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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2018)
Wallowa County Chieftain Community wallowa.com August 1, 2018 A3 July ’48: Cold, snow fall on Wallowa County OUT OF THE PAST Compiled by Hanna Brandt 100 YEARS AGO August 1, 1918 With hay not all put up and grain harvest starting, the expected farm labor shortage has become a reality in the county. County Agent Mac Hoke had the names of two dozen farmers yesterday want- ing workers to pitch, drive teams and do other harvest work. On July 7, the Secretary of the Interior designated 225,000 acres of land in Ore- gon as subject to being consid- ered public land. About two- thirds of this land is in the La Grande district. Directors of the county fair association have been sum- moned for a meeting to con- sider holding an exhibit one or two days this fall, with dis- plays by children as the chief feature. The state makes an appropriation from public funds for county fairs, Wal- lowa County’s share this year being $670. If no fair is held, this money goes to other funds. 70 YEARS AGO July 29, 1948 A northwest wind brought winter temperatures over the valley and a heavy snow fell over the entire mountain range. A blanket of fresh snow Health care foundation receives estate gift The Wallowa Valley Health Care Foundation received a $231,557 gift from the estate of Edgar Eli and Frances Lorene Boyd Burbridge. The check was presented to Foundation Board pres- ident David Smyth by Gene and Charlene Boyd, brother and sister-in-law of Frances Lorene Boyd Burbridge, who passed away Jan. 2. “We’re honored to be here as co-trustees of the Edgar Burbridge Estate,” Gene told the founda- tion board. Gene and Charlene were accom- panied by three of their children: daughter Linda and husband Dave Rob- inson, and sons Paul and Jon, to present the check and enjoy lunch with the foundation board. According to Gene, Frances was born in Joseph to Frank A. and Lora Shinn Boyd. She attended Enterprise schools, graduating from Enterprise High in 1939. Frances attended East- ern Oregon College of Education before joining the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) during World War II, where she served state- side and in Europe. In 1949, she married Edgar in Greely, Colo. Both worked for more than 30 years for the Federal Civil Service at Air Force training bases in Texas, New York and Colorado. The Burbridges retired to Spokane in 2002, where Edgar passed away in 2003. “We appreciate the gen- erosity of Edgar and Fran- ces,” said Smyth. “It will be put to good use to help improve and expand health care in Wallowa County.” It is not the first time the Boyd family has given substantially to Wal- lowa Memorial Hospi- tal. In 2007, another sis- ter, Roberta Boyd Johnson and her husband Jack John- son, gave $50,000 towards a new ambulance, in honor of Roberta’s parents Frank and Lora Boyd. The most recent presen- tation was made July 17. The Wallowa Val- ley Health Care Founda- tion was founded in 1991, and raises money to help improve and expand health care services in Wallowa County. Info: wchcd.org/ Foundation. covered Mt. Joseph, Mt. Enter- prise and other nearby peaks down 2,000 feet from the sum- mits. Temperatures have been dropping as low as freezing at night and most residents have had to fire up their heating stoves and furnaces. The 14th Annual Wallowa County picnic will be held in Laurelhurst Park in Portland. All present and former Wal- lowa County residents and friends are invited to attend. Approximately 150 people were in attendance last year. The Enterprise City Coun- cil has granted a building per- mit to the La Grande Lumber Co. for the construction of a retail lumberyard and build- ing estimated to cost $25,000 on the lot immediately east of Jay’s Service Station. 50 YEARS AGO Aug. 1, 1968 More than 500 people, some coming from as far away as Belgium and Pakistan, vis- ited the Art Exhibit and Flower Show, sponsored by the Joseph Chamber of Commerce, during Chief Joseph Days at the Masonic Hall. There were approximately 100 art dis- plays and 25 floral arrange- ments made by members of the Joseph Garden Club and the Wallowa County Garden Club. The weekend spanning Chief Joseph Days saw a record crowd at Wallowa Lake State Park. All available accommodations were in use. The Re-Actions band from Enterprise traveled to Spokane on Sunday to participate in the Battle of the Bands contest. They were one of 30 bands in the contest. 25 YEARS AGO July 29, 1993 Gwen T. Coffin, former editor and publisher of the Wallowa County Chieftain, was inducted into the Oregon Newspaper Hall of Fame at the Oregon Newspaper Pub- lishers Association summer convention in Seaside. Coffin, 86, became the 13th journalist inducted into the Hall of Fame, founded in 1973. For two hours, speakers –– many of them descendants of the Wallowa Band of Nez Perce –– spoke at the Sunday recep- tion at Wallowa Lake Lodge in honor of the authorization of the addition of four Wallowa County sites into the Nez Perce National Historic Park. Speak- ers included Soy Redthunder of Nespelem, poet Phil George and Sam Penny of Lapwaii, Idaho. Completion of the Hat Point Recreation Complex began July 19 at three different loca- tions along Hat Point Road. The Hat Point Lookout tower will also be getting a facelift with a new stairway to a mid-level platform and a new ground- level observation platform. Sunrise Iron opens doors Aug. 4 By Kathleen Ellyn Wallowa County Chieftain Wallowa County farmer Erl McLaughlin loves collect- ing “old iron” as much as he loves collecting stories about his hunt for old iron. And has he got the stories. Like the one about the cranky old fellow in Idaho who would advertise antique equipment every year just so folks would show up and he could refuse to sell anything. Erl’s into his third decade of collecting antique agricul- tural equipment, and if his “hunting old iron” stories were compiled, he’d have a thick book to go with that collection. Visitors to the Annual Sun- rise Iron Antique Tractor Open House Saturday, Aug. 4, may get to hear some of those sto- ries if they tag along after Erl. And, of course they will learn amazing details of the history of more than 100 pieces of lovingly restored agricultural equipment in his massive 220x 40-foot barn. That rich horde began as a way for Erl to keep busy in the winter. Most farmers fix equipment. After McLaughlin brings in the harvest off 500 acres, he picks up his wrenches and does the farmer thing. But his energy level never slumped, his fascination with antique agricultural equip- ment continued to grow and he discovered he enjoyed the Kathleen Ellyn/Chieftain Erl McLaughlin is not done “collecting iron” in his huge barn on Sunrise Road outside of En- terprise. This rare “Banner Boy” steam engine was a recenly project and can be admired along with hundreds of other items at the upcoming August 4 Sunrise Iron show day. Erl will be on hand to tell stories of iron hunting and restoration and share historical details with visitors. adventure. A few years back he thought about quitting his search for antiques; they were getting more difficult to find, and he’d taken on some really difficult restorations that could take years to complete. “It’s real dirty, real hard work, sometimes,” he said. “But people sell me these things knowing they’re going to a good home, so I owe it to them to get out there and get busy.” So, he got up, grabbed those wrenches and went out in his cold barn. And what happened to that thought about retirement? Marion’s 90th Birt b h ra d ti a on y le e C Please join the family of Marion Indihar at an Open House celebrating her 90th Birthday! “If it was easy, I’d get bored,” McLaughlin said. “There are new pieces in the back of the barn.” Sunrise Iron is located at 65708 Sunrise Road on Alder Slope outside of Enterprise. Admission to the show is free, donations are welcomed. No one will be turned away. Date: Sunday, Aug. 5th, 2018 Time: 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm Location: Hurricane Creek Grange 82930 Airport Lane Joseph, OR. 97846 Light refreshments served Com ewest Member of Our Sa N e h t t les T e ea e Me Tom is very familiar with Wallowa County having grown up here and he is looking forward to seeing all the new and familiar faces while helping with all your automotive needs. Lane Tanzey and Ruben Hunt, of the Wallowa High School Trap Club from Nationals in Mason, Michigan, would like to thank all of the businesses and individuals who gave donations of money and support for this trip. m! cing Introdu Tom r e rulling T 311 W. Main Street Enterprise, Oregon 541-426-2100 THANK YOU! Wallowa County Grain Growers Clarence Norton • Norton Welding Joseph Hardware • Sports Corral Dollar Stretcher • Bill & Teresa Henke Ram Auto • Farm Supply • John & Valerie Nesemann • Silver Creek Financial • Wallowa Food City • Bruce Lathrop • Bev Denney • Mike & Kathy Mahon • Debbie Buchanan • Wallowa Softball Assoc. • Jim Tippett Raymond Goebel • Wallowa High School Trap Club • Mark Dawson Main Street Grill • Randy Barton Cody & Dawna Miller • Ron & Connie Goebel • Wallowa Rod & Gun Club Dallas Armon • Kim Brown • Christa Sweers • Tom Armon • Adam Saxton Bud & Joyce Hunt • Ryan Powers Aaron Rust • John Bierbrauer Herb • Don & Debbie Wentz Ava Skillings • Carl Swisher Farmers Insurance
