125 years ago
Dec. 9, 1892
Aberdeen
The council held a regular meeting on Wednesday evening and went through routine business. A protest was entered against paying warrants issued to Electric Light Co. on the grounds that members of the council were directly interested in the company. On motion the matter was referred to city atty.
Word was received that wreckage was coming ashore on the north side of the harbor. The new schr. Chas. R. Wilson, owned by Wilson Bros. of this city, was long over due and it was feared that she had been caught in the deadly current that sets in on that shore during a southwester. In consequence considerable interest was aroused but the schooner arrived O.K. on Saturday, relieving the feelings of a number who had friends aboard. As near as can be learned, all of the wreckage that has so far come ashore is a part of a vessel’s keel about 4 ft by 60 ft and is probably a portion of one of the old wrecks lying along that shore.
100 years ago
Dec. 7, 1917
The Montesano Chapter of the American Red Cross on Tuesday completed a box each of knitted goods and hospital supplies and shipped the same to the Seattle headquarters for shipment East. The box of knitted goods was composed of 84 pairs socks, 59 sweaters, 5 mufflers, and 61 pairs of wristlets. The hospital supplies filled the other box and comprised the following articles: 7 ice bags, 15 splint pillows, 45 suits of pajamas, 15 ambulance pads, 10 operating socks and 35 handkerchiefs. These boxes were the sum of the Chapter’s work during November.
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The members of the inter-class debating teams are working very hard writing their speeches for the coming debates. The question for debate is “Resolved, that the annexation of Mexico to the United States would be for the best interests of both countries; granted, that said annexation would not be made prior to the close of the European War.” The debates, which will decide the class championship will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on the following dates: First two debates the last of next week, and the second two immediately following the Christmas holidays.
75 years ago
Dec. 10, 1942
A signal honor was recently bestowed on a former Montesanan, Julius Ruiz, when he was summoned to Washington by President Manuel Quezon of the Philippine Commonwealth, and entrusted with an important mission to the Filipino colonies in this country.
The exact nature of the mission cannot be divulged, but it is important to the Filipino war effort and to the rehabilitation of the Commonwealth after the war.
After the conference with Quezon, which took place at the latter’s sick bed, Ruiz made a general tour of the country. “The trip around the country,” he says, “was educational. I visited more than 50 Filipino colonies, talked to their leaders (civilians and servicemen alike) and had an opportunity to form a rather clear picture of their lives and problems, which vary according to geographical regions and are identical with the Americans.” …
“I have always considered Montesano my adopted home town in America,” he said, “and remember the many Montesanans who helped me while in high school. We have a great school in Montesano and the teachers and people, including The Vidette, gave me all the breaks which became great factors in my college life.”
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More than 150 key republicans of Grays Harbor and Willapa Harbor gathered at a banquet Tuesday evening to send off Congressman-elect Fred Norman to take up his new duties in Washington with their blessings and promises to support his efforts as representative of the Third Congressional district. From Montesano went County Commissioner Harold B. Kellog, County Clerk Letha M. Wagner and her successor-to-be County Clerk-elect Julia E. Crane, accompanied by Oscar Klasell and Karl C. Kerstetter.
Mr. Norman and his secretary, Harland B. Plumb, will leave for Washington, D.C., on December 21st to take up their duties preliminary to being sworn in for membership in the new congress which is to meet early in January.
50 years ago
Dec. 7, 1967
Two matters of future importance to Grays Harbor County – the possibility of a courthouse annex and a new jail and the need for more people to take advantage of Farm Home Administration loans – held the spotlight at last Thursday’s luncheon meeting of the Montesano Chamber of Commerce.
Regarding hoped-for construction of the courthouse additions, CofC members voted wholeheartedly to ask the county commissioners to resubmit a bond proposal for financing it to the public.
Regarding the FHA problem, featured speaker Tom Brighton, who heads the FHA office for Grays Harbor, Mason and Pacific Counties, warned that the tri-county area is passing up a good bet by ignoring the program of loans and grants which can make available substantial benefits. …
The Chamber okayed a letter to the county, declaring that the courthouse “problem will not go away because we ignore it.”
25 years ago
Dec. 10, 1992
A devastating fire that totally destroyed the residence, hit the home owned by Mark Sagen at 297 Monte/Elma Road Sunday afternoon about 5:30 p.m. when neighbors on nearby Glenn Road called the Montesano Fire Department. In all, the Satsop and Brady departments joined Montesano in fighting the fire.
Constructed by Gene Braun, the home owned by Sagen was unoccupied last Sunday although a woman and several children do live in the house. Ron Caster, chief of Fire District #2, said that because of the nearly total destruction of the structure, finding the exact cause of the blaze would be difficult, but an investigation is under way. He also noted that the building was insured.
10 years ago
Dec. 6, 2007
“The weather outside is frightful” … That Christmas song was especially appropriate Monday. Saturday’s snow was gone, but the howling winds and pounding rains were truly fearsome.
In fact, the storm was so horrendous that for the first time ever, Montesano’s Festival of Lights has been cancelled for this weekend. Whether it would be rescheduled had not yet been determined at press time.
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The City of Montesano’s hospitality was on display a week early thanks to a storm of historic proportions that left the entire county in the dark and drew thousands of distressed Harborites to town looking for a hot meal and a few drops of gas.
You could call it the Festival of No Lights.
To make matters worse, on Tuesday – with power not yet fully restored – emergency officials began issuing dire warnings that the floodwaters wending their way downstream could set records throughout the entire Chehalis River Valley. Everyone living in flood-prone areas is being urged to evacuate.
As a result, the Montesano Chamber of Commerce has reluctantly canceled the Festival of Lights that was set to take place this Saturday, Dec. 8.
