FROM THE FILES

125 Years Ago

Adams County News

April 5, 1899

The council at its regular session last night decided to push the matter of getting an ample supply of water in the city wells but these will be reinforced by others. Four inch mains will be laid on several of the business streets and two inch pipes run to the outlying districts from the large mains. The big tank on the hill has been kept full for some time. Arid land commissioner, Hon. O.R. Holcomb, will have his engineer here at once and surveys and estimates will be made and submitted to the authorities.

Local and Personal

A thunder shower was a novelty which visited Adams County Monday. These occurrences have been very rare heretofore, and someone has hinted that the change is caused by the influx of Missourians.

100 Years Ago

Ritzville-Journal Times

April 3, 1924

Let contract for pump house

The contract for the erection of a pump house at the city park was let Tuesday night to S. S. Schuler & Son for the sum of $2,350. The building will be 20x36. The foundation will be of concrete and the walls of brick, faced with brick. There will be a concrete roof and floor, making the structure fireproof.

Local Brevities

Work of excavating the swimming pool started yesterday morning at the city park with volunteer labor on hand to "put her through." Farmers with teams handled fresnoes and local men with shovels got in and dug. By night the job was pretty well along.

75 Years Ago

Ritzville-Journal Times

April 5, 1951

New legion hall

built in Ritzville

Another new structure completed in Ritzville since the last Ritzville Day is the C.J. Newland American Legion Post's $130,000 Memorial Hall. The building was dedicated to the 49 Adams County men who have given their lives in their country's service during and since World War I. Ritzville's Legion post financed the new building by the sale of $5,000 bonds to a number of local residents.

New sewage plant finished

Three weeks ago Ritzville had probably the worst sewage disposal system in the Big Bend area. Today it is one of the best. The turning point was reached March 23 when the first sewage water was turned into a new $70,000 primary treatment plant-the most modern system of its time available. The new plant eliminated almost completely a dangerous sanitary hazard just on the outskirts of Ritzville which may have caused at least one case of polio and only through a miracle did not produce one or more widespread epidemics in the city.

At the Ritz:

"At War with the Army," starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

50 Years Ago

Ritzville-Journal Times

April 4, 1974

Two automobiles damaged heavily in crash Thursday

Two automobiles were damaged extensively in a collision last Thursday night at Sixth and Division. No one was injured in the two-car accident. John E. Faure, 18, was driver of one auto and Mrs. E. M. Webb, 72, Pullman, was driver of the other. Mrs. Webb's auto was traveling west on Sixth and struck the Faure vehicle, which was southbound on Division, on the left side. The late-model car driven by Faure was spun around and came to rest against a curb, police chief Donald Koehler said.

25 Years Ago

Ritzville-Journal Times

April 8, 1999

Meth lab discovered by Ritzville Police

Officer Todd Haddorff, of the Ritzville Police Department, discovered a "boxed" meth lab at the city's car demolition site on March 21. Officer Haddorff was called to the site for another matter and while there discovered a utility box hidden next to a scrap vehicle with two more boxes inside the vehicle. The Department of Ecology was notified and on March 23 arrived to clean the site of its hazardous materials. There were enough materials to manufacture methamphetamine using three different methods, according to the report submitted by Jim Chulos, DOE assistant on-scene coordinator.

- The Journal