125 years ago
July 6, 1894
The Fourth of July was about as quiet a day as Montesano ever experienced. With celebrations in nearly every other town in the country, but very few people remained at home. Aberdeen captured the greater part of the Montesano people, while Hoquiam and Elma each got a good share.
***
Eldridge Wheeler, who taught the Fairview school, west of town, during the past year, has commenced teaching a summer term at Otter, up the Wynooche River.
***
The Montesano baseball club defeated the Cosmopolis team at Cosmopolis last Sunday by a score of 21 to 7. Montesano scored twelve runs in the first inning, which nearly took all interest out of the game.
***
Talk about Fourth of July celebration! Col. W.H. Blair was about the happiest man in the county Wednesday. A ten-pound girl arrived at his house that morning. It wouldn’t surprise anyone now if the colonel came out a straight Republican in honor of the event.
100 years ago
July 4, 1919
Tuesday night, the city council rejected the plan proposed by a delegation of ministers to close all picture shows and pool halls on Sundays. The ministers met with the council and presented their petition, for they felt that to remain open on Sunday was a desecration of the Sabbath. After a general discussion of the subject, the council rejected the petition as the council did not feel that they were capable of deciding a matter of that scope without a general expression of the sentiment of the people of this city.
***
The Montesano baseball team this year is composed of all old time stars. In fact there are several of the boys who have been Northwest professionals and who are still good enough to get in that class if they wanted to. Against them, the N.P. railroaders, strengthened it may be admitted by some fast semiprofessionals, have signed up to play three games — one each afternoon — for the purse of $250. These ball games, of course, will be at the Ball Park.
75 years ago
July 6, 1944
Montesano folks, and particularly women who want to help by working in a war plant, have been most urgently invited to apply for work as soon as possible at the Lamb-Grays Harbor Machinery company in Hoquiam, according to Manager George Lamb, this Thursday morning in a personal telephone conversation with the editor of The Vidette. Elmer Rama of Montesano has been designated by Manager Lamb to be the company’s personnel representative for the east Grays Harbor area.
A huge quarter-of-a-million dollar contract has been awarded the Lamb company and a completely new shift of workers is being organized immediately, it was explained. Most of the jobs will be ones that women can perform to advantage. Such jobs as inspectors of shell cases, using highly accurate gauges, and as assembly line adjusters are open to women right away, Lamb said.
***
After the strawberry harvest, it is very important to “follow up” by giving the home garden patch special care, because it is during this post-harvest period that the plants produce and store food reserves for next year’s crop.
The plants should be watered in the summer enough to keep them growing. With some varieties, the beds become too thick. Ordinarily the plants (except for everbearers and beds which bore their first crop this year) should be thinned out about 6 inches apart when planted in a matted bed or row.
If you keep your plants in matted rows, you can simply spade or plow under the plants on one side of the row, pulverizing the soil and firming it back against the remaining part of the row.
50 years ago
July 3, 1969
The Grays Harbor Grand Jury last week returned a second indictment. The first rendered was against L.E. Christiansen, county auditor, charging him with “misuse” of public funds.
The latest indictment returned is against Albert Lyford, Seattle timber cruiser, employed by the county Assessor’s Office for timber and land appraisal. He has been charged with seven counts of perjury in the second degree.
The indictment was served on Lyford at the headquarters of the Seattle police department and in the presence of his attorney. He was later released by Superior Court Judge Warner Poyhonen on his own recognizance. The indictment was served by Grays Harbor Sheriff “Pat” Gallagher and a Seattle detective.
Lyford is presently employed by the county under a contract which will expire in December 1969 and was originally employed in January 1968. The present contract was renewed in December 1968.
The indictment served indicates that seven counts of perjury in the second degree are involved beginning with January 31, 1968, when he is charged with making “a claim for payment against Grays Harbor County for his service for 21 days at the rate of $120 per day, knowing such claim to be false and untrue.”
25 years ago
July 7, 1994
Youth Pastor Brad Carlson, his wife Susan, and four young people, Jay Bodenhamer, Erick Bussard, Megan Johnson and Jason Richardson, from the Assembly of God Church in Montesano, returned last Sunday from their A.I.M. trip to El Salvador.
The six youth joined with 79 other young people from the Northwest District of the Assemblies of God for a two week mission to the people of El Salvador.
Pastor Brad and the other young people will be ministering and sharing their experiences in the 6:30 evening service at the Montesano Assembly of God on Sunday, July 10. The community is invited to attend. Child care is available.
^
***
World yo-yo champion “Mr. Pro Yo” Dale Oliver will entertain children of all ages at 19 a.m. July 12 at Oakville Timberland Library.
10 years ago
July 2, 2009
Hundreds of concerned relatives, friends and community members gathered at a tearful — and prayerful — vigil last Tuesday night, June 30, at Beerbower Park in McCleary to entreat God to bring home Lindsey Baum. The 10-year-old vanished the evening of the previous Friday after heading toward her home on East Mommsen Road from a friend’s house on Maple Street.
Lindsey’s 12-year-old brother, josh, was among the somber crowd at the McCleary park, where many who gave their first names prayed and shared thoughts at home plate on the baseball diamond.
Another vigil took place the same night a Elma’s 10th street Park. McCleary’s vigil was organized by a number of folks, including Wayne Watne of the Evergreen Christian Community in Town, where the Baum family has occasionally attended.
^
Compiled from the archives of The Vidette by Karen Barkstrom. She can be reached at 360-537-3925 or kbarkstrom@thedailyworld.com
