125 years ago
Sept. 11, 1891
Counterfeit silver dollars
A counterfeit silver dollar, series 1880, is being circulated in Seattle. It bears a close resemblance to the genuine coin, but is readily detected by throwing it upon the counter. It has scarcely any ring and gives forth a hollow sound.
A number of these coins have been given to customers by reputable business houses, who did not detect the counterfeit, and loud complaints are being made. The United States marshals are looking into the matter.
100 years ago
Sept. 8, 1911
County fair is best ever held in district
ELMA — With but opening day past, the sixth annual Grays Harbor County Fair has been voted the best exhibition ever held by the association. The large crowd in the grounds from early morning were wonder struck by the completeness of the show and the business like air prevailing in all quarters. The grounds are neat and the many tents pitched in the enclosure are tastefully arranged. As for the exhibits, they are the most complete and not an inch of space but is occupied in showing the products of the county. The livestock exhibit is the best ever shown, while the poultry department is most pleasing to fanciers. And as for Joy Street, it’s the last word in the matter of amusement.
Upon his reaching the grounds, Dr. E.B. Riley did not lose an instant getting down to work judging the Better Babies show. This year’s entry list for this department is large and W.E. Patrick, in charge of this feature, is enthusiastic over the outlook. J. W. Hodge, county superintendent of schools, is personally supervising the fine schools exhibits, assisted by F. E. Beal, of the manual training department of the Elma school. Rivalry is unusually keen this year between Montesano, Hoquiam, Aberdeen, Elma and Malone for the first prize of $20 offered to the school making the best general showing. A prize of $20 is being offered to the school winning the second prize, 10 pieces of work being displayed by each school.
75 years ago
Sept. 11, 1941
Catches made in derby — Salmon caught in Chehalis
The salmon are coming and contestants in the Chehalis river salmon derby, premier fishing event of southwest Washington are beginning to report catches.
Paul Legee reported a salmon weighing 29 pounds, 12 ounces this Thursday, and Mrs. Kenneth McNeill became the first woman to qualify by catching a salmon.
Highest honors for the first week were taken handily by Oscar Williams of Elma, with a 30-pound black salmon, while Polk Daniels of Melbourne was second with a 23-pound black.
Leading so far this week are Kenneth Davies, 23 pounds, and C. Brock, also 23 pounds. Smaller catches have been reported by Roy Lamb, Harry Sharkey and Al Huessy.
As things look at the moment, this year’s derby promises considerable more activity than last year’s. Fish failed to cooperate last year until almost the very end. This year, the finals are set for Oct. 19.
50 years ago
Sept. 8, 1966
Next year is it for freeway
A four-lane highway will link Aberdeen and Elma by the end of 1967, according to an announcement Tuesday by State Highways Director Charles G. Prahl.
The limited access divided freeway will end just west of Montesano, Prahl said; however the present two-lane pavement of U.S. 410 from Aberdeen east to Montesano will be widened to four lanes to ease traffic congestion.
One widening project is already under way. Page Paving Company, Salem, Ore., is adding two lanes from Aberdeen to Linkshire Drive — a distance of more than four miles. The remainder of the widening to four lanes, from Linkshire Drive to Montesano, will be completed next year.
Clearing and grading of the freeway’s path from Brady to Shouweiler Road has just been completed. The Highways Department is preparing to award a contract for clearing and grading the section from Shouweiler Road to the freeway endpoint just west of Montesano.
When that contract has been completed, the Highways Department will call for bids on paving the entire graded stretch from Brady to Montesano, about eight and one half miles.
Eight paired bridges have recently been completed on the freeway route between Brady and Shouweiler Road. Two major bridges are yet to be built. One, 1,907 feet long, will cross the Northern Pacific tracks and Sylvia Creek at the southwest border of Montesano. Poor soil conditions require the great lengths of the spans.
Average daily traffic counts for the two-lane U.S. 410 show 9,700 vehicles per day at the east corporate limits of Aberdeen, 6,800 in the Satsop vicinity, and 6,900 at the east corporate limits of Montesano.
25 years ago
Sept. 5, 1991
August sets wet record
For the past 20 years, weather records have been kept in Montesano. During that period of time, the month of August has never been known as a wet month, but the 5.96 inches of rain that fell last month, all of which hit the ground during the final five days of the month, made this August a record setting month.
To date, a total of 51.14 inches of rain has fallen the city, just 3.78 inches less than the eight-month total for last year. The heaviest rainfall occurred Aug. 27, when 2.88 inches was recorded.
The average high temperature for last month was 68 degrees, six degrees less than August of last year. The warmest day last month was Aug. 15, when the thermometer reached 82 degrees. The average low temperature for last month was 51 degrees, two degrees cooler than the average low reading for 1990.
10 years ago
Sept. 7, 2006
Zucchini Jubilee just in time for another huge harvest
“Think of all the things you can do with a zucchini,” said Janice Howell of Oakville.
As the president of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, thinking up zucchini-related things is an important priority this time of year.
Zucchini is coming in fast from gardens all over town (and all over other towns), and now the chamber has to fine-tune this year’s Zucchini Jubilee.
The festival is a one-day affair on Sept. 9, with all the activities at or near Al Brandt Park, across from the Oakville City Hall.
Howell said there will be lots of activities, all of them somehow connected to zucchini, the famed summer squash that grows so plentiful in this and evidently, all climates.
The fun starts at 10 a.m. on Sept. 9, with the Kids and Kritters Parade. There will also be a hay scramble for the kids for money.
Included in the fun is a zucchini carving contest, a bake sale with zucchini bread, zucchini cake, zucchini fritters and plenty of other baked zucchini goods. A street fair will offer food booths and craft vendors. And there will be a zucchini cook-off.
Howell said this is at least the seventh year of the jubilee, which started when some local merchants wanted something fun for the community to do.
“They wanted to do something unique,” Howell said of those original sponsors. “But I don’t know if the merchants who thought it up realized at the time there are so many things you can do with a zucchini.”
