Out of the Past: 09/10/2025

100 Years Ago—

The oldest building on Main Street, and one of the few early buildings remaining in Colville, stands in modest retirement just south of the Robbins Lumber Co. brick – former home of the Bank of Colville. This building, which has had a number of uses varying from domestic occupancy to commercial and newspaper shelter, was constructed about 1880 by John U. Hofstetter for a carpenter’s shop, and used by him for several years.

Work is in progress on the permanent highway between Chewelah and Cusick over the summit, the work in Stevens County being under the supervision of John H. Savage, Stevens County Commissioner. The road into Cusick in Pend Oreille County is in charge of the Pend Oreille County Commissioner from the Cusick District.

75 Years Ago—    

John Acorn is the new mayor of Colville. Acorn was appointed to the post by the city council Tuesday night after Paul Burgess resigned. Burgess quit the post after moving out of the city.

The Atomic Energy Commission recently was queried by a worried citizen as to whether a fast man could outrun a slow neutron. The answer is no. Even a slow neutron, one of the many nuclear particles shooting from a bomb burst, travels at great speed.

KETTLE FALLS—Election of senior officers held last week at the high school ended with Francis McKern, president; Ralph Hirsch, vice president; and Pat Reader, secretary-treasurer.

50 Years Ago—  

A giant jump in attendance was recorded for the Northeast Washington Fair last weekend with a recorded 1,000-plus increase in attendance. According to fair manager Marion Garvey, exact figures for attendance, which she estimated passed the 15,000 mark, would not be forthcoming until all reports are final.

Colville postmaster Gordon Carr announced changes in postage costs effective this Sunday.  First class mail remains at 10 cents for the first ounce, but is lowered from 10 cents to 9 cents on the second ounce.

Wildfires in the forests and on the range lands of Washington state totaled just over 1,500 for the period through Aug. 31, this fire season.

25 Years Ago—

A spectacular Friday night fire, that sent flames upwards of 100 feet into the Colville sky at its zenith, destroyed a historic warehouse building and $1.5 million worth of surplus military clothing stored inside. The complex was located at the corner of W. 1^st and Railroad in Colville.

Washington state’s first ever primary voters pamphlet is going in the mail, marking the start of a comprehensive voter education effort that offers a variety of ways for citizens to access information about the hundreds of candidates appearing on the Sept. 19 primary ballot.

An outstanding array of local fruits, vegetables and meat products will be on display and available for tasting at this year’s final Farm Tour, Saturday at Riverview Orchard.

10 Years Ago—

KETTLE FALLS—Preparations for the third annual Festival of Neighbors in Kettle Falls have been finalized. One of the community’s major celebrations will be held at Happy Dell Park on Sept. 12.

As if a group of catastrophic wildfires in the past two years haven’t been enough, southeast Okanogan County residents were rattled on Tuesday morning by an earthquake that apparently was felt as far as 25 miles away. The quake was felt as far as a portion of the Colville Indian Reservation.