10 Years Ago
Mel Bryant recently sold the Orofino Flower Shop to Cathie Mosher. Bryant has owned the flower shop for 40 years.
U. S. Bank has named Treva Kayler manager of its Orofino branch where she will manage a staff of five serving the banking investment and insurance needs for local customers.
Demolition of Konkolville Ballroom and Steakhouse is continuing. The steakhouse was built in the mid 1960s and the lounge and ballroom in 1966-67. Prior to the construction of the steakhouse and ballroom there was a cinder block maintenance shop. It was built in the late 1950s.
25 Years Ago
Asphalt mat was laid on Johnson Avenue, as the downtown Orofino improvement project nears completion. All that remains to be done are the installation of new street poles and lights.
Andrea Schlader, daughter of Lloyd and Joann Schlader of Weippe was named Queen of the 1985 Weippe Rodeo. Her princess is Terri Erickson, who was also a 1984 princess. She is the daughter of Glen and Mary Ann Erickson of Weippe.
A late afternoon fire caused by a spark from a welding torch laid waste to Johnstun Bros. Sawmill in Weippe. The fire spread quickly through the sawmill that employs 14 people, but the planer, log and lumber piles and rolling stock were saved.
30 Years Ago
Weippe Royalty are Queen Nancy Hancock and Princess Lori Heywood.
Nezperce Tribal Marina Restaurant advertises hot lunch. Daily Specials for $2.95 and seafood specials every Thursday. Steak-prawn specials on Sunday and lunch and dinner every day.
Bo Cummings won the first Bob Tinsley Memorial solo survivor golf tournament over nine other qualifiers at the Orofino Golf Course.
Orofino archery experts won state championship at field trails held at Grangeville. David and Donita Powers were top free-style winners.
Clearwater Forest has sent 88 fire fighters to three states to help an unusually severe fire season. Lack of lightning storms has caused few blazes this month in our area.
Corps of Engineers has called for bids of over $100,000 to do hand slashing, piling and clearing of a million feet of timber to improve elk range of 410 acres of Corps lands. Cost is over $2,500 per acre.
40 Years Ago
Eighteenth Bridge Company of the Army Engineers at Fort Lewis came to Orofino to build a temporary crossing at the new Ahsahka Fish Hatchery
Potlatch Corp. earnings for the first half of the year were $26 million or $3.69 per share.
50 Years Ago
Heaviest fire loss in 34 years was reported by the C-PTPA in the 2000–acre Washington Creek Fire. U. S. Forest Service crews were called to keep the blaze from spreading on federal lands. With 450 men on the fire lines it was the biggest suppression effort in the 54 years history of the C-PTPA.
Junior high shop and home ec classes will be eliminated this year by the Orofino school system.
55 Years Ago
Everett Hollibaugh at $5139 was low bidder on a new 25 x 60 foot city office and storage building on concrete blocks on the Orofino site of the water office.
The Wayne Pippenger and Melvin Garmer families had narrow escape when their rubber boat capsized at Big Riffle in the North Fork, two miles above Elk Creek. Both Pippenger boys used air under the capsized boat until the raft lodged on some logs.
70 Years Ago
The Post Office is calling for bids on what will be Orofino’s first passenger elevator in the new three story federal building.
Seventy-seven WPA workers are on the rolls. Salary raises as of Sept. 1 will bring unskilled labor up from $40 to $44.20 per month and intermediate $45 to $59.80. Skilled technical will be from $61 to $76.70.