100 Years Ago

July 3, 1921

The Pendleton Round-Up came in for some of the most excellent publicity in its eleven years’ history on June 26, when the New York Times Book Review and Magazine gave to its 350,000 readers a review of “Let ‘er Buck,” by Colonel Charles Wellington Furlong. The review is titled “The Lamented Passing of the Old West,” and is by T.R. Ybarra, one of the foremost book reviewers of the day. Mr. Ybarra has chosen to illustrate the article with six pictures from the book which are in themselves a history of the great show. They are from photographs by Major Lee Moorhouse, W. S. Bowman Doubleday and Gustin and Marcell, and vividly portray the sports of arena and track.

50 Years Ago

July 3, 1971

Oregon’s budget law may block a last-ditch attempt to fund Hermiston’s justice of the peace court. And because of an amendment to the state appropriation bill, Umatilla County District Court can’t sit in Hermiston, either. There is money in the county budget for the operation of the district court office in Hermiston, but District Judge Richard Courson won’t be allowed to sit in Hermiston under terms of the state appropriation bill amendment. However, a simple title change in the county budget may be enough to earmark the office operation funds — $8,925 — for the justice of the peace court. But there is no money budgeted to pay Justice of the Peace John Smallmon’s $6,600 salary. Deputy Dist. Atty. Jack Olson and Assessor Rod Esselstyn outlined to the budget committee Friday the shape of the barriers in the path of funding the JP court.

25 Years Ago

July 3, 1996

An early morning fire destroyed a newly opened potato chip factory south of Hermiston today. The blaze at one point sent a fireball into the air. No one was injured in the 5 a.m. fire, which consumed the processing portion of the 44,300-square-foot building housing the Nalley’s Potato Chip Plant on Highway 207, which employs about 45 people. The fireball happened when one of the large vats of cooking oil caught fire, said Hermiston Fire Chief Jim Stearns. Stearns said the fire could have spread to the Bud Rich potato processing plant connected to the Nalley’s plant if new hydrants had not been installed on Highway 207 as part of the regional water system.