125 years ago
November 10, 1893
Everyone who dances should get ready for the masquerade ball, which the fire company will give on Thanksgiving night. it will be THE social event of this season, without necessitating a heavy expense to any one.
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Some facts of General Information regarding the city of Montesano: Population, 1,700; lighted by electricity; two weekly newspapers; one saw mill and shingle mill; surrounded by magnificent timber; one sash and door factory; one tannery; one furniture factory; two banking institutions; fine graded streets and miles of sidewalks; beautiful churches and good society; excellent transportation facilities by water or the Northern Pacific railway. Just the place to live and do business.
100 years ago
November 8, 1918
Peter Schafer, senior member of Schafer Bros. Logging Co., suffered a broken leg, and had a narrow escape with his life Monday evening when one of his own logging trains ran into the auto he was driving over a crossing of the logging road.
Mr. Schafer was driving along the road leading to Schafer Camp 4, and was apparently deep in thought when he drove onto the crossing, for employees say that the logging train was then close by and in plain sight.
The locomotive caught the auto in such a way that it dragged or pushed it along the track for some distance. Mr. Schafer jumped and was also dragged a distance.
The break was close to his knee and is said to be a serious one although the patient is doing nicely, according to Dr. Carr who was called on the case. Mr. Schafer, after the break was set, was taken to the Sister’s hospital in Aberdeen.
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Hallowe’en was so mild in Montesano that The Vidette forgot to mention it last week — however The Vidette was forgetful last week of several things.
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It was quite a welcome notice to the many election clerks and judges who had decided that it was their patriotic duty to do the work regardless of what wages were paid, to learn that the commissioners had decided to allow them $3 for eight hours and 40 cents an hour for overtime.
75 years ago
November 11, 1943
Anything can happen when McCleary hunters take to the tall timber in search of the horny tribe. Most hunters are content to bring back one elk, but Clarence Mattson, local plant employee, made up his mind that he would have a story to tell when he returned from the Quinault area last week. And a story he did tell, only Mattson’s story is different than the usual hunting story in that it is the truth and just as strange as the most fictitious.
Mattson, with Arvid Berge of Aberdeen, and four other hunters of Tacoma, were hunting in the Quinault, when they spotted a herd of elk. When the smoke cleared away, three big elk had breathed their last. This however, only marked the beginning of the excitement. The herd stampeded, and five other elk fell over a high cliff, there breaking their backs.
The game warden was notified and he came on the fun, bringing two other men to help. The elk were butchered and each man brought home an elk.
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Not only freight and mail airplanes, but helicopters, the flying machine that goes straight up, or down, or stays still in the air, may serve the Montesano and Grays Harbor area with Montesano as the “contact point,” if present plans of the Southwest Airways company recently outlined to the Montesano Chamber of Commerce become a reality.
In a letter to the secretary of the chamber here, Southwest states, “We believe the people of Montesano will be interested in the fact that your city has been included on a feeder route for the three west coast states which will include some 295 cities and towns not now receiving direct air transportation.” The plans are still in the formative stage and operating franchises from the government are to be asked immediately after war hostilities cease, it was said.
50 years ago
November 7, 1968
This is the way Montesano voted in the recent election:
U.S. President — Hubert Humphrey, 750; Richard Nixon, 459; George Wallace, 53
U.S. Senator — Warren Magnuson, 846; Jack Metcalf, 362
U.S. Representative — Julia Butler Hanson, 706; Wayne Adams, 516
Governor — John O’Connell, 633; Dan Evans, 619
Lieutenant Governor — John Cherberg, 668; Art Fletcher, 538
Attorney General — John McCutcheon, 700; Slade Gorton, 473
25 years ago
November 11, 1993
Two Aberdeen landmark buildings, the long vacant Finch Building, and the equally long vacant D&R Theater, have new owners as of last week. Pat Brutsche of Kent, owner of two shake mills in the Humptulips area, purchased the Finch Building, and is a co-owner of the D&R along with Jim Simmons and Jerry Werre.
As far as the D&R building is concerned, Brutsche has indicated that he plans to remodel a major portion of the building into retail and office space and turn the back portion of the building into parking space.
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The county commissioners Monday approved a resolution authorizing the final low interest contract with the Community Economic Revitalization Board that will enable the construction of the East County Industrial Park near Elma. Any payment will be deferred for three years, no interest for the next 10 years and an effective interest rate of 0.65%. The total loan amounts to some $400,000.
10 years ago
November 6, 2008
Thanks to a state program called Computers for Kids that recycles used state computers for use in the classroom, every 4th grader at Simpson School in Montesano was issued their own laptop last week.
Principal Judy Holliday said state officials came up with the idea to “pilot’ the program in Monte during brain-storming sessions about the classroom of the future, during planning for the new Simpson School which will open next year.
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Whenever Adam Bighill was on a basketball court or a football field, his mother, Janine, was always there in the stands, supporting him. From Pop Warner league through middle school, he could always rely on looking to the bleachers, and seeing her there.
Now Adam is a sophomore middle linebacker at Central Washington University, miles from his hometown of Montesano. His family can no longer be there to watch him, but every time he gets on one knee before each game, he dedicates his performance to his mother. She isn’t watching him from the bleachers, but he believes that she’s cheering him on from above.
Even though it’s been five years since Adam’s mom died of a heart attack, football helps him maintain a connection to her. And if she is still watching, she’d be just as proud of Adam as she was when she was still in the stands.
The small-high-school standout has grown to become last season’s Conference Freshman of the Year and the starting middle linebacker at CWU on what may be the greatest Wildcat football team ever.
Compiled from the archives of The Vidette by Karen Barkstrom. She can be reached at 360-537-3925 or kbarkstrom@thedailyworld.com
