World gone by …
Published 1:30 am Saturday, July 12, 2025
83 YEARS AGO
July 6, 1942
A lightning fire, which burned about 140 acres of slash and cutover land in Saginaw company holdings in the North river district, was under control today, District Fire Warden O.B. Wedekind said.
He reported the fire, which started July 4 when the area was subjected to a severe lightning and thunder storm, was curbed by 100 men.
July 8, 1942
Grays Harbor pilchard industry faced a complete shutdown today as one reduction plant stopped operations and another considered quitting, both claiming the price of $20 a ton is too high for profitable operation.
The Bay City plant has not accepted a single pilchard haul this week and the Strand plant, while it received several small deliveries this week, may stop any day, officials say.
Reduction plant operators said they are losing five to six dollars a ton by processing pilchards at the present price, nearly twice they paid last year.
July 9, 1942
With three sons in the armed forces — one of them believed a prisoner of war — Medard Emard, Aberdeen auto mechanic and veteran of World War I, is resolved to get into the army and “help square things” with the enemy.
“I’m young enough and strong enough to help get my boy off Corregidor or wherever they have him,” he said grimly today. “If I can convince the army of that, I’m going to pack a gun again for Uncle Sam.”
Emard’s eldest son, Arthur, 29, is a machinist’s mate first class in the navy and was stationed at Corregidor when the island fortress was overwhelmed in May. His parents have not heard from him since.
Another son, Menard Jr., 24, is a private in the marine corps and son Douglas, 21, is a private in the army.
July 10, 1942
Just 40,000 pounds of rubber — less than one pound for each Grays Harbor resident — has to be collected before midnight tonight to send the county over the 400-ton goal in the nationwide rubber salvage campaign.
“Many people heeded our appeal for a last-minute search of their premises,” Gordon Lambert, drive chairman, said. “If others keep it up today we should top our goal.”
Elmer Kumpula, proprietor of the O.K. Shoe Repair shop, yesterday donated 30 pounds of worn rubber heels.
Four large solid rubber tires, weighing almost 600 pounds, were turned in yesterday by Tom Svendsen, operator of the Highlands golf course. The tires, off a two-ton trailer, were brought to the Union oil station at Wishkah and I streets. Station Manager Ted Swartz, Bud Hesla, Milton Goerge and Bob Swanson were busy today separating the rubber from the tires.
July 11, 1942
Jo Ann Nicola of Cosmopolis is only 10 years old but she already has the spirit of sacrifice for the war effort.
Thirty-two years ago, her father, Ray, brought a piece of raw rubber out of the Amazon forest. It became a family keepsake, and through her girlhood Jo Ann often heard the story of how the rubber grew wild in the jungle.
Then she learned of Uncle Sam’s great drive for rubber. She took the keepsake from its resting place, got parental approval and sent it off to Seattle to the scrap heap.
In her own eloquent little girl words: “My daddy brought it home a long time ago, but Uncle Sam needs it now. I hear that they could make a big tire out of it — Anyway it will help (win the war).”
58 YEARS AGO
July 6, 1967
Wear good, sturdy walking shoes if you have an appointment on the seventh floor of the Becker building.
Beginning yesterday, operation of the 41-year-old Becker Building elevator was suspended for six weeks while a new automatic self-service elevator is being installed in the Harbor’s tallest building.
The management has provided rest facilities on each floor and an errand service on a one-week trial basis for tenants of the building.
July 10, 1967
As far as could be determined none of the Westport Town employees who walked of their jobs Thursday afternoon had returned to work this morning, the deadline set by Mayor Byron Cramer for them to return or be replaced.
The boycott by all regular employees, except those of the marshal’s department, was in protest of Cramer’s firing Wednesday of Mrs. Helen Beall, who had been town clerk for 12 years.
The mayor said last week that he would announce a replacement for Mrs. Beall at the Town Council meeting tonight. Now, presumably, the job held by Martin Rowell, water superintendent, Curtis Casey, street superintendent, Louise Peters, deputy clerk, Dave Stuhr and James Savidge, water and sewer department employees, and John Taylor, part-time sanitation employee, were also vacant.
July 11, 1967
A railway sign which got in the way of a teenage brawl sustained $100 damages this morning.
A 1955 sedan driven by Joseph Shapansky, 18, of Cosmopolis, struck the sign at 3:40 a.m. today while fleeing a carload of would-be avengers. The mishap took place near a dead end at the west end of State Street in Aberdeen.
The pursuers were friends of two Hoquiam youths who were attacked by seven Aberdeen youths earlier in the evening, police reported.
One of the Hoquiam youths refused to sign a complaint. He told police that he and his friends had spend the night taking care of the attackers one by one.
A patrolman, spotting one of the original attackers in an all-night diner, reported the youth looked like a steam-roller had run over him.
July 12, 1967
The Aberdeen YMCA’s second and last section of swimming instruction for the year ended June 30, with the closing of Miller Natatorium.
For the first time in the history of Aberdeen YMCA swimming instruction, the Porpoise class of instruction was passed by Weedy Hagen.
33 YEARS AGO
July 6, 1992
Carl Brownstein, who teaches at the Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building in Port Townsend, is the lead shipwright for a project at the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority to build a couple of long boats.
The first one under construction now is a replica of the one carried aboard Capt. Robert Gray’s Columbia Rediviva in 1792. Long boats were used to carry fresh water, furs, cannons and even the ship’s anchor. A long boat was equipped with sails and 10 oaring stations in case the wind didn’t cooperate.
“I’ve built 64 different boats,” said Brownstein, “but I’ve never built anything like this. A lot of the boats I build are somewhat historical but I’ve never built a replica before,” he said looking over the skeleton of the boat that sits in the shipyard building at the confluence of the Chehalis and Wishkah rivers.
July 7, 1992
Moments after the shining silver B-17 bomber “Sentimental Journey” landed at Bowerman Field in Hoquiam Monday, one of its crew members fell lifeless to the asphalt beside the plane. But quick action by two off-duty local paramedics — Jim Heikel of Hoquiam and Aberdeen EMT Bill Mayne — gave Arthur Pautz, 71, of Mesa, Ariz. a second chance to live. They immediately started performing CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Meanwhile, Bill Maki of Aberdeen, used his new amateur radio to call for help.
Hoquiam paramedics were on the scene quickly and continued efforts, administering an electric shock. After several minutes, paramedics stopped pumping his chest and a fleeting smile across the face of one of the paramedics indicated that Pautz was again breathing.
July 8, 1992
Last Halloween was more trick than treat for owners of the Local Tavern, Dick and Chris Cooper.
Late that evening, a two-alarm electrical fire broke out that reduced the 50-year-old Grayland tavern to a burnt-out shell.
But now, eight months later, the tavern has been rebuilt and has re-opened with the help of local residents. It’s already filling to capacity, more than two weeks before their grand re-opening.
Construction of the new tavern went smoothly — 90 days from pouring the foundation to opening the doors, June 25. Toward completion of the tavern, Cooper said 30 to 40 people turned out on weekends to help with the final steps of re-building.”It was really a community effort,” Cooper said. “People came out to clean and paint the place. We really appreciated it.”
The building was once a steam bath house for the Finnish cranberry growers who populated the area, and owners later added on the tavern, which eventually took the entire place over.
July 9, 1992
Children scampered from cabin to cabin playing hide and go seek. Teens paddled out onto the lake in a canoe and a row boat after munching their way through salmon, hotdogs, potato salad and other summer delicacies.
Just over a year after the main lodge was burned to the ground by the National Park Service, Kamp Kiwanis has risen from the ashes.
About 150 people gathered on the sunny North Shore of Lake Quinault Wednesday to celebrate the camp’s rebirth and to honor the man they credit with making it possible, U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton.
“It’s worked out like this because so many people worked so hard,” Groton said after a brief ceremony.
July 10, 1992
The new 1992 population estimates for the state outline substantial growth in the Puget Sound area, but tell a dramatically different story for coastal Washington.
In a word, it’s “flat,” with the exception of Ocean Shores which has posted a 23 percent population increase since the 1990 Census. There are now an estimated 2,493 residents at Ocean Shores vs. 2,031 two years ago. In the same time period, Aberdeen’s population is estimated to have increased by 65, Hoquiam has lost two, Montesano has gained 21 and Elma has lost six.
July 11, 1992
The Grays Harbor Nationals used big late innings to secure an 18-2 victory over Hoquiam Friday night in the District Three Babe Ruth Tournament in Raymond.
Catcher Steve Timmons led the winners with four hits, including two doubles. Second sacker Jaymee Johnson had three hits and winning pitcher Josh Parbon two.
July 12, 1992
Forest Kelsey of Montesano has been employed at the same location for 65 years.
“I’ve never worked a day in my life, because I’ve never gone to bed without wanting to get up and come back the next morning,” said Kelsey, 87.
The former owner of Whitneys Inc., he now works just a few hours each day, rising early to walk the few blocks to his office. These days he mainly continues service to his previous customers — some in the Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia area — rather than adding new ones.
At 22, Kelsey starting working at Whitney’s service station. In the following years, he worked in the tire department, parts department and as a salesman. He eventually managed each department, as well.
He and his wife, Ruth, became part owners of the dealership and when Mr. Whitney died in 1976, they took over more of the company. They eventually became full owners, but sold to Les Foss and Stormy Glick in 1981 when Ruth’s health began to fail.
“They’ve agreed generously to let me retain my office and care for some of my old customers,” Kelsey said.
With a smile he added, “I’m semi-retired and I do only what I want to do, when I want to.”
Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom, Editorial Assistant at The Daily World. You can contact her at karen.barkstrom@thedailyworld.com or call her at 360-537-3925.
