White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1936-01-02
Valley Shares In Return To
Better Times

Better Times
While the year 1885 brought many
things to the Priest Rapids valley
some tragic, some comic-it will best
be remembered in the future as year
of development and progress, review
of the news stories in the Spokesman
during the year shows.
1t was year of unsettled times, but
the tendency was strongly toward I'M
proved conditions, with prices OF farm
produce steadily rising, and with de-
velopment in the Priest Rapids valley
going steadily forward.
Many events were recorded during
the wear. A number of pioneers and
prominent residents were called by
death; others moved from the valley
| to seek their fortunes elsewhere.
cannery, the need for which had been
felt here for many years, was acquired
through VERA aid; the possibility OF
constructing a community hall IN
Il white
year reached it's end, as did the pos
sibility of constructing community
hall at Hanford to replace the one
which burned down several years ago.
The Hanford Athletic club, the val
ley's entry in the Yakima valley base
ball league, turned out strong team,
nearly capturing the league champion
ship. The White Bluffs regatta, at
tracing over 1900 spectators, definitely
established itself as one of the major
attractions of central Washington in
future years.
A predatory drive, sponsored by the
gun club, aided growers in their bat
ties against pests. The weather proved
& & quite favorable, save on two occasions
when frosts wiped out much OF the
soft fruit here and elsewhere IN the
northwest in the spring, and when an
untimely cold spell brought millions OF
dollars of damages to growers OF the
northwest late in October. Plans for
! the settlement Of the Allard- Vernita
t district were formulated and the Riv-
7 erland irrigation district was formed
Here they are, the outstanding head
lines of 1885, as they appeared each
week in the Spokesman. Review them
for yourself:
Jan. Allard-Vernita settlement
/ proposed; Priest Rapids Valley Devel-
L opment League organized.
Jan. administration OF Benton
county offices changes hands; Dor
f Wheeler wins Rhodes scholarship.
: Jan. 17-Investigate possibilities o.
- grape production here; hog prices rise
apples advance.
JAN 24-Farm purchasing power W
= 20 per cent in three years. Tempera
! ture drops to 4 below zero.
!. Jan. 31-Benton county in 9th plac'
# in ALLEGATION of state secondary high
). way funds. Experts find this idea
n grape land.
= Feb. much interest taken in pred
10 atory drive.
9 Feb. 14-Extensive planting of swee
;, potatoes planned here. Priest Rapid
h Valley Development League studio
winery cost.
- Feb. 21-Apple demand increases
. Hartford wins county basketball cham
IS pionship
= Feb. 28-Farm price tendency NOR
e. hopeful.
! March Efforts made to get or
"a chard cleanup work. Petition for for
nation of Riverland irrigation distric
March 14-Spring baseball practlc
w starts Local Townsend club formed.
ne March 21-Schools closed on accour
IN of mumps. Water turned into irrigatio
NC bitches.
IS. March 28-Benton county publ
e. utility district program outlined.
s. April 4-Heavy frost hits soft fru
IN crops County commissioners ok R1'
erland irrigation district.
r. April 11-$95 900 loan creates dilen
lily ma for Priest Rapids irrigation distrie
ng April 18-Mrs. B. F. Arnold writes
ne misery of midwest dust storm.
rs April 25-Association stresses net
e: for north-south highway.
lal May 2-Calyx-frst cover spray beir
applied. Landowners turn thumbs dow
on proposed PWA loan to irrigatis
district.
May 9-Hanford A. G.. drops. fir
place in Valley league to Toppenis
May 16-State to formulate unifor
grades for apricots.
May 23-Temperature of 80 degre
breaks up backward spring.
| May go. G.. WOODBURY. outlin
) program of development for irrigati
district