100 years ago — 1922

Should you pass up the main thoroughfare which connects to overlapping towns of Milton and Freewater as you struck the tract known as “the debatable land,” you would suddenly be confronted by a series of buildings under construction, surrounded by acres of material ready for use. It is the new plant of the new union high district which will cost in excess of $200,000 and will be the finest and best equipped building in the state outside of the city of Portland. Mr. E. R. Goodwin, formerly of Gresham, is the directing genius and G. L. Jessup, now in his third year as instructor, is metaphorically guiding the plow. The enrollment each year has always stood close to the half hundred mark and a very large per cent of the students have had contact with the agricultural work. Much interest is being aroused by a series of schoolhouse community meetings with programs supplied by the vocational students.

50 years ago — 1972

The history of Umatilla and Morrow counties is a saga of courage, enterprise and boldness. Settlement of the far reaches of Eastern Oregon in the latter half of the 19th century required the coming together of hard men — men who could defeat adversity with sheer strength, men with the humor to shrug off disaster with a laugh, and men with the vision to build an empire for their descendants. This history has come to life in a new book written by Mildred Searcey of Athena, and published by The East Oregonian Publishing Co. of Pendleton. Titled “Way Back When,” the book gives the history of all the cities in this area, with the names of the founders. It also shows an expert knowledge of early Indian history, with stories about the Umatilla, Walla Walla and Cayuse tribes, their customs and some of their legends.

25 years ago — 1997

The Oregon Employment Department has released data showing the JOBS Plus Program, better known as the welfare-reform effort, has had a dramatic impact in helping the unemployed return to work. Statistics show 585 unemployed people successfully have used JOBS Plus during the past eight months, earning paychecks rather than receiving unemployment payments from the state. Including welfare recipients, a total of 1,914 people had found work through JOBS Plus since the program went statewide in 1996. Employers hiring JOBS Plus workers are reimbursed by the state at the minimum wage for up to six months. Program participants receive paychecks rather than public assistance checks. They are hired into training positions and learn job skills, develop job references and employer contacts designed to keep them permanently employed.