A weekly look back compiled by the Clark County Historical Museum from The Columbian archives available at columbian.newspapers.com or at the museum.
100 years ago
On Aug. 1, 1923, Capt. A.B. Wise of the 7th Infantry announced that Vancouver would “be the scene of the biggest polo tournament to be played in the Northwest since 1913.” Along with the Vancouver Barracks team, squads from Portland, Yakima, Walla Walla and Boise, Idaho, competed in the “game of action.” To secure the trophy, teams had to win “three successive times before it becomes permanent property of the team that holds it.” On Oct. 15, The Columbian listed the contest’s standings, and the Barracks crew earned the championship with four total victories.
75 years ago
On Aug. 5, 1948, “the latest and most modern equipment” for a preventive dentistry program was being moved into the second floor of the courthouse. With an opening date slated for later in the month, the clinic would serve kindergarten-aged residents with X-rays and “the cleaning of the tiny teeth.” A “countywide dental health education program” for school-aged students, as well as adults, would follow the opening of the clinic. Area dental professionals, including Dr. James O’Bannon, Dr. A.P. Ryan, and Dr. R.A. Laws, worked alongside local and state health departments to develop the clinic.
50 years ago
On July 30, 1973, the Washington Department of Natural Resources reported forest fires in the state claimed “more than five times as much acreage to date this year as was burned last year.” In Washington, records taken up to July 23, 1973, showed 701 fires and 4,053 acres burned across the state. The previous year saw 471 fires and 795 acres burned. Officials pointed to “extremely dry forest conditions” as a cause in the uptick in conflagrations across Washington.
