FROM THE FILES

125 Years Ago

Adams County News

April 26, 1899

A GOOD MOVE – L. E. Paskill, the best agent the Northern Pacific Railway Company ever had at this station, informs us that the present depot will be enlarged and practically made new in a very short time. The building will be on a level with the platform and pleasant waiting rooms, new offices and furniture will be added and Ritzville will have the best accommodations in that line of any town of her size on the road.

The officers of the company are willing to meet the citizens half way and have Railroad Avenue cleared of debris and if approached properly would doubtless open F Street leading to the schoolhouse and remove the stockyards from the main part of the city.

WILL HAVE A WELL – The City Council in adjourned session Monday night accepted the proposition of M. F. Cochran to drill a well for the city guaranteed to furnish 5,000 gallons of water per hour for one year. $2,500 will be paid for the well providing such volume of water is supplied, otherwise no cost to the city.

Local and Personal

Through the efforts of W. E. Johnson of Pacific Hotel, the Inland Telephone Co. will extend their system to this city, at once making Ritzville the terminus for long distance west from Spokane. It will only be a few days until you can say "Hello" to all the principal places on the Pacific slope north of San Francisco.

100 Years Ago

Ritzville-Journal Times

April 24, 1924

Will build new service station

A new concrete service station is to be erected at the corner of Division St. and First Ave. by the Lewistown Refining Company of Lewistown, Mont. The ground has been leased from the Potlatch Lumber Co. and construction will start at an early date. The location is a prominent one on the Central Washington Highway and on one of the principal streets of town, Division St. The station will have tank capacity for a car of gasoline which will be piped from the Potlatch spur.

Local Brevities

Carl Heinemann accidentally shot himself in the eye with an air gun yesterday. He had been using the gun to perk up his horses while plowing and was shifting the gun in such a way that it went off. The shot penetrated the eyelid but did not strike the eyeball. It was removed by Dr. Bloch.

75 Years Ago

Ritzville-Journal Times

April 19, 1951

$286 stolen from

high school safe

About $286, mostly in checks, was stolen from Principal James Webb's office safe in the high school Thursday night. Police Chief Joe Schafer and Sheriff Frank Lucas are conducting an investigation. Rudy Thaut, high school custodian, discovered the robbery when he came to work at 6:30 Friday morning. Entrance was gained to the school by breaking through a window in the back door. The office door was pried open, the knob broken off the safe with a hammer and the combination mechanism punched out.

50 Years Ago

Ritzville-Journal Times

April 18, 1974

Dining area refurbished at Whisperin Palms

The Whisperin Palms restaurant has a paneled main dining area with 13 new booths and 13 new tables as a result of recent remodeling. A new orange rug has been installed in the main dining area. Work on the area's new ceiling was continuing this week. Fluorescent lighting will hang from the ceiling.

25 Years Ago

Ritzville-Journal Times

April 15, 1999

Ritzville police warn of

possible bank scam

A Ritzville resident recently received a letter promising money if the recipient followed directions in the letter. The letter, reportedly from the Federal Government of Nigeria, asked the recipient to call a specified number with bank numbers so a deposit of $23,000, of which the recipient would retain 25 percent, could be made into the recipient's personal bank account. Police Chief Dave McCormick said this type of scam surfaced in the area about a year ago and urges people to not provide access to personal banking accounts.

- The Journal