125 years ago

Feb. 10, 1893

Business of all kinds has been stagnated during the last week on account of the unusual depth of snow. During this storm nearly six feet of snow has fallen, twenty-six inches having been recorded in the last few days of January and forty-five in February, making seventy-one in all. The snow has been over four feet deep on the level, and has caused considerable rustling among our citizens to clean roofs, etc., to save their buildings. Snow shovelers were in great demand and commanded their own price. Several small buildings collapsed under the unusual weight, but still very little damage was done. Schools are still closed but will be opened on Monday. Stock up the river is reported to be in bad shape and it is impossible to get hay or feed to them on account of the river being blocked, demonstrating the need of roads even along tidewater.

100 years ago

Feb. 8, 1918

The most valuable hen in Grays Harbor county was killed and eaten in Westport the other day. Last summer this biddy was sitting and Gus Stratton offered to trade even for a Westport town lot, and the offer was refused. Gus then donated the lot to the Cosmopolis Red Cross. G. W. Eliott donated the conveyancing and notary work necessary. The Red Cross raffled the lot for $100, the possessor of the lucky number putting it up again and $50 was realized. The hen went on setting and in due time brought forth a dozen chicks. As the hen was of the common barnyard variety, weighing about five pounds, Mr. Stratton submits that $30 a pound is the high water mark for chickens.

•••

A Howard Winters is dead and Lloyd Pickering, Jack Cross, Ray Shorey and L. L. Hill are suffering more or less from injuries received when an auto, driven by David Melville, hauling a hose cart, failed to make the turn from Main street to Pioneer Avenue, and ran into the State Bank Building, Tuesday night about 9:15 o’clock.

Winters lived after the accident until about 3 o’clock Wednesday afternoon. His right leg was smashed below the knee, and there were other injuries. Until afternoon Wednesday it was believed he would recover and that even his leg could be saved, but the shock, and probably internal injuries proved too much for him.

None of the others injured are seriously hurt and all are around on the street again.

75 years ago

Feb. 11, 1943

The Eastern Grays Harbor Forest Development Council which took form in Elma last September under the chairmanship of Charles E. Smith of Elma, is soon to launch a “forest development cooperative association” according to an announcement received Wednesday. “When the cooperative association was first proposed in December many felt that the time was not favorable,” explained Smith. “However since then many farmers and timber lot owners have expressed their belief that the project should be formed now and made ready for operation immediately after the war is over.

•••

Tentative plans were laid Tuesday evening for the development of an intensive Victory Garden program in which all families of Montesano would participate throughout the coming spring and summer. …

After the necessary preliminary work has been accomplished the Victory Garden committee will ask the Chamber of Commerce and the Montesano Civilian Defense Council to call a mass meeting of citizens who are interested in gardening. At this meeting facilities will be explained for using vacant lots, for obtaining special help in plowing, and for organizing neighborhood units under Montesano’s defense zone system, it was decided.

50 years ago

Feb. 8, 1968

More than 150 members and guests of the Federal Land Bank Association of Elma attended the annual meeting held last Thursday, February 1, at the Tyee Motor Inn in Tumwater.

Dean Clabaugh, Executive Director of Evergreen State College, addressed the membership regarding plans for the new four-year state college to be built near Olympia.

•••

The main topic of discussion at last Thursday’s regular meeting of the Montesano Chamber of Commerce centered around the local telephone service.

According to Chamber President Walter Meek, “Progress is being made in the chamber’s efforts to eliminate the existing long distance tolls between neighboring cities of the area.”

The General Telephone Co. which serves both the Montesano and Elma communities intends to circulate ballots on such a proposal to its customers in April or May.

25 years ago

Feb. 11, 1993

Last October when Tom Pohl of the State Department of Natural Resources appeared before the county commissioners with a report on state timber harvests, he told the board the Departmental projection for timber harvest in Grays Harbor County for 1993 would be in the neighborhood of slightly over $1 million. This past Monday, Pohlonce again appeared before the board, and according to the projected revenues for 1993, the county should receive somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.32 million in timber sales

•••

For the past several days, rumors have been rampant that many irate citizens would appear at Tuesday evening’s city council meeting to complain about the closure of the public parking lot on the northeast corner of Marcy and Main streets, which is owned by Paul Willis, local businessman. Willis closed the lot to public parking some two months ago when the Chamber of Commerce announced that it would no longer be able to fund the cost of the lot on an annual basis. Prior to the closure the Chamber had paid half the cost while the city of Montesano picked up the other half of the tab in a joint effort to reduce parking problems.

… Tom Monaghan, president of the Chamber, appeared before the council to explain the reason why the Chamber was unable to fund its share of the parking costs.

Monaghan said, “When we approached the business owners for funds to pay the costs this year we were met with rebuffs. The business community just wasn’t interested in paying the Chamber’s share this year. Obviously, without business participation, the Chamber isn’t in any position to pay half the costs.”

10 years ago

Feb. 7, 2008

Young women from Elma and Montesano captured the top spots at the Miss Grays Harbor pageant last Saturday, Feb. 2, at the 7th St. Theatre in Hoquiam.

Katelyn Nauman, 17, of Elma, followed in her sister Kayla’s footsteps when she was named Miss Grays Harbor 2008. Katelyn is the daughter of Tim and Kayleen Nauman. This is the second young woman from the Nauman family to capture the crown. Kayla (Nauman) Nixon represented the area in 2005 as Miss Pacific Coast.

•••

Commissioners of Grays Harbor Fire District 5 ratified an agreement at their meeting Monday with the cities of Elma and McCleary and Grays Harbor Fire District 12 in rural McCleary regarding ambulance service.

The Elma City Council did the same, making it unanimous that the four entities accept the terms of the settlement, and emergency medical services will continue in all of those areas through the end of the year.