125 years ago
May 12, 1893
How many of our citizens observe the dog ordinance. If all the dogs in town were taxed it would reduce taxation considerably for the number of canines in Montesano is remarkably large.
•••
Several gentlemen from this city were up above Elma last Saturday, investigating the reported gold discovery. Just what success they had we did not learn.
100 years ago
May 10, 1918
Nels Hanson, bachelor rancher, of Danish birth, was tarred and feathered Friday night and Monday morning, sold his ranch to Harry Wright, a near by and newly married neighbor. He told the writer he was going back to Denmark — that he didn’t think folks wanted him here.
Hanson was probably right, for Friday night about 20 men or boys, presumably from Montesano, overpowered him in the road near his house in the northwest part of the city, bound and gagged him and after carrying him about three miles east of the city in an auto tarred and feathered him.
75 years ago
May 13, 1943
Perhaps the best part of the war for Chief Aviation Pilot Vernon H. Osburn, U.S.N., was his homecoming last week, when he saw his wife, Norma Jean Osburn, of Central Park, and their two-year-old son, Richard (better known as Ricky), for the first time in 14 months.
These have been crowded months for Osburn, crowded with action in the skyways of the South Seas. For, since he left the United States more than a year ago, he has been in four major engagements, including the Midway battle, has narrowly escaped dangerously accurate shellfire, survived a crack-up and has covered enough mileage to take him around the globe six times. In one engagement, three planes of his outfit were shot down.
•••
A city-wide cooperative drive to secure funds with which to make a special shipment of cigarettes to overseas fighters is soon to be started here, according to Bruce Hood, adjutant of the William Rozier post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars here. By a special arrangement between the manufacturers and the VFW cartons of Camels and other standard brands will be shipped direct from the factory at the reduced rate of only 5¢ per package, Hood said.
Milk bottles with appropriate cards are to be placed in stores and institutions and the public invited to drop at least one nickle to cover one pack within the next two weeks. It is desired to send at least 100 cartons or 500 packs from Montesano and the members of the VFW post will contribute the amount necessary above that received in the public milk bottle solicitation.
•••
Chapin Collins, for 16 years publisher of The Montesano Vidette, will leave for Washington, D.C., within a few days to become associated with the American Forest Products Industries, Inc., it was announced this Thursday.
The organization was formed a few years ago by leading national factors in the forest products industries to spur a nation-wide program for the conservation and continued use of American forests.
50 years ago
May 9, 1968
‘Buck’ Muller, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Muller of Brady. was the recipient Tuesday evening of the VFW’s annual award for being the ‘Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Year’. The award is a recognition voted by the entire team and kept secret until the time of the banquet, which is sponsored by the VFW and catered by the Auxiliary.
•••
The royal capes and crowns of the 1968 Junior King and Queen of Grays Harbor Fair will be worn by Scott Enz of Montesano and Kim Imler of McCleary, fair officials announced today. The pair were selected from among 10 finalists interviewed at the fairgrounds last Saturday.
King Scott, a red head with green eyes, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Enz of Montesano. His is seven years old and a second grader at Brady School.
Queen Kim is also a second grader and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Imler of McCleary. The blond and blue-eyed eight year old attends McCleary School.
25 years ago
May 13, 1993
Well almost.
Once again the members of the Montesano City Council ran into opposition to the proposed public rest stop that some council members envision as being constructed on the site of the old city sewer treatment plant on So. Main Street near the Burlington/Northern Railroad tracks.
Rob Wilks told the council, “I understand that two of the main reasons for considering such a facility was to beautify the southern entrance to town, and to attract additional tourist dollars off the highway. Recently we conducted a survey of business owners in town and the results indicated that 90 percent of those interviewed were against such a facility. About 69 percent said that a rest stop would either not help or would hurt their business.”
10 years ago
May 8, 2008
“The system’s not broke — it’s just not appropriately funded yet,” Adam Fulbright, a fire captain/paramedic with Grays Harbor Fire District 5, told the East Grays Harbor Emergency Medical Services Joint Advisory Committee on April 30. Capt. Fulbright believes a tax levy is necessary to keep the district’s ambulance service afloat and that not having one is a major reason District 5 has sunk more than $700,000 into debt since taking over the service from Hospital District 1 in 2005.
•••
Scott Chatt of Montesano isn’t the kind of guy who welcomes a lot of attention. He prefers to quietly go about his job at the shake and shingle plant in Hoquiam and takes pleasure adding to his various collections in his spare time — everything from hand-woven baskets to vintage metal toys. But it’s kind of hard to keep a low profile when you’ve just set a record on eBay.
The glass float shaped like a dumb-bell that Chatt purchased for $250 from the Fox’s Den at Monte Square sold in April for $8,950.
•••
Montesano freshman Mackenzie Sanders was a quadruple winner as she helped the Bulldog girls nab the team title, completing a Montesano sweep of team titles as the Bulldog boys also won their portion of the three-school meet on Thursday, April 24, at Ilwaco.
