125 years ago
March 8, 1895
C.N. Wilson made a brief business trip to Olympia the first of the week.
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The people of Westport are talking of advertising that place as a winter resort as well as a summer resort.
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Even the hens are so rejoiced because congress has adjourned that they have begun laying as they haven’t done since congress convened.
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A man was heard kicking yesterday because there was too much sunshine for this season of the year. But then he hasn’t been seen to smile for a year, and such a man wouldn’t be satisfied if he had everything his own way.
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The fashionable thing since the change of the mail service, is an early supper and a walk to the depot to greet the arrival of the train.
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The moonlight nights have brought the promenaders out for evening walks.
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For the benefit of the boys who are fairly itching to go fishing, we will say that a bill is pending in the legislature to repeal that portion of the fish law which prohibits the catching of salmon trout. This would be done for the worst foe to young salmon is the salmon trout.
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Miss Anna Stephenson is visiting her sister Mrs. J.E. McDougall, during a brief vacation in the Hoquiam school.
100 years ago
March 5, 1920
Austin Hutcheson has been walking on crutches this week, due to a slight case of blood poisoning in his foot.
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Burton G. Scott spent the weekend in Seattle.
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Visitors from Montesano at a special meeting of the Aberdeen chapter of the Eastern Star, called Friday afternoon to receive Mrs. Greta Hutchinson of Spokane, grand matron, were Mrs. H.B. Marcy, Mrs. H.S. Shorey, Mrs. W.T. Drips and D. C. Simmons. Mrs. George Gaston of Olympia also attended.
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Miss Molly Kearney of Aberdeen has recovered from an attack of influenza and resumed her dancing classes Friday.
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“Sewing for the Heathen,” a one-act comedy, will be presented by the Esther Society at the Presbyterian church Tuesday night. Mrs. Russell Callow will direct the play and give a monologue entitled “Reminiscences of the Donation Party”, following: Mrs. W.H. Abel, Mrs. John Bergstrom, Mrs. W.T. Drips, Mrs. D.S. Harris, Mrs. F.M. Hale, Mrs. A.B. Holloway, Mrs. J.A. Hutcheson, Miss Esther Plummer and Miss Hazel Parmeter.
75 years ago
March 8, 1945
Lynn L. Crist, native son of Montesano, who has been a civilian prisoner of the (Japanese) at Los Banas, Philippine Islands, was released from captivity early in February, according to a telegram received in Montesano from the Provost Marshal General, U.S. Army, by Christ’s sister, Mrs. Ophela Teale.
No word has been received regarding Mrs. Crist, who was also a prisoner and last known as working as a nurse in the Santo Tomas prisoner hospital. She should have been among those rescued when troops of the American 1st Calvary took Santo Tomas in Manila early in February. However, her name has not been listed among the American people rescued there.
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Grays Harbor appeared destined for a lion’s share of state road aid as the State Legislature’s session neared an end in Olympia this week.
A Senate-approved primary state highway bill which must be considered by the House gives the county two vital new roads. One approves the Hoquiam-Queets project, a thoroughfare which will bring a huge stand of timber many miles “closer” to Grays Harbor mills. Another places the present secondary highway 9D, running northeast out of McCleary, on the primary system.
Meanwhile, the House had approved a new secondary state highway system which added the present county-maintained road from Aberdeen to Greenwood to the state plan.
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Sergeant Harold Collins, 927 Beacon Avenue East, and Pfc. Andrew M. Pavlov, Star Route, Montesano, have been reported as veterans of an airborne landing in southern France as members of a medical collecting company of the 44th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade.
As a provisional medical company with an airborne task force, it landed in southern France in 25 gliders on D-day. The only medical unit supporting the task force, the company was presented with the tremendous job of providing casualties until assault troops coming in by land broke through.
50 years ago
March 5, 1970
“Snow caused woods operation shutdown Tuesday March 3,” said Ron Ring, Simpson logging manager.
Camp Grisdale and Camp Govey were covered with two to six inches of snow during the night making operations impossible at this time.
Ring said normal operations will begin as usual Monday morning, March 9 unless snowfall continues.
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County Road Engineer C.C. Kirkwood this week, while compiling an inventory and rating of bridges in the county road department’s system, noted the fact that Grays Harbor has a total of 153 bridges, more than any other county in the state.
According to a letter submitted by the road engineer to the State Administrative Engineer, 98 of the existing 153 bridges have been evaluated, and the remaining 55 will be inventoried by July 1.
The project is in compliance with a state directive that will lead to the long-range bridge replacement and general repair program for the county.
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With the acquisition of a new metal lathe along with a metal milling machine, Montesano High School students are now in a position to acquire considerable knowledge in the field of metal work. Included in the new course are oxy-acetylene welding, sand cast foundry work, gas forging, drill press operation, vertical mill operation, arc welding, lathe operation, sheet metal work, grinding operation and maintenance on small gas engines.
The new equipment and the wood shop at MHS offer students a well-rounded education in the fundamentals of both vocations.
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Vandals continued their rampage in the National Forests of Oregon and Washington at an increasing pace in 1969, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Vandalism and thefts totalled $120,000 — more than double the previous year’s figure and three times the damage reported in 1966, when the Pacific Northwest Region began an annual tabulation. The total does not include regular maintenance and clean-up costs, said Regional Forester Charles A. Connoaughton.
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“Chapin’s Corner” by Chapin Collins: Now comes the season of Montesano’s greatest glory.
The flowering trees are in bloom, with more to come. (I’m only sorry that the First Street approach to the courthouse has been somewhat marred by the removal of some of the early blooming plums, which continue their beauty with their bronze leaves.)
Daffodils have burst into flower. Each year, they seem to golden our gardens long before we are prepared for them. Same with primroses.
There are other lovely seasons, too, but my vote in Montesano goes for pre-spring. Before the lawns really start their yearly challenge to our mowers and our backs.
