125 years ago
July 8, 1892
The demonstration in Montesano last Monday resulted in just what was anticipated by the management, and planned by them. It was the purpose of those in charge to prepare a program of exercises that would afford enjoyment to all classes without heavy expense to the people of this city, or a demand upon the purses of visitors. The “spread eagle” style was entirely eliminated, yet the expressions from nearly all would seem to indicate that this omission was not a mistake.
While there was a large number of visitors present, the number was not so large as anticipated—especially from the upper part of the county. The number which took advantage of the special trains were comparatively few, more coming from Elma and vicinity by private conveyance than by train.
The day was passed with less disturbance than any similar gathering ever held here. There was little drinking indulged in, no quarreling or rough behavior, and it seemed that all were agreed upon having a good time in a legitimate manner.
100 years ago
July 6, 1917
Two of the auto trucks owned by Oscar Smith and used in transporting milk from his dairy farm to Aberdeen were in collision on the Wishkah-Wynooche road, Monday. One of the machines ran into a wagon driven by a girl and the other was run into head on by a Ford auto. The wagon was approaching the truck and the girl either pulled across the road or the wagon skidded, at any rate the vehicle blocked the road just as the truck came up and the smash was unavoidable.
A Ford car that was following the wagon swung around the mix-up and attempted to pass and dashed headlong into the second truck, which was right behind the first truck. The horses hitched to the wagon became frightened by the Ford dashing by and the confusion of the collision and ran away, wrecking the wagon. Luckily no one was injured.
75 years ago
July 9, 1942
It may be only a “practice” bombing, but as far as the workers are concerned it’s the real thing that will be staged Monday night. The air raid wardens, fire fighters, etc., for Montesano must be on the alert at 7:30 and prepared, theoretically, to meet any emergency that might arise as a result of one, or several, types of bombing.
The committee in charge of this practice, under Joe Schelgel, local chairman of civilian defense, met Wednesday night and formulated complete plans. Those concerned are asked to set their watches by the court house clock so all will have a uniform time. Observers, who will be unknown to the workers, will watch the workers solve their several problems, in zones of the two to be announced at 7:30 Monday. Observers’ reports will be made to the defense committee.
The problems will be disclosed when the bombs “hit”; bombs will be paper sacks of flour, with tags attached detailing types of incidents they are to cope with.
50 years ago
July 6, 1967
This is a short story about an honest man—a former Montesanan, in fact.
His name is Elmer Brown and he left Monte in the early 1930s to seek a career elsewhere. At the time, he owed money to several business firms here.
A week or so ago, he returned to this area to visit relatives while on vacation. He had another purpose in mind, too.
Brown surprised Gaston Moch when he walked into Moch’s jewelry store and announced he wanted to pay on his 1933 account. The amazed — and elated — proprietor checked old records and found he had written off a $60-plus “bad debt” in ‘36 or ‘37. Brown paid in full.
At Winters’ Tavern, the visitor from California caught Jim Winters completely off-guard by reporting that he owed $14 to Winters’ mother. Again, the aging amount was made good.
When Brown determined an ex-Monte grocer to whom he remains indebted has long since migrated to Puyallup, he said he planned to include Puyallup in his itinerary to take care of the matter.
There may have been other businessmen who heard from Brown during his heartwarming stay here. He told some friends that making belated repayment of his debts had given him as good a feeling as he could remember. The Monte merchants also felt good—especially to know there are such people left in the world today.
25 years ago
July 2, 1992
To ensure our forests will be open tomorrow, we’re closing them today.
Year after year, thousands of campers, hikers and anglers enjoy Weyerhaeuser forestlands in Washington. But unfortunately, this summer is different.
Winter has left far less snowpack in the mountains than normal. And even with the recent rain, our forests have been left extremely dry.
So dry that there’s a very real danger of wildfire. A danger to fish and wildlife that live in our forests. A danger to those of you who visit. And a danger to the millions of healthy, growing trees, including over 15 million seedlings hand planted this year.
These weather and fire conditions will improve. But until they do, we have closed all of our forestlands in Washington to the public for recreational use.
We ask for your support and cooperation during this dry spell. After all, closing our forestlands is short-term. Not closing them is short-sighted.
10 years ago
July 5, 2007
Looking around at the rainbows of beads and jewelry filling trays and hanging from displays at Unique Beads, a new shop near the corner of Third and Main streets in Elma, one would hardly guess it started with a terrible mishap.
But sometimes a traumatic event can have some positive out-workings. Following an accident several years ago in which lifelong Elma resident Gary Woolsey Jr.’s left foot was cut off after he fell into a piece of factory machinery, Woolsey spend nearly a year in a hospital bed and a wheelchair.
Woolsey, now 30, had more time on his hands than he knew what to do with and needed something to keep him busy. So, he began creating lures that would help fishermen entice the “big ones.”
“He tied…little flies for fishing and different lures,” his mother, Shirlee, recalls.
Lures often include beads, which create lifelike flashes in the water that attract fish, so Woolsey’s sister, Jalaine Boose, and their mother, Shirlee, took him in his wheelchair to Shipwreck Beads, “a huge bead store” in Olympia, his sister said.
“We had done some beading in the past but never had done it a lot,” she said. But when they saw the breathtaking assortment of beads and the possibilities of what they could do with them, they decided, “Let’s make jewelry while he’s making fishing lures.”
