100 Years Ago

From the East Oregonian

July 4, 1920

J. E. “Lou” Pinson, manager of the Office Lunch, estimates that he has baked and sold 1,150,000 hot cakes since coming to Pendleton. Figuring five inches as the diameter of his hot cakes, Mr. Pinson could place them end to end every inch of the way from Pendleton to Canyon City, in Grant County, a distance of 91 miles. The mass of hot cake batter which has gone to make up these cakes would total approximately 14,375 gallons. The largest day’s sale was last Round-Up when 36 gallons, or 2880 cakes, were passed over the counter. For the past 15 years Mr. Pinson has specialized on cakes, but he says that no place consumed as many as Pendleton. In order to keep up with the growing appetite for hot cakes, a new griddle has just been installed which will cook 48 at a time. This is the largest single plate hot cake griddle in the northwest, he says.

50 Years Ago

From the East Oregonian

July 4, 1970

Winds swirled and lightning danced around Eastern Oregon Friday night, leaving havoc in its wake. In the Pendleton area, winds of up to 43 mph pelted the area with dust, as well as blowing down trees and creating headaches for the fire department. Lights in Pendleton were knocked out for about 30 minutes, a grass fire fanned through five acres behind Eastern Oregon Hospital and Training Center, and a tree blown down by the wind took a power line with it, leaving hot, arcing wires on NE Riverside. Lightning took its turn at the damage swath in the south districts of the Umatilla National Forest and on State Forestry Department land. The U.S. Forest Service reported three fires last night and three more today on the Heppner and Ukiah districts and four on the Dale district. The State Department of Forestry said today there are seven fires on state land and possibly more.

25 Years Ago

From the East Oregonian

July 4, 1995

We may be able to drive faster if Congress leaves it up to the states to set speed limits. But a sampling of local drivers and enforcement officials suggest many folks are happy with the current standards. In the past, states could count on losing federal highway funds if speed limits exceeded 55 mph on highways and 65 mph on rural Interstate freeways. Sen. Gordon Smith, of Pendleton, who is the Senate president, said he would support the state having the right to change speed limits as long as states don’t “turn our freeways into the Autobahn.” Some state patrolmen wonder why changes are needed in the current system. “Most people drive 70 anyway. We obviously don’t have time to worry about people going 70, but I think 65 is plenty fast enough,” said state patrolman Ken Schippers.