Out of the Past: 10/15/2025

100 Years Ago—

Bank burglars at some time during the night of Oct. 2-3 entered the Guaranty State Bank at Marcus, broke open both doors of the vault, rifled a dozen or more safe deposit boxes, and escaped with $174 in coins. The damage caused by them amounted to more than the value of their loot.

Colville’s first newspaper office was moved last Sunday. The little frame building, which in 1883 was erected on the corner, now occupied by Frank B. Goetter’s drug store, was in 1894 moved to the east end of  the lot and stood there until Sunday, when it was hauled away on skids by Jack Miller. In its original location, it housed the Stevens County Miner, Colville’s first newspaper, established in 1885 by John B. Slater.

75 Years Ago—    

ARDEN—The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company recently installed a pay phone at the Arden Store.

One of Stevens County’s first born, Captain George F. Melville, 83, passed away in Tacoma on Sept. 2. He was born in 1867 at Old Fort Colville. Capt. Melville had engaged in steam boating for 45 years, returning in 1935 from his post with Black Ball.

Verna Steele, Fruitland 4-H Club member, brought state championship honors to Stevens County this week when she was judged the best in the state in the home economics demonstration contest at the Yakima State Fair.

50 Years Ago—  

The Stevens County Historical Society re-elected its present officers at the annual meeting held Oct. 15, at the United Methodist Church. Officers elected were: Jim McMillan, president; Les Young, vice-president; Ida Dubois, secretary; Marian Garvey, treasurer; and Edith Lesser, board member.

This year the Dominican Sisters of Spokane, formerly located at Kettle Falls, celebrated their 50^th anniversary of coming to the northwest in 1925. On Oct. 18, the sisters from Spokane, Colville, and Chewelah traveled to the former Convent of Our Lady of the Valley, now a youth ranch, to celebrate their 50^th Jubilee.

25 Years Ago—

Local efforts to develop a plan for future water use in the Kettle River area received a $50,000 boost last week from Sen. Bob Morton, (R) Kettle Falls, and the State Department of Ecology. On Oct. 9, Morton presented the Ferry County Commissioners with a check from Ecology to begin the process of watershed planning in the Kettle River watershed.

Next week is Homecoming Week at Colville High School. One of the week-long activities will be the annual open house for parents and students. This will be an opportunity to meet your child’s teachers, receive information on classes, and meet support staff.

10 Years Ago—

CHEWELAH—Major plans will be unveiled by the 49 Degrees North Mountain Resort and Alpine Development Group at an open house Thursday at the Chewelah Civic Center. Resort officials will present plans and provide updates on the progress of the popular ski and snowboard resort’s new multi-year development.

Kettle Falls resident Ray Stoddard recently traveled to Washington, D.C., with 89 other veterans as a part of Honor Flight. Ray served during the Korean War and was stationed in Alaska as a radio intercept operator.