75 YEARS AGO:

June 18 – 25, 1937

The new Peerless Coffee Shop, under the management of Mrs. Edna O’Shaughnessy, will open Saturday, June 19. The Coffee Shop occupies the large room on the north side of the Peerless Hotel building formerly occupied by the Peerless Confectionery. The management decided that they would fix it up into an up-to-date fountain, lunch and confectionery in conjunction with their dining room service. A complete new set of fixtures were ordered from Lyle’s Boat and Cabinet Shop in Wenatchee and the fountain equipment was ordered in the east as no Washington firm carried them in stock. The first cherry brining deal to have ever been tried out in the Okanogan Valley is being started this year by the Oroville Canning Company. Contracts from the Canadian Border to Chelan have been obtained. Whether or not the company will pit the cherries, depends on having enough women can be secured. It will take about 100 women for three months, should our present estimated tonnage come in, according to owner Roy Hurst. The Cozy Corner Café, on Stevens Street across from Prince’s store, was re-opened under new management: Mrs. Hattie Roth, Mrs. Bertha Morris and Mrs. Clifford Birch. They are now serving short orders and later expect to have beer for sale. The Meadow moor Dairy completed the installation of three Frigidaire units in their Oroville Cream receiving station. Jay James, manager, states that they will have a supply of ice made from pure water and will also carry a stock of fresh butter and ice cream. The first Fourth of July Celebration to be held in Oroville in over ten years will take place on Sunday and Monday, July 4 and 5. To start the celebration off, a big dance will be held on Saturday night, July 3, with the snappiest orchestra music that will be possible to get. Starting Sunday morning, there will be a parade with bank music and speaking at the Civic League Park. C. S. Adams, County Commissioner from this district said that the commissioners had recently received approval to improve the road from Oroville to Chesaw-Molson with $7,500 available for the job. Adams stated that this improvement was necessary as there are some twenty thousand acres of grain lands that has to be transported to Oroville for shipment on this road. Zosel Sawmill Ad: Order your box wood now, $4.50 per load and slab wood, $25.00 for 10 loads. Grocery and miscellaneous ads: Butter, $.35 per lb.; sugar, 100 lbs. $5.45; 2 lbs. cocoa, $.15; coffee, 2 lbs. $.49; Hanover shirts, $.98 to $1.95; men’s all wool bathing trunks, $.98; pork & beans, 3 #1 cans, $.23; One hundred dresses, Voiles, Prints, Batiste Party dresses, long and short, your choice, $1.95.

50 YEARS AGO:

May 31-June 7, 1962:

Bill Fancier, Loomis Stockman, in a talk to the Oroville Chamber of Commerce spoke in favor a meat packing plant to be located in Okanogan County to handle a larger number of cattle than any plant now in operation in this area. Okanogan County has between 70 and 80 thousand head of cattle and last year it is estimated that some six million dollars worth of cattle were sold. Some 45,000 calves from this area were also sold. Thirty five Oroville Jr.-Sr. High School students completed the 1961-62 school year with perfect attendance for 180 days with no absences or tardy. One hundred and one students have been named to the second semester honor roll. The Oroville F.F.A. Chapter celebrated its 25th anniversary in May, entered a float in the May Day Parade, placing first in the Youth Division. Oroville’s charter was given on April 29, 1937. Present officers are: Dennis Short, President; Arnie Marchand, Secretary; Wayne Scott, reporter; Ernest Schwilke, Vice President; George Gage, Treasurer and Mr. Kirkwood, Advisor. Miscellaneous Ads: Men’s work shoes, $4.99; Men’s white sport shirts, 2 for $5.00; Turkeys, 9-12 lbs, $.29 per lb.; Pork & Beans, 2 ½ size, 5 for $.95; TV dinners, chicken, beef or turkey, $.39; Peanut Butter, 18 oz. $.43; Valley Dairy ice cream, ½ gal. $.49; Boneless ham, $.59 per lb. Over 28 percent of all motorboats boarded by the Coast Guard Mobile Boarding Team have been issued violations. The most frequent violations are: improper hull numbers or none, one Coast Guard approve life preserver, Fire Extinguishers, Bells and Horns and Flame arrestors. The boarding team is expected to be in Oroville between July 23 and 29. Federal Communications Commission in Seattle, this week notified the Gazette stating that a license is being granted to cover the operation of the Oroville Televisions Translator Stations. The engineer in charge stated that they were very glad to get this news and wished to congratulate all of the people in Oroville who have spent a great deal of time and work to accomplish this community undertaking.

25 YEARS AGO:

June 18 – 25, 1987

New bleachers are being constructed at the rodeo grounds by Chesaw Rodeo Club. The club will have a work day on Father’s Day to finish the construction project. Grover Leslie is the Grand Marshall for the 1987 celebration. The struggle to acquire enough workers to thin and harvest a bumper crop in Washington State continues, according to Linda Skinner, Okanogan Job Service Center. The Oroville Job Service office reports that 350 thinners were needed in the Oroville – Tonasket areas. The agent said thinners were being paid between $4.00 to $4.50 per hour. Okanogan County‘s unemployment rate dropped from 18.1% in March to 14.9% in April. Nationally, the unemployment rate decreased from 6.9% to 6.2%, down from 7.0% a year ago. (Editorial in part by Bob Davis) Steve Floyd, formerly from Oroville, is a high school band leader on par with excellence. His band has been selected to represent the State of Idaho in Philadelphia as the nation celebrates its bicentennial. When Floyd was in Oroville, the band had as many of 70 plus members. (Writers 2012 comment, our band in this years parade was a close match.) For about the past year, Tommi Edwards has owned and operated the Flour Mill Bakery in Tonasket, serving fresh bakery goods and tasty sandwiches. Tommi and her family have decided to go back to the Lone Star State. The Flour Mill will not close and has been taken over by Marty and Monica Schweikert. There will be some changes made as we plan to remodel the interior. The name will be changed to “Marty’s Deli and Pastry.” The Tonasket Senior Citizens have taken on a big job. They have nearly doubled the size of their center at the corner of Tonasket Avenue and 5th Street. Formerly called the Civic League Bungalow, the building has been a center for such community activities as dances, religious services, reception parties, distribution of government commodities and senior activities.