George and Bertha Elliott and son Lester in 1910 on north side of Tetherow Butte near Redmond.(Spokesman file photo)

100 years ago

April 11, 1918 — The United States, in the year we have been in the war, has spent over $800,000,000 for aeroplanes for the army and the navy; it has flooded aeroplane factories with contracts; it has awarded many contracts to other factories that never built aeroplanes before, but it has yet to award its first aeroplane contract in Oregon.

Yes, the government has bought lots of aeroplane spruce in Oregon—because it had to. It didn’t do that from choice, or because any particular influence was brought to bear. The government had no choice; it had to buy the spruce where spruce grows. But as for making that spruce into aeroplanes, nothing doing in Oregon.

75 years ago

April 8, 1943 — To help Central Oregon farmers meet their food production goals, eleven families from the southern part of the United States arrived in Deschutes county Saturday.

Already nine of the families have been placed and are living in their new homes n farms in communities adjoining Redmond. The other two have returned to the Dayton labor placement center from where they will be assigned to a section of the state where farming conditions are more in their line.

50 years ago

April 10, 1968 — A new automatic car washer, which can completely wash and rinse top and sides, front and back of an automobile in less than two minutes—with passengers still inside the car, if they prefer—is being installed in the north bay of the Redmond Car Wash.

Cars are taken through the washer by an automatic conveyor, with windows rolled up, motor dead.

A series of six brushes, three to each side, wash front, back and entire sides, including cleaning of white sidewall tires and application of a chemical to brighten them.

25 Years Ago

April 14, 1993 — A man hunting for bones near Redmond Caves Saturday found the skeletal remains of an adult male.

Police are investigating the death as a homicide.

The remains found in the shallow grave were sent to the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s office on Tuesday.

A man who collects bones as a hobby found four bones and bone fragments on the surface of the ground in an area one-quarter to one-half mile northeast of the general area of the caves.