125 years ago
July 1, 1892
The final completion and regular operation of the Northern Pacific railroad to Grays Harbor has opened up there an almost virgin field for Tacoma jobbers to secure a trade of large and growing importance. The harbor contains four or five towns of tidy proportions already, and all budding with promise. There are rich manufacturing industries, employing large numbers of men in the towns and surrounding timber, while with the clearing away of the forests primeval the country is becoming dotted with homes of agriculturists. The business of these towns is of considerable volume, outside of any interest in trading in their state, they find that Tacoma offers advantages above San Francisco or Portland, while an improved system of freight transportation with moderate rates, means a growth of the competition which is already very noticeable to a practical shutting out of cities to the south. Anything which tends to bring the sound and harbor into closer relations,, commercially or financially, will result to the advantage of both.
100 years ago
June 29, 1917
The Montesano district in the big Red Cross drive which ended Monday rolled up a total subscription of $5683.66, all but $123 of which has been collected. The uncollected subscriptions are good and will be paid soon. The district comprises the city of Montesano, the Wynooche valley, the Satsop valley and the south side of the Chehalis river from Satsop to Melbourne. This territory was alotted by the district committee the sum of $2,750 to be raised, and the sum has been over-subscribed 106 percent. Few cities in the nation can show a better record than this compared to population and Montesano and its allied territory may well feel proud of its work in the patriotic and humanitarian cause.
Montesano district was part of the big district comprised by Grays Harbor, Thurston and Mason counties. In this greater district the sum of $100,000 was subscribed on an apportionment of $65,000. Campaign Manager W. H. Abel has not received the exact figures, but the final totals will no doubt swell the fund above the amount stated.
75 years ago
July 2, 1942
Montesano merchants put on a new kind of sale this Wednesday, with outstanding success.
Suspending business at noon for 15 minutes, they sold nothing but war bonds and stamps.
Gaston Moch, drive chairman, reported that $250 worth of stamps were quickly sold, and later many merchants were calling for more. Meanwhile, Postmaster R. F. Wheeler said that stamp sales were swamping post office facilities. In fact, stamps were sold out and new supplies were ordered.
Moch also reported that bond sales took a heavy spurt. The peak sale of the day was a $1,000 bond. All sales agencies for bonds and stamps have reported increasing sales.
“This is only a start,” said Moch. “We aren’t going to win this war by a one-day sale. We have to buy every day, day in and day out. All merchants will continue to offer stamps, and they urge their customers to ask for stamps in change.”
50 years ago
June 29, 1967
Montesano never had it so good.
The first annual Farm Festival Parade, which Jack Mempa insisted should be Dairy Day No. 11, came off without a hitch.
The weather last Saturday afternoon was top-drawer, the crowd was 5,000-plus and the mood was festive. If Monte had not had to compete with Ocean Shores, Pat Boone and the unemployed of television’s wasteland, what more could we ask?
An 83-unit line of march, led by the color guard of William Rosier Post No. 2455, VFW, and followed closely by Monte Mayor and Mrs. Lloyd Metke in Gay 90’s garb and the 13th Naval District Band, gave the “birthplace of America’s tree farms” something memorable of which to be proud. It was the first time Monte had paid tribute simultaneously to its three farming industries—dairy, beef and trees—and proved to be a fitting tribute.
For the second consecutive year, the Crestview Farms entry—Dr. Donald Mustard’s oxen team earned the grand sweepstakes trophy plus a first place in the commercial division. Second place in the commercial division went to the Dairy Gold Kiddies Train, sponsored by Pick-Rite Thriftway.
25 years ago
June 25, 1992
The City of Montesano is asking residents to conserve water during this hot summer season. People who want to water their lawns are asked to do so before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
“It’s nothing to panic about,” said Public Works Director Bob Manley. “Montesano currently has a good supply of water, but is experiencing some difficulty in keeping up with the peak demand.”
City water is piped from a pump at Katon Road to the reservoir at Lake Sylvia at a maximum rate of 1200 gallons a minute. A number of customers draw off the pipe before it gets to gets to the reservoir.
Monday, peak demand began when the reservoir was low, and usage down the line was so high Lake Sylvia State Park had trouble keeping a ready supply for the hundreds who have been cooling off at the lake. It was the first time that much water had been drawn off before getting to the reservoir.
“Due to the excessively dry spring and summer it is important that we protect our supply of water,” said city officials.
10 years ago
June 28, 2007
There are quite a few hunters around Montesano who are muttering “Oh, shoot!” these days.
Their favorite hunting, fishing and outdoor supply store, Western Sports Unlimited in downtown Montesano, is closing.
The owners, Dick and Rogene Gates, are retiring in order to spend more time hunting and fishing themselves, and in order to have more time with their family, especially their grandchildren.
You can look for them this fall at the football games in Cheney where twin grandsons Matt and Zack Johnson of Tumwater both have full-ride football scholarships.
The lifelong Harborites raised five children together—all Monte grads—and now they have 10 grandchildren all of whom are involved in sports or music programs.
“Our youngest grandson will graduate in 2020,” Dick Gates notes.
“So we’re going to be busy for a long time,” Rogene Gates adds.
The couple is coming up on 27 years of marriage. Dick Gates is a 1961 Aberdeen grad (although he’s since been made an honorary Bulldog) and Rogene is a 1959 Monte grad. Three of their children are still in Montesano—Lori (Minzey), Rick and Candy (Hollatz)—while Carie (Johnson) and her family live in Tumwater and Becky (Daniels) and her family live in Olympia.
The couple opened the store 10 years ago in the former Marquis Fine Jewelry Store building. A few years earlier they had reluctantly closed their Central Park gun shop. After being burglarized a couple of times, they realized they were just too vulnerable at that location.
