100 Years Ago

From the East Oregonian

Dec. 10, 1920

A very faithful reproduction of Sheriff Til Taylor on his horse, modeled in clay, has just been completed by A. Phimister Proctor, well known sculptor, at his studio in New York City. A photograph of the model was received Wednesday from Mr. Proctor by Pendleton Mayor John L. Vaughan. The model was to be submitted to the Til Taylor Memorial Association should it be decided to expend the memorial fund for a statue. Mr. Proctor was here at Round-Up, and has made the model since that time. It shows the late sheriff in excellent detail, in a characteristic riding posture on his horse. The view is from the right side. Estimates of the cost of such a statue were received earlier from Mr. Proctor. A 10-foot size without base would cost about $20,000 and a 12-foot size about $22,000. A marble base, he said, would probably entail an additional expenditure of $4,000 or $5,000.

50 Years Ago

From the East Oregonian

Dec. 10, 1970

The Umatilla Basin will face a six million acre-feet per year water supply deficiency in another 100 years, according to a report given in Hermiston to county, state and federal officials on the status of Oregon’s future water supply. The basin’s water deficiency will be one of the greatest in the state, said officials of the State Water Resources Board in giving a report on Oregon’s long-range requirements for water. The summary of the Umatilla Basin’s position in the long-range study said in 100 years the population of the basin will triple, with Pendleton estimated at 54,500, Hermiston 22,000, Milton-Freewater 16,000, and Pilot Rock 3,000. The basin-by-basin studies of Oregon’s requirements indicated that all of the basins east of the Cascade Range will require a water supply from the Columbia and Snake rivers, in addition to that which can be counted upon within the basin.

Editor’s note: The 2010 population counts for the cities, per Wiki, rounded to the nearest 100, are: Pendleton, 16,600; Hermiston, 18,000; Milton-Freewater, 7,100; and Pilot Rock, 1,500.

25 Years Ago

From the East Oregonian

Dec. 10, 1995

Local residents awoke to an ice skating rink this morning in place of what used to be their streets, sidewalks and parking lots. Freezing rain coated roads throughout Umatilla and Morrow County in a treacherous layer of ice, closing schools, shutting down portions of Interstate 84 and sending drivers into the ditch or falling on their fannies on their way to work. How slippery was it? The U.S. Post Office made an exception to its promise to get mail through in sleet and snow. Mail was not delivered to Pendleton residents today because of the slippery conditions. Icy runways stopped Horizon Air flights at the Northeast Oregon Regional Airport in Pendleton. Several passengers this morning continued long, frustrating waits for a flight, delayed since yesterday morning. The overnight wait has been expensive, and to add to the discomfort, the airport restaurant has been closed. “We’ve had to eat chips and bubble gum,” said Debbie Perry of La Grande, who was on her way to Portland for surgery tomorrow.