100 years ago — 1922

George B. Carmichael of Weston has two wives. This fact became established when Judge H. H. Belt, now occupying the bench in circuit court, refused to grant a decree of divorce to Carmichael from Mabel Carmichael, his first wife. The case is unique in Oregon courts, it is declared. Carmichael secured a decree from Mabel Carmichael more than one year ago by default. After the decree was granted he married a second time, and since then Mrs. Carmichael No. 2 has given birth to a baby. Mrs. Mabel Carmichael then brought suit asking that the decree be vacated on grounds that the original decree was secured by duress and that Carmichael did not prove his contention that his wife was impotent, the chief contention of the case. Judge Phelps sustained the plea of Mrs. Carmichael when the case was re-opened, and vacated the decree. Judge Belt’s decision reaffirmed that of Judge Phelps and it is understood that the case will be carried to the supreme court.

50 years ago — 1972

It’s one of Eastern Oregon’s biggest shows — it runs twice a year — and it’s free unless you intend to buy a horse. That’s the fall and spring two-day horse sales at Northwestern Livestock Commission, Inc., staged by Omer and Audrey Bonney. Last weekend’s event drew several thousand people and more than 625 horses were sold. Western hats and boots on young and old were as common as mosquitoes at a Hat Rock State Park picnic in the summer. Drawing some attention Sunday was a six-foot, seven-inch cowboy with hair down below his shoulders, plus a beard, mod glasses and a big hat with a brilliant silver band. Richard Coffin, 23, Yakima, Wash., said that his size might be the reason he didn’t pick up any “bad mouthing” from cowboys about his long hair and beard. He was selling five quarter horses. The Coffin name in Hermiston country rings of land, wealth and livestock. That name has a certain magic with livestock people.

25 years ago — 1997

What do Taco Bell and Nordstrom’s have in common? Not much, at first consideration. The hungry make a “border run” for inexpensive nacho noshing at the former, while the latter counts itself among the upper-crust of upscale department stores. With varying degrees of seriousness, speculators have questioned rumors that both corporations will add franchises in Hermiston. Unquestionably, new businesses will follow the Wal-Mart distribution center, state prison, Hinkle rail yard and chemical weapons incinerator projects into Umatilla and Morrow counties. It’s difficult to predict, however, what will be the rippling effect of spin-off development that could come in the wake of these large-scale incoming projects, said Hermiston Development Corporation president Tom Gilleese. “Most models of growth impact are patterned after one (new) thing,” he said. “We have four real large projects. This is unprecedented.”