125 years ago
February 2, 1894
The population of Porter has increased wonderfully in the past six months. The number of families has doubled.
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Postmaster Malone, who is also ye ferryman, is kept busy setting pedestrians across the roaring Chehalis at Porter in a small boat. The river is up too high for him to use the big ferry.
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In Elma, school has been discontinued this week on account of the scarlet fever scare. A little foolish fright is sometimes to be recommended, but if continued it becomes monotonous. It is safe to presume that in no other place would any danger be apprehended from the disease as we have it here.
100 years ago
January 31, 1919
C.H. Clemons, who has been confined to hospitals and nurses since his foot was crushed in a railway collision on his own logging road early this fall, is home again. He still must have the help of crutches but he is getting well and already seems like his own self again.
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Mesdames W.H. Abel and W.H. France went to Hoquiam on Wednesday afternoon to attend a meeting of the Women’s Club.
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A number of Montesano people went out to the Wynooche hall last Saturday evening and helped the people of that community to make a success of the dance which they held there. As usual they report a royal entertainment at the hands of the Wynooche people.
75 years ago
February 3, 1944
As the greatest offensive yet undertaken in the Pacific war progresses this week in the Marshall Islands, over which islands the Japanese flag has flown for more than 20 years, the importance of the Allied occupation of the Gilbert Islands, just 300 miles south, in November, is realized. The Gilberts include Tarawa and Makin and have flown the Japanese flag for two years. Previously the Gilberts had flown the Union Jack of the British empire.
Immediately preceding Tarawa battle was the battle of Makin, at the successful conclusion of which the first American flag was raised. The flag was hoisted from a palm tree in the Polynesian island by Lt. George W. Schramm of Montesano, and for world history the time was 10:55 on the morning of Nov. 20, 1943.
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The Lumbermen’s Mercantile company, large wholesale and retail merchandisers in Shelton, expect to open a branch store in McCleary in the very near future, W.M. Elliot, manager, informed The Builder today.
Mr. Elliot said that his company would like to build a new structure to house the store here, but that they would have to wait a while on that because of war restrictions.
Present plans are to utilize space in the Smith buildings between the drug store and Fox cafe.
50 years ago
January 30, 1969
Robert Bush, a Elma Medal of Honor awardee who recently attended the presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., addressed the Montesano Chamber of Commerce at its weekly luncheon meeting yesterday.
Upon arriving in Washington, Bush and his family met with Rep. Julia Butler Hansen who quickly arranged a personal tour of the White House.
“That began our day of touring,” Bush said.
What with seeing the sights and attending the social functions we were kept pretty busy, Bush said.
“I was living on No-Doze pills the whole time I was there,” he said.
“Everything was highly organized and went off without a hitch. But I was especially impressed with the security measures that were taken to protect the president,” he said.
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A wintry storm that has gripped Montesano and the surrounding Harbor area for the past several days, and managed to dump nearly 30 inches of the powdery stuff on the local community, shows little signs of abating in the near future. If anything, the five day outlook indicates that more of the same is in store for the Harbor.
Nightime temperatures have hovered between 10 and 20 above zero, while the daytime readings have seldom gone above the freezing mark for the past several days, culminating in the closure of local schools and the cancellation of many evening activities.
25 years ago
February 3, 1994
Randy Beerbower, president of the Chehalis Valley Historical Society, welcomed 35 members of the Montesano Lions Club for breakfast on Feb. 1 at the museum in Montesano at 7 a.m.
Dr. James Moore gave some of the history in the early ’70s when Christine Cardwell, Betty Moore and Jo Pickering were operating the same facility as the Village Church Antique Shop.
Lion Paul Easter informed the group that, while attending Sunday school in this building, the teacher impressed upon them that the Lord taught to have high values.
“Now,” it was noted, “we know where our assessor obtained his education for his job.”
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If You Ask Me, question of the week: “Do you think Tonya Harding should be permitted to compete in the Winter Olympics?”
Alan Larson, Brady, retired: “No, I don’t believe that she should compete. I can’t believe, when her husband is involved the way he apparently is, that she knew nothing at all about the assault.”
Loni Hooper, Aberdeen, real estate appraiser: “No. If she is implicated or involved in the assault, I don’t think it would be a very good idea for her to compete. Frankly, I rather believe that she is involved.”
Dave Marques, Rochester, driver/salesman: “No way. I feel that she has to have some degree of involvement, and I believe that her reputation has already been tarnished. It’s too bad, since she is very talented.”
Michele Sorensen, Hoquiam motel clerk: “Absolutely not. I just can’t see how she wouldn’t know anything at all about the assault before it actually happened.”
10 years ago
January 29, 2009
More than 30 Elma High School and Middle School students were on hand for last week’s presidential inauguration. It was a time none on them is likely ever to forget.
Responsible for financing their own way, the students had raised what they needed through fundraisers, summer jobs and help from others.
Social studies teacher Stan Blanchard led the high school group. Middle school head teacher and athletic director Rob Ohashi escorted the younger group on the walk through history.
Even some of the youngest students named the Holocaust Museum as one of the most memorable sites they visited.
“It was just so sad to see all those people suffer like that, and the feeling of that just caught me,” seventh-grader Katherine McMaster said.
Senior Blair Brown named the Holocaust Museum, Arlington National Cemetery and Lincoln Memorial as three very impressive sites. Standing on the stops of the Lincoln Memorial, “you felt history,” she said. And from near the gravesite of John F. Kennedy in the national cemetery, “I could see all of Washington, D.C.”
Compiled from the archives of The Vidette by Karen Barkstrom. She can be reached at kbarkstrom@thedailyworld.com or 360-537-3925.
