100 Years Ago

From the East Oregonian

Dec 26, 1920

Santa Claus rode into Pendleton in the saddle of a Chinook wind last night and with his bright, cheerful smile vanished the whole mantle of pre-Yuletide and spread peace on earth and good-will to men. When the fabled old Saint Nicolas reached Pendleton his back fairly bent under the heavy load in his pack. With the snow melting rapidly his reindeer had all they could pull when they reached here. There was many a happy soul in Pendleton this morning as the eager expectations of weeks were given body. Pendleton observed Christmas in many ways. Last night and today hundreds bowed in Christian reverence to the memory of the Christ child’s birth. Thousands sent and received gifts, symbolic of the frankincense and myrrh which were bestowed upon the parents of the Savior at his birth, but bearing unmistakably the stamp of 20 centuries later.

50 Years Ago

From the East Oregonian

De. 26, 1970

Inmates at the Washington State Penitentiary remained confined to their cells Wednesday and reportedly behaved quietly in the aftermath of a work stoppage which apparently started over a dispute concerning beards, mustaches and hair length. Activity inside the institution ground to a halt Tuesday after part of the prison population stopped work. Prison Supt. B. J. Rhay said Christmas observances and visiting privileges are suspended until an agreement can be reached. Rhay said all inmates must be clean shaven for purposes of identification, but earlier rules permitted “mod” haircuts. A letter sent to the Seattle Times signed by two officers of the Inmate Advisory Council suggested dissension among the prisoners involved more than the mustache-beard situation. The letter said the convicts were deprived of responsibility in their lives and were allowed no direction. The inmates asked “some freedom to determine our personal appearance, to personalize ourselves and that we be given some responsibility in developing our own character.”

25 Years Ago

From the East Oregonian

Dec. 26, 1995

Since 1991, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has opened 18 stores with about 2 million square feet of combined retail space in Oregon. In the four years since Wal-Mart Stores Inc. expanded into small-town Oregon, local merchants have had to learn how to survive in the shadow of the giant retail chain. In most cases, it appears they have. Hermiston’s Coast-to-Coast is a prime example. “The name of the game to compete with Wal-Mart is to have a greater breadth of merchandise,” said Vickie Smith, who has operated Hermiston’s Coast-to-Coast with her husband, Bob, since 1978. “They carry hardware, but not as much as we are.” Wal-Mart may carry the industry’s three best-sellers in a given item. Coast-to-Coast might carry those three and other 15 that don’t sell as well, but give the consumer a greater choice, Smith explained. Coast-to-Coast also emphasizes customer service, such as special orders, installations and repairs. After an initial drop in sales when Wal-Mart first opened, sales have risen at Hermiston’s Coast-to-Coast, which expects sales of about $2.8 million this year.