From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library: In 1906 cowboys in the Ephrata area rounded up a few thousand wild horses and sold them to buyers back East in what was known as “The Last Grand Roundup.” At the time this event was considered a final farewell to the era of the Old West in Eastern Washington. But the day of the horse wasn’t quite over. Amazingly, horses were in so much…
Journalism has seen its share of notable reporters and columnists who have enjoyed very long and rewarding careers, from legendary White House reporter Helen Thomas to retired Olympia scribe Adele Ferguson to our very own Dave Ammons, formerly of the Associated Press. There is such a revered figure in the north-central Washington town of Omak: Elizabeth Widel has worked at the Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle for 55 years. For 52 years, her “Exploring the Okanogan” column has provided unique perspectives on…