75 Years Ago, January 22, 1937:

A joint installation was held for the Masons and Eastern Star of Oroville Thursday evening with the following officers for each order: Masons; Worshipful Master, L. M. Norelius, Sr. Warden, Wm. Gocke, Jr.lWarden, Joe Hardenburgh Jr., Sr. Deacon, C. E. Thayer,Jr. Warden, John Pierson, Treasurer. N. G Barlas, Secretary, J. F. Samson, Chaplain, John Finnie, Marshal, Peter Janz, Sr. Steward, Howard Boyer, Jr. Steward, Tom Ray and Tyler, A. W. Johnston. Sidney Mitchell was installing officer. Eastern Star: Worthy Matron, Nellie Kerkow, Worthy Patron, Roger Benson, Ass’t Matron, Marjorie Frazier, Ass’t Patron, Sidney Mitchell,Secretary, Ida Beale, Treasurer, L. M. Norelius, Conductress, Anna Adam, Ass’t Conducress, Bertha Kelly, Chaplain, Susie Powell, Marshall, R. E.Ballard, Organist, Kathryn Kernan, Ad, Edith Norelius, Ruth, Agnes Pierson, Esther, Jeanette Janz, Electra, Mildred Bunch, Warden, Mrs. S. C. Mitchell, Sentinal, Naomi Gocke. Travelers over Hwy. 4 should make a note of the winter limitations of service for the Keller Ferry. Ice in the Columbia River has made night crossing hazardous. Until further notice, the Keller Ferry will operate only during daylight hours. The (Oroville) Town Council, at their regular meeting, issued the oath of office to the newly elected positions: R. B. Smith, Mayor; I. J. Doerr, Treasurer and Councilmen Dale S. Rice, Paul Loudon and Geo Bundy. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Frasier and small daughter, Jean, left Saturday for Little Falls, near Spokane. Mr. Frasier has been in the employ of the Oroville Power Plant for many years and has been transferred there for the same position. At a meeting of the Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation board, James Silverthorn was chosen to succeed Mrs. Caroline A. Gregg. Neller’s Dept. Store, in the Covert Building, has a sale on fancy aprons, $.49; ladies sweaters, $1.95 to $2.95; men’s dress shirts, $.98 to $1.95. Ben Prince’s Store has large fresh eggs, 2 doz. $.35; Oroville tomato juice, 4 cans, $.29; silk dresses, $.98.

Jan. 29, 1937: Friday night, the Oroville High School Hornets, take on their traditional rival Tonasket. Molson has defeated Tonasket by a score of 24-14; Tonasket has defeated Republic twice and Riverside once, Oroville has defeated Molson and has been defeated once each by Riverside, Brewster and Molson. Old Man Winter still has Oroville in his grip, with more snow and wind nearly every day during the week. Wood and coal disappear like magic. Oroville Gazette ad: a one year subscription to, McCall’s Magazine, Pictorial Review, Woman’s World, Good Stories, The Country Home AND the Oroville Gazette for only $3.00! Local News, of sorts, “Did you ever notice that the fellow who wants to reform the country by dividing up the jobs and the property, always picks something nice for himself?!!(exclamation marks provided by reporter.)

50 Years Ago, January 25, 1962:

People who contributed to the improvement of the Eden Valley Road, a chart cut to the Havillah area from the Oroville-Chesaw Road, will be interested to know that the road is now in constant use by trucks hauling logs to the Oroville Lumber Co. mill at a considerable saving in time and mileage over the previous route through Tonasket and back to Oroville. A proposed tree planting program is planned at the Oroville Golf Course. The planting is expected to get underway as soon as the weather permits. Trees to be planted include, White Birch, Golden Weeping Willow, Lynden, Hawthorne and Arbor Vitaes. Members on the tree committee are Harold Thrasher, Joe LeMaster and Bob Bourn. George’s Variety sales ad, dress shoes, $4.9 to $12.95; Tenni Runners, $1.99 and up. Oroville State Bank pays 4% interest on time certificates left for one year or more and 3.5 % on regular savings. Cascade Market has T-bone steaks for $.89 per pound and lettuce at $.10 per head. Real Estate lists 1 good home on view lot in Oroville, priced at $12,000, unfurnished or a sacrificed price of $13,000 furnished. Ben Prince’s Foods has Crystal Beet Sugar at 10 lbs. for $.98. Thursday, Jan. 25, 1962: The Sinlahekin Game Range, in Okanogan County near Loomis, was the site last Thursday of the first release of big-horned sheep into the wild of Washington State. Eight rams were trapped from a herd of sheep held in a fenced pasture on the Game Range and released into the Sinlahekin Valley by State Game Department personnel. New in Oroville a buffet dinner each Saturday night featuring prime rib, all you can eat at FAO’s Café.

25 Years Ago, January 30, 1986:

Tonasket Kiwanis Club members tackled 3,800 pounds of hogs last Saturday morning, resulting in 2,850 pounds of ground sausage for the annual Ground Dinner, Saturday, Feb. 1. Sports in Tonasket and Oroville: The Tonasket boys basketball team triumphed over Okanogan last Saturday night by a wide 17 point margin, 70-53. Tony Caddy shot his highest this season for a single game with a whopping 25 points. The Oroville Hornets surged to a 67-60 victory over Okanogan Bulldogs in last Friday’s match-up. The NCW Cowboy Polo Club held their first meeting of the new year. Re-elected to positions of captain and co-captain were Gein Lusk and Terry Bower and Kathy Maple was elected Secretary-Treasurer, replacing Pam Stansbury. Oroville Senior Citizens had several of their members attend the dinner for Dr. and Mrs. Stuart Holmes in Ellisforde. With the addition of a second pool table, several ladies are taking advantage of enjoying the game. It is hoped that as soon as Tonasket has their table installed, a competition can be established. Oroville and Brewster have already had a few competitive games. In Molson, Len Firpo and Ron Hyde are working on the school house auditorium to get it ready for the opening of the Molson School Museum this spring. Feb. 6, 1986: Four senior girls are seeking the coveted title of May Day Queen and Court. They are Sharron Hill, Lisa Blackler, Jeanne M. Tibbs and Lynda Ward. On Jan. 6, after steam-fitters arrived in a boiler room of Tonasket’s North Valley Hospital, they reported to NVH officials that they had discovered a toxic mineral substance contained in some of the boiler room’s components that was formerly used in the construction of buildings, asbestos. According to state law, the steam-fitters could not continue to work in that room until the asbestos had been removed. Logging activity to salvage timber on National Forest lands damaged by fire during the Barker Mountain fire, with Crown Zellerbach as the high bidder has begun. The Forest Service intends to quickly to sell as much of the fire damaged timber as soon as possible. Weather for the next few days calls for general dry weather, areas of fog with high temps in the upper 20′ to mid 30’s and lows in the teens to low 20’s. The past week saw highs ranging in the high 30’s with a high of 45 and lows in he high 20′ and low 30’s.