125 years ago

Oct. 23, 1891

An important case

A case, involving the title to much of the town site of Elma, has been filed in the Superior court this week, in which there are thirteen plaintiffs and one hundred and sixty-seven defendants. It is brought by the heirs at law of Margaret Hamilton, who was at one time wife of Joseph Young, the original owner of much of the land on which Elma now stands and the heirs claim an interest in the land through the said Mrs. Hamilton.

A great number of the lots have passed through many owners since the town was platted, and the suit will prove an interesting one, not only to those immediately concerned, but also to many others in the county who are somewhat acquainted with the facts in the case. Bignold &Stinson are the attorneys for the plaintiffs.

100 years ago

Oct. 20, 1911

Council authorizes sewer construction

The City Council at the meeting Tuesday evening voted to install a sewer and septic tank in block 6 Byles &Dabney’s addition. Objections made to the improvement were overruled and the immediate installation of the sewer and tank was authorized.

An ordinance was ordered drawn to provide for the work. The improvement district formed to take care of the cost of the installation will be on the five-year payment plan. This sewer and tank will afford an outlet for sewage from this block that has long been a nuisance and has been brought to the attention of the council on a number occasions. The demand for the work was such the council voted to go ahead with it despite strong objections.

75 years ago

Oct. 23, 1941

Board opposes government promotion of butter substitutes

Protest against reported efforts of the government encouraging the use of oleomargarine was voiced by the Grays Harbor county defense board here Wednesday.

The board went in session here to put into action the part Grays Harbor farmers will play in the national “food for freedom” campaign, now being instituted to increase agricultural production to feed not only this country but Great Britain and others fighting Germany.

But reports that the government itself, through radio programs and other means, has been promoting the use of butter substitutes roused the ire of Grays Harbor dairymen who have been asked to increase production of dairy products. The action of the Grays Harbor board, opposing propaganda favorable to butter substitutes, is to be sent to the state defense board.

The “food for freedom” campaign is being conducted under the auspices of the United States department of agriculture. A.A. Siefert is chairman of the Grays Harbor committee.

The committee also raised the question as to protection to be given to farmers who increase production of foods for which no bottom price has been established. The position has been taken that if farmers are asked to increase production for the national emergency, they should have some assurance that prices will not drop.

The committee, which is seeking an average of a 10 percent increase in most of the county’s leading agricultural products, will presents the program to farmers throughout the county.

50 years ago

Oct. 20, 1966

Near-tragic shot removes boy’s hat

The hunting season’s first near-tragedy in this area occurred late Sunday afternoon when a 12-year-old boy’s hat was shot off his head as he tended milking cows on his father’s farm a dozen miles up the Wynooche Valley from Montesano.

Lawrence Nielsen, of Montesano, advised the sheriff’s office that his son Brent, was bringing in cows for milking shortly after 5 when the incident took place.

Walking along the east side of the river, the youth heard “a kind of a whistling noise,” felt his hat leave his head and heard a gunshot explosion — all almost at once. He discovered a bullet hole through the top of the headpiece.

25 years ago

Oct. 17, 1991

No new 911 cities due

Three Grays Harbor cities which were not included in the original E911 agreement will not be given the option of changing their minds. The county commissioners added their voice to the decision this week, saying it is too risky to re-open negotiations this late in the game. The city of Aberdeen effectively closed the option by making a similar decision at their city council meeting last week.

The county and its nine cities can be either “participatory” members of the E911 system or “subscribers.” Participatory entities get E911 service and are allowed to vote at meetings of the E911 Administrative Board. Subscribers are eligible for E911 service, but they cannot vote.

The cities of Oakville, Westport and Ocean Shores decided not to become participatory members when other entities began negotiating three years ago. The others went on to sign the so-called Master Interlocal Agreement, which is currently in effect.

Recently, the E911 board has been working to complete a second contract, known as the Interlocal Subscriber Agreement. All Master Agreement members as well as the three non-participatory members are eligible to sign this contract, which is the formal instrument establishing E911 service in the county and its nine cities.

10 years ago

Oct. 19, 2006

Work to repair Highway 107 begins Tuesday

Work to repair a slide along Highway 107 south of Montesano begins Oct. 24, and for at least three months, the road will be closed at night.

A few days after the start date, once crews are set up, the road will be closed from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., six days a week, Sunday to Saturday. Traffic will be diverted through Aberdeen.

There was no alternative but to close the road, according to Project Manager John Hart, but state officials tried to establish a schedule that will have the least impact on activities in the area.

State officials estimate they’re displacing 800 regular nighttime motorists, but the closure hours won’t affect most daytime commercial activity. And, school bus routes and schedules are not affected, either.

Motorists can expect delays during the day, but at least one lane will be open.

The highway was washed out last winter and it is costing $3.36 million to fix it.

Because the hillside next to the river remains unstable — and has been unstable for thousands of years, engineers say — the repair calls for deep concrete pilings to be poured in place.

The concrete cylinders should stabilize the road for up to 100 years or more.

Photos at low tide show scouring in the Chehalis River, proof that water continually pours off the hillside and drains into the river at the location where the slide occurred, engineers say. Once the concrete pilings are in place, engineers said the water will still flow into the river, but it will flow underneath the concrete.

The road will be on top of the concrete and motorists won’t even be aware of it, according to Hart.

Engineers say the closure is necessary because of the amount of equipment that needs to be brought to the site.