Rex & Alice Davis of Pullman 5/27/2018

::: Pat-Topics: Story about Pullman's Pat Caraher, WSU grad, longtime HillTopics editor :::

Many know Pullman’s Pat Caraher, but don’t know details of his life. Pat started at WSC as a student in 1957. He earned degrees from WSU in 1962 and 1966. For 31 years Pat was the exceptional editor of an amazing publication, HillTopics of the WSU Alumni Association.

Dave Nordquist’s wonderfully-written story about Pat appears in the Spring 2018 WSU Retirees Association Newsletter. Thanks Pat and Dave for jobs well done! 

Read the story below:

:::Pat-Topics: Story about Pat Caraher:::

By Dave Nordquist

Spring 2019 WSU Retirees Association Newsletter

I asked some of Pat Caraher’s friends and family to describe him in two words or less.

The responses were interesting, yet not surprising to someone who knows Pat.

His coffee klatch buddies said: “Kind Hearted,” “Mr. Sincere,” “Unassuming,” “True Gentleman.”

Given the regard in which he is held by others, as evidenced by the two word descriptors, his work ethic and personality, it isn’t surprising that he was able to get his dream job at WSU. In a bit of a twist on the old cliché, “It isn’t what you know, but who you know”, it’s fair to say that Pat got his dream job at WSU both because of “what he knew” and “who he knew.”

What he knew was journalism. Degree from WSU in Communications with journalism emphasis, chosen outstanding graduate in journalism upon his graduation, three semesters working on the Daily Evergreen staff while at WSU, stringer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper while still a student and intern in the Sports Information Office while at WSU. And then, after graduation, three and one half years working for the Eugene, Oregon Register-Guard. Oh, “Humble Pat” (my 2 word descriptor) would be the first to say he had much more to learn about his profession but he was well on his way.

So he’s 3 ½ years in Eugene and he said that he began pondering what’s more important in life: Location or Job. He likes where he lives – easy access to the ocean, about the right distance from Portland, all the amenities of a large university near at hand and he likes the job pretty well but there are some drawbacks. Working schedule for one. Working in the office during the day and then having to cover nighttime sporting events. He wonders how all that might shake out if and when he gets married and has a family. As he ponders this, he gets a phone call from another Pat, the “Who you know” part of the equation.

But before you learn about this other Pat who called, you need to know more about the Pat who got the call, Pat Caraher. He was born and grew up in Seattle. His Dad, Joe Caraher, was a Cougar, having graduated from then WSC in 1935 and then served as the WSC Alumni Director prior to WWII. 

After the war Joe was twice President of the WSU Alumni Association so Pat had Cougar influence in his life from the git-go. Pat had a normal growing-up time in Seattle. One thing he really enjoyed from a young age was baseball. He played in some of the very first Little League games in the Seattle area and later first base and outfield for his high school team. He graduated from Seattle Prep in 1957 and then had to decide where to attend college. Two things swayed him towards Pullman and WSU. One, he wanted to go somewhere away from Seattle and two, his father influenced him to a great extent.

So he enrolled at WSU in the fall of 1957 not knowing anyone there and not knowing what he wanted to study. He solved the “not knowing anyone bit” by going through rush and joining the Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity. As to the “what to study” he took general courses and got a degree in Social Science in 1962. He noted that famous WSU Alum Edward R. Murrow was the commencement speaker that year. 

Upon his graduation, Uncle Sam was waiting for him and he was drafted into the army and spent his next two years at Fort Richardson in Alaska. Pat relates that two notable events occurred while he was at Fort Richardson. First was the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963 and the second was the massive 9.2 Good Friday Alaska earthquake in 1964. The buildings shook and the ground trembled for several minutes, “seemingly an eternity,” Pat said. “In a flash my life passed before my eyes.”

After discharge from the army he went back to Seattle and looked for work. He said the job market was tough. He worked a couple of months in construction and then three months as a railroad switchman. These five months of manual labor plus some thinking about his future, convinced him he needed to go back to school and get more of a specialty degree and he settled on journalism. His father was a journalist and Pat saw that his father liked what he was doing so Pat re-enrolled at WSU in January 1965 majoring in Communications. He graduated in 1966 and armed with that degree and the work experiences noted earlier, got the job with the Eugene Register-Guard.

We’re now back to 3 ½ years in Eugene and his pondering about “Job vs Location” when he gets that call from the other Pat. That “other Pat” is Pat Patterson, WSU’s Alumni Director. The Alumni Office had been one of Pat Caraher’s beats while working on the Evergreen Staff as a student, so he knew Pat Patterson and more importantly, Pat Patterson remembered him and thus the call.

Pat Patterson said the Alumni Office was going to start a new alumni publication and wondered if Pat was interested in interviewing for the editor’s job. The words “Job vs Location” flashed through his mind and he quickly said, “Yes.” He interviewed, got the job and became the Founding, and as it turned out, the only Editor of the new publication, which was given the name HillTopics, for its 31 year run at WSU.

He moved to Pullman in 1969 and began his 35 year career at WSU, for 31 years as Hilltopics editor and four more as Co-Editor of the Washington State University magazine, which was the successor magazine to Hilltopics. Pat said his 31 years as Hilltopics editor were very interesting and satisfying because he got to know people from all aspects of WSU life. His list of friends, acquaintances, and interviewees reads like a Who’s-Who of all the movers and shakers at WSU during those years. The job was also a bit taxing. Ten issues a year (later cut back to 8) with 24 pages each issue. That’s a lot if interviewing.

Pat’s working companions in University Relations had nothing but good to say about him. A few quotes: “I never saw him angry,” “Wow, could that man write,” “He was totally dedicated,” “All Around,” “Always Inquisitive,” “Trusted Friend.”

It was during those early years back at WSU that he met Laurie (Busch) Caraher, his wife also a Cougar (’75 Music Education). They met in church. Laurie was from a Pullman family which was also a golfing family. Pat said their first date was playing golf on the old WSU nine hole golf course. They got married in 1976.  Pat and Laurie have three daughters, Maureen, Kelly and Theresa all of whom graduated from WSU and who have produced four grandchildren for Grandpa Pat to spoil. 

Family members, including a couple of grandkids, described Pat as follows: “People Person,” “Selfless,” “Loyal,”  “Consistent,” “Faithful,” “Lifetime Volunteer,” “Pullman’s Mayor,” “Lots of Friends,” “Likes to Read.” One elaborated on her choices by saying, “Selfless because he always puts others before himself and Loyal because he is loyal to his family, friends, community, faith/church and his beloved Cougs.”

Because of his work on HillTopics and other WSU and community activities, Pat received the WSU Alumni Achievement Award in 1995.

Pat’s hobbies and activities apart from work were and are quite varied: International and domestic travel, reading books, newspapers and obituaries. Obituaries because each one is a vignette of a person’s life, birth to death. He also likes golfing and exercising, particularly walking with Laurie and friends, and all Cougar sports, especially baseball which he calls his “love and vice.” 

He was a Rotary Club member for 42 years. Rotary’s motto of “Service above Self” certainly epitomizes who Pat is. Also, for the last 14 years Pat has served as a Volunteer Chaplain at Pullman Regional Hospital. And he can’t stop writing. In 2016 he started writing random stories of his memories and reflections. The titles of two so far are: “Three Broken Teeth and Two Broken Legs,” and “Flying Kites and Building Sand Castles.” I told Pat he should combine these stories in book form and title it “Pat-Topics.”

So, back in Pullman at WSU, Pat got both “Location” and “Job satisfaction”, a wife and family and many friends. Pat said he loved his job and his wife, “Best thing that ever happened to me,” he said, meaning his wife not the job. But maybe the job was second best.

The story is posted at these blogs:

-News for CougGroup
http://newsforcouggroup.blogspot.com/2018/05/manyknow-pullmans-pat-caraher-but-dont.html

-Pullman :: Cup of the Palouse
https://pullman-cupofpalouse.blogspot.com/2018/05/pat-topics-story-about-pullmans-pat.html

Also, see WSU news release 9/7/2004, 'Long-time Cougar Writer, Editor Patrick Caraher to Retire'

https://news.wsu.edu/2004/09/07/long-time-cougar-writer-editor-patrick-caraher-to-retire

Pullman's historic Northern Pacific Depot purchased by Whitman County Historical Society

--A “Cougar Special” train arrives from the Seattle/Tacoma area at the Northern Pacific Railroad depot in 1920 in Pullman. Thousands of WSU students traveled across the state on these trains after the depot’s brick building opened March 9, 1917.

--This 1915 photo shows the wooden depot that was constructed in 1901, located east of Grand Avenue along Missouri Flat Creek, after the Northern Pacific Railroad depot was moved closer to the tracks to help commuters avoid walking in the mud.

--This photo shows the Northern Pacific Railroad depot's brick building, which opened March 9, 1917, in Pullman.

--This photo shows the Pufferbelly Depot in its current state at the corner of North Grand Avenue and Northeast Whitman Street in Pullman.

From Whitman County Historical Society NEWSLETTER Vol. 45, No. 2 – 2018 (Apparently mailed April 2018).

PULLMAN DEPOT PURCHASED

Additional good news was announced in mid-February when the Whitman County Historical Society acquired the historic Northern Pacific Railroad Depot in Pullman. This iconic downtown building is a symbol of Pullman’s rich heritage. The Society decided that its purchase would enable the preservation of the building as a historical site, leading to an eventual railroad and Pullman history museum

The depot was recently owned by the late Dan Antoni. His daughter, Meghan, who inherited the property, was seeking a way to preserve it. Contact was made with the Society about the possible purchase and discussions followed. The acquisition was made possible with an anonymous local backer stepped forward and negotiated with Ms. Antoni to secure the property for the Historical Society.

The Board appointed Kathy Meyer and Linda Hackbarth as co-chairs of a steering committee to 1) raise funds to repay the loan and finance future development of the museum, 2) plan for the future use of the facility and its administration, and 3) move forward on needed renovations and improvement.

Anyone interested in serving on this steering committee is urged to contact Linda (lindahackbarth39@gmail.com) or Kathy (klmeyer@gmail.com). Much help will be needed to make this museum a reality.

::::

Dan Antoni died of a heart attack at age 63 on Dec. 30, 2015. His obituary appeared in the Sept. 3, 2016, Moscow Pullman Daily News. The obit included that he was born in Portland and graduated from David Douglas High School in Portland and the University of Oregon in Eugene. "In the late '70s/early '80s, Dan moved to Pullman and fell in love with its small-town charm. Dan worked as a substitute math and science teacher at Lincoln Middle school, owned and operated two restaurants: Barley & Hopps bar on campus and Chovies submarine shop downtown before finding his true calling in real estate."

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Nearby History: WCHS purchases historic Northern Pacific Railroad depot

By Linda Hackbarth

Moscow Pullman Daily News, April 14, 2018

(Linda Hackbarth is the webmaster and newsletter editor for the Whitman County Historical Society.)

The Whitman County Historical Society jumped on the unique opportunity to purchase the Northern Pacific Railroad Depot in Pullman when it became known a sale was imminent.

The building was renamed the Pufferbelly Depot after the late Dan Antoni bought it in 1988. Antoni turned a portion into his real estate office and rented the eastern side to the vehicle licensing department. He added three Pullman cars, a locomotive and a Great Northern caboose, all of which he placed on rails next to the building. His daughter, Meghan Antoni, inherited the property and was seeking a way to preserve it. Contact was made with WCHS about the possible purchase, and discussions followed. The acquisition became feasible when an anonymous local donor stepped forward and negotiated with Meghan Antoni to secure the entire holdings for the historical society.

WCHS, organized in 1972, purchased and restored the Perkins House and cabin in Colfax as one of its first efforts. Its acquisition of the depot adds to its inventory of historic sites in the county, including two buildings in Palouse - the Roy Chatters Newspaper and Print Museum and the Trinity Chapel. The historical society also operates the WCHS Archive in the Gladish Community Center in Pullman, has partnered with the Lost Apple Project, offers full-day field trips for schoolchildren at the Jones Schoolhouse on the Palouse Empire Fairgrounds and publishes a quarterly newsletter and a journal of local history called The Bunchgrass Historian. The Board of Directors believes the iconic downtown depot has the potential to evolve into a wonderful railroad and Pullman history museum.

The history of the building dates back to the late 1800s and ties directly to the story of how Pullman got its name. The Spokane & Palouse Railroad, which became the Northern Pacific, came to Pullman in 1887, two years after the arrival of Oregon Railway and Navigation Company tracks. OR&N later morphed into Burlington Northern and finally Union Pacific. Both railroads built depots to serve the community - the Union Pacific on the south side of the Palouse River and the Northern Pacific on the north - just a block apart. In 1901, the NP Depot was relocated a bit closer to the tracks when commuters became tired of walking through the mud to meet the trains. A spot east of Grand Avenue and along Missouri Flat Creek became its permanent site. A 32-by-160-foot frame building was constructed, complete with waiting rooms for both ladies and gentlemen, a baggage room and a large freight room. A nearby house was acquired for the railroad agent.

This building was razed and replaced by the more than 7,000-square-foot brick structure that exists today. The formal opening on March 9, 1917, attracted a large crowd, including dignitaries from the railroad company. Over the years, thousands of WSU students traveled back and forth from Seattle and Tacoma via "Cougar Special" trains. "Why not get together with your friends who are going back to college and make up your own little group to travel together on the Cougar Special?" asked a 1935 NP brochure. The depot continued to be used until 1970, when passenger service was discontinued. It then served as offices for the Soil Conservation District until purchased by Antoni.

The Historical Society appointed board members Kathy Meyer and myself to co-chair an exploratory steering committee to raise funds to repay the loan and finance development of the museum, plan for the present and future use of the facility and its administration, and move forward on needed renovations and improvements. These women are in the process of gathering the committee.

"We invite all railroad buffs, historic preservation enthusiasts, potential museum planners and general Pullman lovers to join us," they added. "Come to our first meeting Thursday, April 19, 2018, 6:30 p.m. in the Hecht Room at Neill Public Library."

For further information on how to support this effort or become a member of the steering committee, you are encouraged to contact the following: Kathy Meyer at (509) 334-9089 or klemeyer@gmail.com; me, Linda Hackbarth, at (208) 627-3460 or lindahackbarth39@gmail.com; and Jon Anderson, WCHS treasurer, at (509) 595-1427 or jpacpa@pullman.com.

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PULLMAN’S TWO RAILROAD DEPOT, ACROSS GRAND AVENUE FROM EACH OTHER

--Address for Pullman’s Northern Pacific Depot is 330 N Grand Ave. In addition to Grand, it is on or near Northeast Whitman and Kamiaken Streets.

--Address for Pullman’s Union Pacific Depot (now Umpqua Bank) is 225 N Grand Ave. In addition to Grand, it is on or near Northwest Davis Way and Northwest State Street.

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Pullman trains see growing pains

Whitman County Historical Society takes aim at a new restoration project in downtown Pullman: The historic ‘Pufferbelly’ Depot

By Scott Jackson
Moscow Pullman Daily News 
Apr 19, 2018 

The old Pufferbelly Depot — constructed in 1917 and operational until 1970 — has been sagging into a state of disrepair on the edge of Pullman’s downtown for years, but it could soon be the site of a massive restoration effort if the Whitman County Historical Society can raise the necessary money.

A steering committee will meet today to decide what must be done to convert the entire property into a museum.

WCHS purchased the former Northern Pacific Depot in early March with the help of a $300,000 loan from an anonymous donor, those close to the project say.

“If we want to get historic status for it, we’re going to have to renovate it back to more of its original condition,” Linda Hackbarth, co-chair of the steering committee, said. “Eventually, we’ll have to strip everything down to see what original stuff is here before we can start any restoration process.”

Hackbarth said while there may be grants available for projects concerning historic buildings, WCHS will try to raise most of the necessary money through donations in a public fund drive. She said she hopes to secure at least $1 million for renovations, but some on the steering committee speculate it may take as much as $2 million to $3 million to fully restore the property.

“The question is, how much do you have to raise before you get something going so people see?” Hackbarth said.

She said a rigorous fundraising effort is required to renovate the space.

“You don’t want to be trying to nickel and dime to raise money over five years,” Hackbarth said.

The early work of clearing out relatively recent alterations to the space will be a major first step, Hackbarth said, and it will include tearing down drywall and removing a false ceiling. Hackbarth said the west wing of the structure would likely host the majority of museum operations, leaving room for creative ideas on how to use the remaining space. Annette Pettenger, also on the steering committee, said ideally, the museum would feature both the history of rail and the local history of the city of Pullman.

A lingering question, Hackbarth said, is what to do with the three water-warped railcars abutting the building that were previously converted into living and office spaces. She said the false tracks on which the cars now rest were built by late owner Dan Antoni, on what was once a herringbone brick platform for passengers. She said Antoni, who purchased the depot in 1988, bought the cars in the early 2000s from an outfit based in Portland, had them towed to the site by rail and used a crane to place them on his false tracks. The last car was installed in 2002, she said, and the engine car near the front was brought in during 2008. Antoni died in December 2015.

“The unfortunate thing is, when Dan brought the trains in, he set them right next (to the depot) — so it takes all the light out of the building,” Hackbarth said. “From the viewpoint of town, they cover the whole building, so you can’t see the building from the front side.”

Restoring the railcars themselves will be an ambitious undertaking. Hackbarth said previous renovations were done on the cheap and, as a result of poorly installed windows, mold began to take hold. Hackbarth said she was told not to take a deep breath while inside. She said this might be an exaggeration, but large black swaths of mold can be spied creeping along wall surfaces in the two foremost cars.

“At this point, we’re thinking possibly cannibalizing three and making one decent one,” Hackbarth said.

She said the current tenants, which includes Assurance Driving School and Puffin Glass Studios, will be allowed to stay for the foreseeable future, but may have to leave when restoration begins.

Hackbarth said she hopes to draw interest from the community once residents recognize the historic station’s potential. If done right, she said, a modern, well-planned museum could be just what the city needs.

“It’s a wonderful location for downtown, and I think it could be a real draw to downtown,” Hackbarth said. “This will be such a massive project that this will stand, eventually, independently with its own board of directors and staff for whatever is needed down the line.”


The steering committee’s first meeting is at 6:30 p.m. today in the Hecht Room of the Neill Public Library. It is open to the public.

City of Pullman purchases church, will become city hall and rec center

Pullman purchases new city hall

Officials say they have been leasing space in the facility while they approach the construction phase

By Scott Jackson

Moscow Pullman Daily News staff writer April 12, 2018

This rendering from Design West Architects shows how the sanctuary of the Encounter Ministries building could be remodeled into the City Council chambers if the building is purchased to serve as Pullman City Hall.

Pullman has finalized its $3.5 million purchase of the Encounter Ministries campus, which city officials plan to convert into a new city hall and recreation center, Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson said.

Voters approved a proposition in February that permits the city to issue $10.5 million in general obligation bonds to finance the project. Johnson said the city plans to begin offering the bonds for sale in the early summer. He said the remaining $7 million will be used to remodel the two buildings into a space more suitable to house city operations.

"We've engaged with Design West; they're going to help with all of our design and getting us through the construction side," City Supervisor Adam Lincoln said.

Lincoln said Design West Architects, which has offices in downtown Pullman, has been assisting with a community outreach strategy to gather input from residents on what features they would like to be included in the project. He said the city should begin to accrue feedback and consider what can fit in the budget near the end of the month.

Lincoln said the city is leasing the space back to Encounter Ministries for its Sunday services while the group prepares to renovate and move into its new headquarters - the YCC building on Grand Avenue. Lincoln said the city is also leasing space in the recreation building to another Christian organization as well as a local cheer squad. He said the groups are only using the space on a short-term basis and will likely be out of the building by the time construction begins.

"We figured the planning phase is going to be eight or nine months and then (another) eight or nine months of construction," Lincoln said.

The project is scheduled to be completed by October 2019.

When planning the initial cost estimate, Lincoln said the city created a "smart" budget that allows room for relocation expenses as well as unexpected costs and embellishments. Lincoln said he doesn't foresee many problems moving forward.

"The church building in particular, it's something that's pretty easily remodeled," Lincoln said. "It's a giant rectangular building, so moving walls a little bit and making some adjustments shouldn't be a major concern."

Lincoln said all departments currently housed in the old City Hall building, which includes city administrative offices as well as public works and planning, will transfer into the new facility once it is complete. Additionally, he said parks and recreation administrators will move from their offices in Pioneer Center to spaces in the new gym building. While Pioneer Center has the potential to be reclaimed by the school district for office space, there is little word on the fate of what is to become of the old City Hall. Lincoln said the City Council has not made a decision yet, but speculated the city would likely explore options to sell the property.

Franklin School on Pullman’s Pioneer Hill

Dedication plaque for the older part (dedicated/opened 1939) of Pullman's second Franklin School (now Pioneer Center) on Dexter Street Pullman's Pioneer Hill reads: 

FEDERAL EMERGENCY 

ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC WORKS 

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT 

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 

HAROLD L. ICKES 

ADMINISTRATOR OF PUBLIC WORKS 

FRANKLIN SCHOOL 

1939 

.................... 

=The Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works was renamed the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1935 and shut down in 1944. PWA was part of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" of 1933. PWA was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression. It built large-scale public works such as dams, bridges, hospitals, and schools. Washington State College's/University’s old Rogers (football, track & field) Field, in Pullman, Washington was reconstructed with the assistance of federal Public Works Administration (PWA) funds in 1936. Predecessor of WSU's Martin (football) Stadium (at least as of 4/19/2018) was Rogers Field. The "Rogers Field" name lives on in WSU football practice fields adjacent to Martin Stadium. 

=The newer part of the second Franklin School (now Pioneer Center) on Dexter Street on Pioneer Hill in Pullman was an added in 1957. The first Franklin School was on a different part of the second Franklin School (now Pioneer Center) property. The current (at least as of 4/19/2018) /third Franklin School is on Klemgard Street on Pioneer Hill.


.

Richard Old posted on Facebook in January 2018 a booklet with this cover showing Pullman Main Street. He said, he "came across this booklet in an estate I was working on. It was done by a WSU fifth year architectural design class, apparently around 1969. The first picture (the booklet front cover) is Pullman the way it was..." The class project, he said, was funded by the Pullman Chamber of Commerce.

It looks like the booklet might be this ....
"Central Business District Development: Pullman. Pamphlet. 1968 October"
... according to "Guide to the Historic Ephemera Collection 1880-2016
SC 004" of WSU  MASC/Manuscripts, Archives & Special Collections
http://ntserver1.wsulibs.wsu.edu/masc/finders/sc004.htm

WSU grad/sports broadcaster Keith Jackson's 'Pullman Walk of Fame' tile

WSU alum Keith Jackson, iconic sports broadcaster, especially known for his "voice" during live college football telecasts, died at age 89 in January 2018.

He is one of those honored by a tile in the Pullman Walk of Fame.

Tile – see photo taken by “Pullman :: Cup of the Palouse” blog in July 2017 -- is among those in the “Class of 2003,” the first enshrined on the walk.

His tile is in the section honoring "WSU Presidents & Distinguished. Members of the WSU Community."

According to the Pullman Chamber of Commerce, the walk was “established to honor those individuals who have served the Pullman community in a significant way, promoted goodwill, improved the quality of life for Pullman residents or brought acclaim to the area through their contributions to society."

The Chamber’s Walk of Fame brochure says, “Keith Jackson WSU Class of 1954. As an ABC-TV sports commentator, he is the only individual ever elected as National Sportscaster of the Year five times.”

A story in the Nov. 14, 2003, Moscow Pullman Daily News said, the walk was a “feature snippet during Saturday's ABC Sports television broadcast of the football game between WSU and UCLA. One of the squares honors ABC sportscaster and commentator Keith Jackson, a WSU graduate. The walk was praised as a unique civic project.”