75 years ago, February 1, 1937
• Trotting about the deck of a grounded naval transport ship in four-hour shifts for a nine-day period was the expereince recently of Eugene Meeker of Aberdeen. Young Meeker is a petty officer on the transport Chaumont, which ran into a bedding of mud six miles north of Chinwangtao, China, where she was headed to unload cargo and 135 men assigned to the legation guard at Peiping.
Inaccuracy of a gyro compass was blamed for the accident which cost the government approximately $25,000.
• The Aberdeen Pioneers association will observe its 30th anniversary with a banquet April 7, it was announced today by Mrs. William Irvine, secretary. Memorial services were held yesterday for all of the members who have passed away since a similar service was held last year. Rev. William McDowell delivered a special sermon for the occasion.
50 years ago, February 1, 1962
• If a suggestion made by a private citizen at last night’s City Council meeting is accepted, next week’s session will find the city fathers listening to the barked complaints of Aberdeen’s canine population. The controversal animal control ordinance was up again for reading last night and provoked the customary hassle on the council floor. Harvey Lee, a former city councilman from the first ward told the council he hated to see the city tax a small boy’s pet. “I would like,” he asserted, “to see every boy in Aberdeen in this council chamber with his pet next Wednesday night and find out what the dogs have to say about this.”
• Unless a sufficient number of Willapa Valley School District voters petition for a public hearing on the consolidation issue, plans to merge South Bend and Raymond districts will proceed without them.
At a meeting earlier this week with officials from all three districts, County Supt. Neil Bailey learned that the Willapa Valley directors are still opposed to consolidation at the present time.
25 years ago, February 1, 1987
• One of Aberdeen’s most colorful one-time citizens, who taught some of the movie world’s most swashbuckling heroes how to fight with swords, has died in Hollywood at 95.
Ralph Faulkner, quarterback of the Weatherwax High School football team that was rated best in the nation in 1911, was still teaching fencing at his Hollywood studio until a few weeks before his death.
• Hard drug use on the Harbor has increased tenfold just in the past year, says the director of the St. Joseph Hospital drug and alcohol residential treatment program in Aberdeen.
“The narcotics problem here is as severe as I’ve seen,” said Mike Murphy, CareUnit director at the hospital, who says police are being nearly “overwhelmed” as they try to deal with it.
Compiled by Karen Barkstrom from the archives of The Daily World.
