Out of the Past 07/29/26

100 Years Ago—

Members of the local chamber of commerce joined delegations from the chambers of Kettle Falls, Chewelah, and Addy in a drive to advertise the salmon jump at Kettle Falls Saturday.

Weather report for the month of July: maximum temperature 105 degrees on the 5^th and 12^th, minimum 40 on the 28^th, average for month 70.5, which is 8.4 more than normal. The average temperature for 25 years for the month being 67.1.

The Dewey Land Company at Kettle Falls reports that the season for peaches is far advanced and that the canning of the fruit should be commenced at once.

There is nothing romantic about the notes and comments sent out by state convicts on the motor vehicle license plates that come from the penitentiary, the state license department has decided, so the practice must stop.

75 Years Ago—

“Sunset” was suggested this week as a name for the new Colville grade school to be built on North Hofstetter St. this fall. Mrs. O.F. Vinson of Colville submitted the name in the first letter received by the lay committee in a contest being sponsored to name the two new city grade schools.

There’s a new fire danger meter in the entrance of the J.C. Penney store. The device, which resembles a thermometer, was installed to alert local residents of fire conditions in the surrounding areas.

The story of the famous rifle of the west, “Winchester 73,” will be told at the Kettle Theater Friday and Saturday. James Stewart and Shelly Winters head the cast of this picture.

50 Years Ago—

No action was taken, nor even a word uttered by the Colville City Council Tuesday evening, after Colville businessman George Brynjulson presented a petition containing the names of approximately 75-100 Colville citizens opposed to the site adjacent to city hall which has been chosen for the new fire station. Brynjulson stated that the petitioning group was opposed to the elimination of much needed parking space and the elimination of a park area.

The Stevens County Historical Society museum, located at 700 N. Wynne Street, continues to be one of the major tourist attractions Colville has to offer. During the month of July, 446 persons visited the museum.   

25 Years Ago—

The Colville City Council agreed with little discussion at their July 24 meeting to annex 31.15 acres of land on the north end of Colville. The proposal had previously been tabled, having driven the ire of some business owners and council members who worried that the annexation was “untimely” and encouraged commercial strip development. The parcel is located just north of KFC/Taco Bell, lying on the east side of Highway 395 and the north side of Buena Vista Drive.

“The eagle has landed, and just in time!” Dan Daily jubilantly exclaimed as a crane lifted the historic First Thought Tower into place in Orient city park. The lookout will be the focal point for Orient’s 100^th birthday celebration Aug. 24-26.

10 Years Ago—

The next step on the road to a cohesive reconstruction of Colville’s Heritage Court is in a design phase. In May, the city of Colville and the Colville Rotary Club, with design consultant Shelia Cascade, hosted a “Shape Downtown Colville” workshop. The workshop allowed city staff and community members to voice their opinions and ideas for a revitalized Heritage Court and the adjoining sections of downtown space.