125 years ago

Aug. 3, 1894

Mr. Orlando Newton and Miss Abbie Anderson were united in marriage Wednesday afternoon at the home of the bride, a few miles east of Oakville. The Rev. W.I. Cosper of Montesano performed the ceremony. Marion Criss was groomsman and Miss Mary Anderson bridesmaid. The ceremony took place in the front yard, in the presence of immediate relatives and friends. The bridal party stood beneath a large floral wedding bell, suspended from the front of the porch, while the guests were grouped on either side. While standing, just after they had been pronounced “man and wife,” the entire group was photographed. The picture of the bridal party was afterward taken separately. Refreshments and a general social good time occupied the remained of the afternoon.

Mr. Newton is well known as the son of Mrs. D. Medcalf of Oakville, while the bride is the highly respected daughter of the Rev. A. Anderson. The newly wedded couple began housekeeping at once in Oakville. They received a number of wedding presents. A host of friends in the eastern end of the county wish them wealth, health and happiness as their portion of life.

100 years ago

Aug. 1, 1919

From Aberdeen comes the word that the Wyomont Oil Company, which owns most of the leases taken in and close to Montesano, has a drill on the way here now and expects to get a well started within a few weeks. From the same source, it is said that F.S. Fulton, manager of the company, who is still in Chicago, is due to return soon.

Oil interest is still increasing though as a visitor to the city, Mr. Beckman, remarks, there has been much oil interest wherever a well has been sunk, and many wells are sunk without discovering oil. The Standard Oil Company at Moclips is now down 250 feet. The Swasticka Oil Company, which has taken over the old Jefferson Oil Company property, has resumed putting the well down. When abandoned, it was over 1,000 feet deep.

***

Game and Fish Warden Jack Winslow has a considerable job nowadays saving baby fish from choking to death for want of water along the Wynooche and other trout streams of the county.

The rivers are falling rapidly as a result of the long drouth, and as they go down, many little holes and ponds are left to dry up at a slower pace, in which hundreds and even thousands of baby fish are caught.

Some of the stronger of the little fish will push their way down and through short stretches of gravel, Winslow says, but most of them, if left without help, will perish when the pools dry up or the water becomes stagnant. To prevent this, Jack is making daily trips along the rivers hunting the pools and seining the babies out, to be at once replaced in the river proper.

Winslow got a shipment of 75,000 rainbow trout fry from outside hatcheries this week and has placed them in Grays Harbor fishing streams.

***

As a result of a letter from W.H. Abel to Alex Polson, who at a dinner in honor of Senator Wesley L. Jones in Aberdeen this week made the matter of Lonnie Edwards’ court martial public, there will probably be a congressional investigation with a view to freeing Edwards, and probably to the curtailing of Army powers in such matters.

Mr. Abel’s letter to Mr. Polson follows:

“Dear Senator: The facts as they are reported to me, concerning the court martial and sentence of Lonnie Edwards, are:

“A short time after the armistice was signed, a number of boys from Company C, 347th M.G.B.M., 91st division, were billeted in a barn in Belgium. This was in the devastated area of Belgium. Among the boys who were billeted there was Lonnie Edwards and Odillo Grinder and a number of others. The Belgian who owned this barn in which the boys were billeted had hidden in the hay in said barn a quantity of wine, and while the boys were there they discovered this wine and extracted from 20 to 25 bottles. These boys, with the other boys billeted in this barn, then drank his liquor. The owner of the liquor then discovered that it had been taken and he immediately reported the matter to the major of the battalion, and as a result thereof, an investigation was made and the boys arrested and tried before court martial proceedings.

“The boys who were arrested for this ‘awful’ crime paid this Belgian for the wine and paid him well, and after he had been paid for the wine, he refused to have anything further to do with the prosecution of the boys before the court martial. The major of the battalion, however, wanted to show his authority and efficiency and prosecuted these boys to the limit. They were found guilty and Edwards and Ginder were each sentenced to 10 years at hard labor. Edwards was imprisoned at Fort Leavenworth and I presume is still there.

“This young man was raised in Montesano. His parents are dead. He bears an excellent reputation.

“I understand that every man in his company has petitioned for the release of Edwards, and also Ginder. …

“He has many relatives here at Montesano, who are people of good standing, and they join with me in thanking you for your kindly interest in this young man’s welfare and in relieving him from the unjust and severe sentence imposed upon him.”

Lonnie Edwards is well known in and about Montesano. He is a brother of William Edwards, but lived with relatives in the Wynooche valley.

75 years ago

Aug. 3, 1944

Music lovers of this community will hear a fine tenor (who is black) when Emmanuel Mansfield appears in concert at the Methodist church in Montesano on the night of Wednesday, Aug. 9, at 8 o’clock.

Mr. Mansfield sings with great expression, inherent rhythm, has excellent range, and emotional power. He is possessed of a flexible voice, distinguished by warmth and expressive power rather than volume, a gift well trained and coupled with an engaging platform presence.

He sings with power and resonance in his operatic selections. his rich sense of humor is a striking feature in his novelty numbers and his spirituals are sung with reverence and devotion.

50 years ago

July 31, 1969

Montesano’s population signs at either end of the city limits can now be changed from the present 2,670, the figure applicable for the last few years, to a total of 2,800 persons.

This fact was revealed early this week by the State Planning and Community Affairs Agency. The official head count for the county stands at 62,500. Neighboring Pacific county has a total of 16,600 persons.

A breakdown in regard to Grays Harbor county reveals the fact that Aberdeen has a population of 19,300; Hoquiam 11,000; Cosmopolis, 1,500; Elma, 2,175; Westport, 1,400; McCleary, 1,200; and Oakville, 445.

***

“A turtle doesn’t take his first step forward without first sticking his neck out.”

Those were the words of Port Commissioner John Earley at a special meeting Monday evening at Aberdeen City Hall, called by Mayor Harold Schmid, to delve into the question of the Wynooche Dam project and its construction, the groundbreaking of which is scheduled to take place Sunday, August 24.

The Grays Harbor PUD, target of Earley’s statement, reiterated its stand Monday evening that, from a financial standpoint, the entire project had not been sufficiently studied. They reasoned that the estimate of the construction now is approximately 21% higher than it was when the public utility gave its unqualified support of the proposed project in 1965, when a field report which indicated annual payouts of approximately $140,000 was submitted by the Corps of Engineers. …

PUD Manager J.J. Stein, in attempting to explain the utility’s position said, “It is quite possible that an operating deficit may occur and if this does happen, the PUD’s share, which is 22%, would amount to $109,340 annually. Consequently, we would have to raise our rates about three percent.”