The history of our greater Columbia Basin towns and cities fascinates me. Today we hear more of the history of Hartline. Read on.

The Grant County Historical Society has compiled several volumes of Grant County history. The books are available for purchase at the Historical Society Museum gift shop in Ephrata.

I bought the series in 2009 and secured permission to relay some of the history through this column.

Memories of Grant County, compiled from taped interviews by the Grant County Historical Society.

Today we continue the story of Hartline, by Kathryn (Kay) Evans, recorded May 9, 1978:

There were five children in this family, my dad being the oldest; Daniel Chester, an attorney, lives in LaGrange, Illinois. He is 85 years old and still goes once or twice a week to his practice in the Loop of downtown Chicago. Rosena, the oldest sister, who taught school for 40 years, her first school in Dupoint, later teaching in Hartline and in her later years in Spokane. She was a principal of many schools and is now retired and living in our Methodist Retirement Home, Rockwood Manor, in Spokane.

Another sister, Annette Alboucq, was Mrs. Louis Alboucq. Her father-in-law, Leon Alboucq, had a department store in Hartline, which, believe it or not, employed 16 people. It was during hard times and he extended credit, but with people taking bankruptcy that really ruined him. They left Hartline and went to Clarkston and he was so bitter he never ever came back to Hartline.

His son, Louis, who was married to my aunt, farmed for many years in Clarkston Heights. He passed away and Annette also is living in Rockwood Manor in Spokane. The youngest sister was Marianna, who married Johnny Hughes of Almira. He was the son of Griff and Mary Hughes who were old pioneers in that area, and their son, Alan, and family are still in Almira.

My mother and father received their formal education in the Hartline Public Schools. Mother attended the College of Puget Sound, graduating in 1915 and taught for two years before marrying my dad on August 19, 1917. In 1942 they celebrated their 25th anniversary at their home surrounded by people who loved them and they loved.

My dad graduated from Washington State University in Veterinary Science in 1915 and was fortunate enough to be able to go back to his Golden Graduation celebration in June 1965, the spring before he died in December.

Those veterinary days were not so glamorous as the modern veterinary clinic. The returns were not so good. I can remember he was called out all hours of the day or night saddling the horse or driving the Model T and going for miles to attend a sick animal and most often without pay.

This also reminds me in the fall of the year, I can remember he would saddle the horse and get young boys to go with him and they would take the horses and often times the cows across the river on the little Seaton Ferry to Nespelem to winter them.

My dad, I believe, served three terms as your county commissioner beginning in 1932, this, also, was the interesting beginning days of Grand Coulee. Our favorite trip when we had guests was to take people to the dam site. It was a thrill to see it take form and, best of all, giving people much needed employment. Many lasting friendships were made lasting to this day that our family cherished.

I was their only child. However, during the Depression, the Children's Home Society came around wanting to put youngsters on the farms for the summer. My folks took a young man who was 11 years old, Eddie Johnson, maybe some of you remember him. So when they came to get him in the fall, big tears ran down his face, so that's all it took. He stayed 37 years until his untimely death of a heart attack.

Daedalian Flight 41 offers flight scholarship

Time is short, but applying is still possible. Read on.

The Spokane chapter, Flight 41, of Daedalians is sponsoring a $1,000 scholarship for deserving high school seniors or college students who intend to pursue a career in military aviation. Applicants must complete the application found at www.flight41.org and email to Matt Bowers at austinbowers135@gmail.com or Frank Conderfer at fcbum@aol.com or the webmaster@flight41.org no later than April 30.

The Rev. David H. Crawford compiled and published a history of families in and surrounding Wilson Creek titled, "Family Memories of Wilson Creek Area." The book was printed in 1978, which was the 75th anniversary of the town. David's son, John Crawford, has given permission for those memories to be a part of this column.

Today we backtrack a bit and continue the story of Raymond William Kelby:

I hauled horses from Montana and various other things to try to make the best living we could. I would not accept welfare from anyone. I might chisel someone out of something though.

When we lived on Slater Street I often wondered why Audrey stayed with me because when Bill, Chet, Bob and Herb would come to the house which was often, we always sat in the kitchen, so it was impossible for Audrey to fix supper, and of course we hoisted a few and as a result Herb Riley loved to argue and fight so a battle would follow and we had some good ones.

One time Bill Lane picked up Herb Riley and sat him on the old cook stove and held him there until we could pull him off. I might add, Bill was a mean SOB. We managed to knock over the stove one night during a battle but as usual, the next night they were all back again.

I had lots of angles to help feed us, like I knew a guy who made cheese, so I would go to help him and naturally I would come home with a wheel of cheese. I also knew a guy who made wine so I would stop in to talk to him and taste his wine and before you knew it we were hoisting a few and I would leave with a few gallons of wine which I would then sell and would be able to buy a gunny sack full of fresh oysters for a buck.

Then we would set on the back porch with pliers and eat oysters raw with salt, pepper and vinegar. We would probably eat half a sack that way and then Audrey would fry the rest. Those were the good times.

In 1940 I went to work at Boeings and in 1942 I went to work for the Lake Washington Shipyard and we had moved to Northup. We had five acres and raised pigs and boarded horses.

The money I made at the shipyard was good but I still angled as ever and in 1945 I angled some extra money to help Chet Ashley get started in the wrecking yard business and he later went on to cattle buying and selling in Ellensburg, but he never forgot.

It seemed that he thought he still owed me something which he didn't, but he was always trying to do something for me and my family. He had repaid me both by money and being a true friend until the day he bumped off.