One of the more interesting series of historical documents available to the public are the Aberdeen Police Department desk blotters ranging from 1913 to 1973. It was the job of the desk sergeant to type up all of the calls that came into the department with a one or two sentence report, often with follow-up information. Local news organizations would check the blotter every morning for items — those items that contained sensitive or embarrassing information were marked N.F.P. (Not For Publication) with the tacit agreement that they would not be made public. In the mid-1980s, the city police department needed space and the books were transferred to the Aberdeen Museum. Thirty years later, the museum faced the same storage issues and the books were sent to the State Archives in Olympia. Most of the calls were minor in nature (barking dogs, belligerent drunks, kids throwing rocks) but others were more interesting. Here are some selected calls and internal announcements as found in the APD blotter 70 years ago.

MISC. CALL – June 2 – 12:15 PM – Mrs. D.E. Heuer, 115 E. Huntley reports the Chesterman kids are rifling mail boxes and raising general cain in the neighborhood. Mrs. Wilson, 114 E. Huntley is another complaining witness. Captain Yantsin assigned. Chesterman address is 118 E. Huntley.

POLICE CALL – June 3 – 2:39 PM – Bridge tender, Wishkah Bridge reports a man down by the new control tower. Wagar assigned. Man just sunning himself, not down.

MISCL. CALL – June 6 – 3:01 PM – Party reports a ice truck dumped several hundred lbs. of ice in the street at Wishkah & F. Ice Co. notified.

POLICE CALL – June 10 – 4:44 PM – Mrs. Salsbury, Apt. 6, Moore Apartments [212½ West Heron Street] reports husband refuses to let her in. Car #10 assigned. Husband relented despite wife’s insistence that he be jailed. No police action. 5:18 AM repeat call. Advised to secure warrant. Phillip R. Salisbury 50-F-73, booked for third degree assault.

POLICE CALL – June 13 – 12:02 AM – Mrs. Thrush, 1229 West Perry called and asked to see some Officers at the Coast Guard boat McLane. Car #10 assigned, Auer-Augustine. Report that a Coast Guardsman, Roy W. Radcliff #287244 age 18 had her daughter Audrey age 14 walking her around the Fish Base. Told the girl to stay in her own age group and be off the streets by 10:00 PM or it would be turned over to Mrs. Daw (Juvenile Court supervisor). .

SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES – June 13 – 7:40 PM – Mrs. Dell Wright 1312 Pacific reports her boy and another boy saw Mr. Wright get in a car with another man, as if he was being forced in the car, car is light colored, the man who took him had his hand inside of his shirt as if he had a gun. Phone 3977 J. – Follow Up: False alarm, husband home okay.

ATTENTION OFFICERS – June 15 – The Corner Cupboard (grocery store) is being sprayed with Fog Smoke late this evening so do not enter building. Notify the Fire Dept. as they have the proper equipment. Address Simpson & Scammell.

POLICE CALL – June 19 – 1:52 AM – The Chinese Garden called for the Police some kind of trouble there. Yantsin-Popovic assigned. Man just having some kind of attack.

STOLEN PROPERTY – June 19 – 3:40 PM – Mrs. Vetters, 204 East Second Street Cosmopolis reports two boxes had been delivered to 515 West Market Street this City by the Post Office and left on the front porch. There were delivered on Sat. Today she was going to pick them up and one of the boxes had been taken. Box contained pillow cases, towels, etc. Quick assigned. Lady who lives there says the boxes were left between 8 pm and 1 am.

DOCTOR MEDICO BAG STOLEN (N.F.P.) – June 19 – 7:43 PM – Doctor Ehrhart reports that his medico bag had been stolen from his car parked behind the G.H.C.Hospital sometime between 6:00 PM and 7:43 PM this date. It was a slim black bag and contained about $120.00 in doctors equipment and had 8 or 10 Pantopan drug tablets.

POLICE CALL – June 20 – 4:52 PM – Party reports some kids at the water tower. #7 Lt. Raby assigned. Brot kids to station. Farrel Taylor, Bob Moore, Bill Stump, and Chas. Foshoug.

POLICE CALL – June 20 – Party at Grant Street reports that there are screwy things happening to him. #7 Lt. Raby assigned. Arvoe Turkia is demented. Also Dr. Graham called to see him.

MISCL CALL – June 20 – 10:10 PM – Dr. Graham called asking about Arvoe Turkia, told him he was still sleeping. Dr. said he would come down in the nite if Turkia needed another shot, otherwise he will be down in the AM.

NATURAL DEATH – June 21 – 12:20 AM – Took a look at Arvoe Turkia and he looked like he had passed out. Called Dr. Graham who said he was dead. Dr. Graham called Dr. Riley and he Riley said for Graham to handle. Popovac-Shea assigned to notify Arvoes mother who said to send body to Elerdings which was done. Chief notified.

DEAD MAN – June 22 – 1:03 PM – The Olympic Motors at the corner of Market & K Street reports that they had found a man in their lavatory and that they think he is dead. Car #7 assigned, Lt. Raby. Reports man dead asked for Coroner. Coroner notified and said that he would check. Dead man was W.H. Myers, Rt 11 Box 367, Montesano, father of Dr. Boyd Myers. Body to Elerdings at sons request. Natural death.

ATTENTION PROWLER CARS – June 22 – 4:35 PM – The builders of the Robert Gray School on B Streets reports that they have a number of large uncovered ditches and they would like the prowler cars to see that the kids stay out of them.

POLICE CALL – June 23 – 12:11 AM – (Attn Capt Gillespie) – Party reports drunk on H near Heron. Yantsin-McManus assigned. Brot in Clarence Wheat who was in bad shape. Called Dr. Sweinheart to look at him. Dr said better be sent to Hospital which was done. GH Comm Hosp. McManus assigned to stay with him in Hospital till he is quiet. Straight Jacket at Hospital. Ambulance took Wheat to Hospital. Wheat came-to enough at Hospital to tell McManus he had been hit on the head, etc and robbed of his billfold and about $70.00. Will be able to tell more in A.M. – Follow Up: Admits there was no robbery.

ATTENTION ALL OFFICERS – June 28 – Whenever answering a call to the South Side or East Side and you use the new Heron Street bridge PLEASE slow down and take it easy across as there is quite a dip on the West approach. [In 1950, the on-ramp to South Aberdeen was located in East Aberdeen behind Olympic Gateway Plaza]

ATTEMPTED B & E – June 30 – 2:30 PM – John Dodak, 1120 East Wishkah reports he flushed two young fellows that appeared to be trying to get into the Hi-Way Grocery last night. Thinks fellows had old Model A coupe. One wore some type of cap. No other disc. One of the men threw a beer bottle against building when Dodak flushed them. Will attempt to locate fragments of bottle for possible prints.

POLICE CALL – June 30 – 9:16 PM – Party reports kids rolling kegs down Scammel at 6th. Yantsin-McManus assigned. Gone.

Roy Vataja is the son of Finnish immigrants and is always looking for new sources of Aberdeen news and historical information. If you have any documents or artifacts of local historical interest that would otherwise be tossed out, you can contact Roy at billygohl@yahoo.com.