of severe budget cuts, the Convention and Visitors Commission last night began shortening operations at Crates Point. The commission approved Crate’s Point Exhibit Manager Gary Barrett’s suggestion to open the exhibit two hours later each day. The shorter hours will allow for a single-shift, eight to 10-person interpretive efforts. The Commission approved the request after ensuring no scheduled tours would be affected and the new hours would be adequately posted and printed. The CVB is facing a dramatically scaled-down 1993-94 budget because of nearly $300,000 in over expenditures in 1992-93, mostly from unanticipated high construction costs on the Crate’s Point Oregon Trail Exhibit.
40 Years Ago-1973
The outlaw ride, a fiddlers contest and the coronation of the queen of Fort Dales Days got that annual celebration off and rolling today. The outlaw ride, with the Fort Dalles Days Vigilantes going through the downtown area selling string neckties for the event, started off the week long occasion. They were assisted in the sales by members of the Wahtonka High School rally squad. The fiddlers contest started at 2 p.m. at The Dalles Armory and the coronation of Queen Jody Noble of Hermiston is tonight at 9, also at the armory. Professional wrestling matches and Columbia Gorge Dog Fanciers dog fun match are Sunday events. The wrestlers will be in action at the Civic Auditorium and the dog show is at Sorosis Park.
Sorosis Park really went to the dogs on Sunday … or rather the dogs (175 of them) went to Sorosis Park. The Columbia Gorge Dog Fanciers “fun” show drew 212 total entries, but only 175 dogs of various types as some of the canines were double–entered. The best of the show award went to a Doberman Pinscher, Montavilla’s Tangerine, owned by Fred DeLap and Marge Cox of Portland. Best puppy was a Great Dane, Van Alstyne’s Bon Roy, owned by Mark and Louise Van Alstyne, Portland.
60 Years Ago-1953
A 2.8 acre parcel of port-owned waterfront property posed a knotty problem for commissioners of the Port of The Dalles today. The question is whether to relax restrictions imposed in an option on the land now held by the Harvey Machine Company. Harvey representative Ed Chambers appeared before the Port Commission last night at their regular meeting to ask that the restrictive clauses by removed from the option and that the Port issue a warranty deed to the property which is located west of Inland Navigation Company. The restriction which Chambers wanted removed from the option involves the purpose for which the land could be sued. When the original 90-day option was drawn up in March it was worded to the effect that the property was to be used for the express purpose of relocating the Mid-Columbia Supply Company in the event such a move became necessary.
The Senate in Washington, D.C., today confirmed appointment of Harold Sexton of The Dalles as U.S. marshal for Oregon. Sexton received a telegram this forenoon from Oregon Sen. Guy Cordon reporting the favorable action on President Eisenhower’s nomination. Earlier, the nomination was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The former Wasco County Sheriff said he plans to go to Portland tomorrow to determine procedure to be followed in assuming the office.
80 Years Ago-1933
An appeal to residents of The Dalles to restrict the use of city water during the present heat wave was made today by the city water commission. The reservoir has been dropping at an alarming rate the last two days, and unless conservation is practiced it will be necessary to use the city pumping system. As long as The Dalles can be served by gravity, the present water rates will be maintained, it was explained. It costs around $1,000 monthly to operate the pumping plant, however, and if this is started, an irrigation fee will have to be charged, as in former years.
Mail carriers from all sections of the state were gathering here today for the opening of the annual convention of the organization tomorrow at the civic auditorium. More than 125 are expected to attend. Various committees will go into action late today to draft proposals and recommendations which will be submitted to the convention delegates at the opening session. The visiting mail carriers will be entertained at a dance at the auditorium tonight. The convention highlight will be staged tomorrow when Congressman Walter M. Pierce speaks to the delegation. His talk is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and the public is invited. City Attorney Gavin, in the absence of Mayor Fred F. Thompson and W.S. Nelson, manager of The Dalles-Wasco County Chamber of Commerce, will welcome the delegates to the city tomorrow morning.
100 Years Ago-1913
George Jacobsen, one of the prosperous farmers residing east of this city, was here this morning and stated that he expected to start harvesting of his wheat this afternoon. Although the straw is not as long as that of last year, stated Mr. Jacobsen, the heads are long and well filled and he predicts that a majority of the fields will yield as heavily as last year. Reports of crop conditions from the Tygh Ridge are that harvesting of rye started there today, J.D. Whitten being one of the first to start with the binding of his grain. John Hettman of Eight Mile will start harvesting this week and he has a fine crop. It is predicted that harvesting will be general in that district by the latter part of the week.
Several children and dogs have learned, to their sorrow and discomfort, the asphalt dressing which is put down on top of the concrete pavement by the contractors, is sticky and unpleasant to wade in and is liable to cause trouble. Yesterday, in Court Street, two youngsters attempted to cross some of the asphalt which had been just laid and when they had reached nearly the middle of the street they stuck fast and it was almost half an hour before they could be rescued from their plight.
CeCe Fix compiles Looking Back from The Chronicle’s newspaper archives.
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