100 Years Ago

Aug. 17, 1921

A $15,000 concrete and brick building which will provide five store rooms for Pendleton business firms will be built immediately on the corner of Main and Railroad streets by C.J. Koch who owns the property, according to announcement made today by Mr. Koch. The building, whose location will be one of the best in the business district, will have a frontage of 100 feet and will extend back for 92 feet. All the store spaces will face on Main street. The building will be one story high but Mr. Koch expects to add a second story later. Mr. Koch, who retired from the furniture business a year and a half ago, still owns the brick building on Webb street where the Cruickshank & Hampton furniture store is located.

50 Years Ago

Aug. 17, 1971

Twelve Pendleton youths journeyed to the Oregon Capitol in Salem today to receive a check for $300 for winning first prize in the statewide anti-litter campaign sponsored by the Governor’s Commission on Youth. Gov. Tom McCall and Secretary of State Clay Myers, making the presentation, said they were “tremendously pleased” at the response from the youth volunteers. Pendleton won in competition with youth from 22 cities in Oregon. The group covered an 18-mile stretch of highway between Pendleton and Milton-Freewater and picked up 1.7 tons of littler.

25 Years Ago

Aug. 17, 1996

An urban upstart delivered a crushing defeat to a rural veteran Friday in a first-time watermelon seed spitting contest amid an amazed crowd in downtown Portland. Crowds gathered as about a half-dozen dignitaries and celebrities puckered up to see who could send a watermelon seed flying farthest through the air. It was the crowning moment for Portland Mayor Vera Katz, who defeated long-time spitter Hermiston Mayor Frank Harkenrider. The seed-spitting contest was a new element to the watermelon giveaway that promotes cooperation between Hermiston and Portland and the east and west sides of the state. Though no one came close to the world record of 66 feet 11 inches it seemed everyone had a record amount of fun.