Looking Back: A Glimpse Through The Chronicle’s Files March 27, 2005 20 Years Ago, March 27, 1985 City Clerk and Treasurer John Thomas of The Dalles has announced he will retire June 30 completing 28 œ years on the job. Thomas was born in The Dalles and graduated from The Dalles High School in 1942, served in the military during World War II and graduated from Pacific University in 1948. He has served under eight mayors and four city managers. Wasco County voters firmly supported a $4.5 million bond issue Tuesday, approving the measure 2,495 yes to 2,136 no. School District 12’s school levy for maintenance failed 1,637 yes to 1,720 no. Port manager John Rayburn said the design work on the port improvements project would take 45 days and the bidding would proceed to level more than 100 acres of land, install water and sewer facilities. The project will complete preparation of port lands for industrial and business sites. Elected as commission directors were Gordon Foote and Neal R. Hammel. 40 Years Ago, March 27, 1965 A part of one of the colorful chapters in the history of The Dalles will again be brought to life if a project of the Sorosis Park Association, led by President Alf Wernmark, can be made a reality. And that is the activation of the Max Vogt memorial fountain, left to the city of The Dalles in the will of the city’s number one landlord on his death in 1911, once on a downtown street but now at Sorosis Park. The activation, as envisioned by Wernmark, would include a water tank underneath powered by an electric motor, with colored lights designed to play on the spray at night. 60 Years Ago, March 27, 1945 Members of the Townsend Club No. 1 met last Saturday evening at the Arcadian hall for a business meeting before the regular program hour and dance. Walter Ryan presided at the meeting when it was announced that a potluck supper will be held Saturday evening, March 31, at the hall to preced the regular meeting and dance. Mrs. J.J. Fleck, chairman of the social committee, will be in charge of the dinner. More than 100 persons attended the dance sponsored by the club at the hall later in the evening. 80 Years Ago, March 27, 1925 The Dalles is to become the headquarters for a first class Boy Scout council, embracing Wasco and Hood River counties at first and later to take in Klickitat [Washington], Sherman, Gilliam and Wheeler [Oregon] counties. Definite assurance that the project, under discussion here and in Hood River for some time, would be carried through successfully, was obtained last night when The Dalles Lodge of the Elks voted unanimously to underwrite the movement to the extent of $2,500, following an exhaustive discussion of the Scout movement by G.H. Oberteuffer, regional scout executive with headquarters in Spokane [Washington]. 100 Years Ago, March 27, 1905 Heavy sheep buying was carried on last week in the vicinity of Antelope [Oregon]. Farquhar McRae, who is buying for J.G. Edwards of Hay Creek, purchased small bands from Tom Brogan, James Connolly, Pat Raddigan, Joe Bannon, John McLennan, D.T. McRae, and M.C. McKay. The prices paid ranged from $1 to $2.25. All the purchases made from yearling bands. The sheep will be delivered at Shaniko [Oregon] after the shearing season closes. People who are attempting to raise chickens up on the bluff have been greatly annoyed by chicken thieves who have spirited away some of their best blooded birds. The thing has been going on for some time until the owners have become desparate and ferreted out the thieves. They have determined that they are boys and are planning to punish them in a substantial manner. Written permission to reprint given by The Dalles Chronicle, The Dalles, Oregon Copied and submitted by Earline Wasser Member of Columbia Gorge Genealogical Society c/o The Dalles/Wasco County Public Library 722 Court Street The Dalles, Oregon 97058 http://community.gorge.net/genealogy [Note: new website address] Browse http://historysavers.com/orwasco/ recently updated information regarding Wasco County - Links are at the bottom of page The Dalles Chronicle http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/ http://searches.rootsweb.com/ "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant." Robert Louis Stevenson Incoming and Outgoing mail protected by Trend Micro PC-cillin program