The march of news from around the county

Nothing New By Roy Vataja

March 22, 2019 6:00 pm
A photo from 110 years ago, when the Northern Pacific railroad bridge across the Wishkah River was new. This photo was taken looking south from the second Heron Street Bridge which opened in 1905. On the east side of the Wishkah River is the S.E. Slade Lumber Mill (present-day site of the Best Western Motel). The building with the peaked roof visible on the extreme right was the office of the Sailor’s Union of the Pacific with the notorious Billy Gohl serving as the local agent at the time of this photo. (Roy Vataja Collection)
A photo from 110 years ago, when the Northern Pacific railroad bridge across the Wishkah River was new. This photo was taken looking south from the second Heron Street Bridge which opened in 1905. On the east side of the Wishkah River is the S.E. Slade Lumber Mill (present-day site of the Best Western Motel). The building with the peaked roof visible on the extreme right was the office of the Sailor’s Union of the Pacific with the notorious Billy Gohl serving as the local agent at the time of this photo. (Roy Vataja Collection)

Back in the days when newspapers were the primary source of information, they relied on outside correspondents to supply news from the far-flung towns and settlements in, what was then, Chehalis County. In the Aberdeen Herald those news stories were listed under “IN CHEHALIS COUNTY” which provided the reader with “Items of Interest From all Sections of Chehalis County, Gathered by Aberdeen Herald Correspondents and Gleaned From Our County Exchanges.” Here are some tiny stories from across the county and posted in the pages of the Aberdeen Herald on March 22 and 25, 1909.

Chehalis County

Sheriff Payette is going to establish a rogue’s gallery and thus keep abreast with criminal institutions throughout the world. In future, prisoners will be photographed and records will be kept of identifying marks, as is done in the cities and in other populous counties.

Cohasset

COHASSET BEACH FOR RACING AUTOS — Cohasset Beach will rival that of the far-famed Palm Beach, of Florida, as a track for racing automobiles, if plans now underway are carried out. Seattle and Tacoma automobile clubs have bought 640 acres south of Cohasset six miles, where a club house will be erected and arrangements made for racing during the summer. The course is said to be fully equal to that of Florida and is much longer. Contractor Dortich, of Seattle, who will have charge of building the club house will arrive here soon and work on the structure will shortly begin. Pending the completion of the wagon road between Aberdeen and Cohasset, automobiles will be transported to the beach on scows.

Hoquiam

Two loggers fresh from the woods and just distributing their pay about town, Friday night changed two silver dollars and placed the dimes one at a time on the bass drum of the Salvation Army.

George Flyn, of Aberdeen, is negotiating for the purchase of the Hoquiam Auto & Cycle Company’s stock.

Fred Kyle, the employee who sustained a crushed hand at the North End mill Monday evening, is feeling much better, though still at the Hoquiam General Hospital.

Tuesday morning G.B. Jones, formerly physical director of the Y.M.C.A., was discharged from the hospital. Mr. Jones was recently operated on for appendicitis.

YOUNG DRAFT HORSES — Twenty head of young draft horses just received, and on sale at barn of Wm. L. McNair, East Hoquiam. These horses will be for sale here for the next ten days only. Call early and get your choice. J.O. Shannon

Montesano

If the plans of County Commissioner Charles W. Arland are carried out, an annual Chehalis county Fair will be held at Montesano, at which the stock and produce and samples of varied material resources of the county will be exhibited. Horses and automobile races will provide amusement.

Two valuable collie dogs were stolen from Mrs. MacDonald’s kennels last week.

But one new case of smallpox has developed during the past few days and it is believed that the worst is over. The means taken by the authorities to prevent the spread of the disease have been prompt and thorough, and as a result it is rapidly abating and the scare is about over. All the cases are isolated and in each instance the patients are recovering

Oakville

O. Lonborg has a good deal of plowing done already and will plant the coming week if the weather remains fine.

Frank G. Jones, president of the Union Bank & Trust Co., of Aberdeen, has purchased the corner lot opposite the Glover hotel, which is deeded to C.R. Harper, late of Prosser, who will erect a concrete building on the property, to be occupied for a bank. Work has already begun, and Wakefield & Sweitzer have the contract for supplying the gravel, which is now being delivered on the ground.

Aberdeen

THEFT CHARGE DISMISSED — The charge of theft against Mrs. J.E. Kinney, of Spokane, who was arrested at Olympia and brought back to Aberdeen, was dismissed without trial by Justice Bush Friday afternoon. Mrs. Kinney showed that the papers of the late Mrs. M.C. Millman, who died here suddenly, were rightfully the property of Mrs. Kinney, who is the daughter of the dead woman, and who had no difficulty in establishing her claim to the documents in questions.

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Damitio were hosts on the afternoon of St. Patrick’s Day at their home near the North Aberdeen Bridge. Green was the predominating color worn by all and stories appropriate to the day were rehearsed.

Preparations are being made to drive the piling for a concrete building on the south side of Heron Street, between I and Broadway, by W.J. Patterson, Dr. Mapes and others. The prospective building has been leased to Harry Chandler who will use it as a theater. (Today this building is the VFW Hall)

Larkin Bros. have moved two logging engines down from their present works to their new proposition, about two miles above Aberdeen, on the Wishkah River, where they have purchased a quarter section of the Flietz timber. They will finish where they are about May 1, and in the meantime will have the new camp ready for operation.

NEW STEEL RAILWAY BRIDGE – On Saturday (March 20) forenoon the new steel railway bridge across the Wishkah River was swung into place, without accident or trouble. A large pontoon scow was placed under the temporary wooden structure over which the trains have been passing and as the tide rose the structure was lifted out of its place and swung out onto the Chehalis River, and towed out of the way.

A large crowd witnessed the undertaking that went along so smoothly and with such seeming ease, not noting the nicety of balance necessary in placing the scow or the real engineering required in such an undertaking.

Passengers for the morning train had to cross to the east side, and took the cars at the S.E. Slade office (present-day site of the Best Western Motel), the lumber shed at that point being used as a passenger’s waiting room.

Roy Vataja is the son of Finnish immigrants and hoists a beer in honor of 110 years of trains crossing the Wishkah River.