Grant County history

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 Soap Lake by Mrs. Knapp recorded May 11, 1976:

I understand that her family's name was Sorrel and at one time I believe it was Sorrel Apartment at Soap Lake and I remember her brother Howard Sorrel. He had one of the first motorcycles, I can remember, to ride and it might be interesting to know Howard Sorrel worked for my father one harvest, so I sort alike to put in there, so now then.

My father and mother came from Massert, Michigan, to Soap Lake in 1905. I was 11 years old at that time, and they were about the second or third family in Soap Lake. There was no school, there was nothing, only a little old shack right close to the lake. My father and mother moved into that and my brother Howard was with us.

We didn't have any school to go to so we were gonna have to ride horseback to Ephrata and go to school. We got on the horse together and got up the street a little ways and the horse kicked us off. So we didn't get to go to school. My mother started the first school that was started at Soap Lake.

She had to get 12 children that would sign up to go to school, so we had to go all over the whole country to find 12 children. But she finally found them and got a school started. So I went on to grade school.

E-mail from Cheryl

Facts from the past gleaned from the Moses Lake Herald, Columbia Basin Herald and The Neppel Record by Cheryl (Driggs) Elkins:

From the Columbia Basin Herald on Sept. 28, 1950:

NCO Wives' Club has party marking first anniversary

Members of the NCO Wives' Club and their husbands enjoyed a turkey dinner and punch party Sunday night commemorating the first anniversary of the forming of the club.

A dinner table was set up in the restaurant of the club, centered by a large cake with one candle which burned brightly throughout the evening's festivities. After dinner, dancing to the music of the NCO Club Band was enjoyed.

Members of the club thanked Verdie Heilman, entertainment chairman and Master Sgt. John K. Doyle for their collaboration in the planning the party. Thanks also were extended to the waiters, James Howell, Glenn Whitaker, Francis Fritz and Lee Granham.