In 1993, Central Park Baptist Church celebrates 30-year anniversary

75 years ago

August 14, 1943

George S. Dean answered his final call last night. “The chief” as he was still familiarly known to townspeople because of his 33 years span of service with the Aberdeen police department, most of it as chief of police, slipped away quietly at the family home, following a lingering illness which forced his retirement in July, 1941.

During his many years as head of the department, (1917-41) Chief Dean saw Aberdeen grow from a small sawmill town to an aggressive and teeming lumber capital and finally into a modern port and city.

August 15, 1943

Sunday, no newspaper published

50 years ago

August 14, 1968

Tight security, bustling journalists, wooed and pursued by delegates, colorful demonstrations — all were splashed across the canvas that was the 1968 Republican Convention.

For those four days in Miami Mrs. Joe Randich of Hoquiam served as a volunteer worker in the office of C. Montgomery (Gummie) Johnson, Washington state Republican chairman.

“I’m a great one for talking to people, and the convention was certainly the place for it,” Mrs. Randich said “Things were always happening.”

August 15, 1968

Six scouts from Troop 9 in Aberdeen rode their bicycles 15 miles out the Wishkah Road yesterday afternoon. The boys, Jeff Vaughn, Chuck Frazer, John Jelovich, Paul Miller, Chuck Greninger and Lonnie Howell, were accompanied by Earl Lynch, scoutmaster on the 30 mile trip. Floyd Atkinson , assistant scoutmaster, rode his motorcycle on the trip so that if an emergency developed there would be no problem getting help.

25 years ago

August 14, 1993

On Sunday, the Central Park Baptist Church will mark celebrate its 30-year anniversary.

The church began in 1958 as a home Bible study in Hoquiam under Rev. McGraw, a retired Baptist minister. But soon, due to ill health, the church sought a new pastor and moved to the Odd Fellows Hall in Aberdeen where it became known as the “Conservative Baptist Church of Aberdeen.” In 1963, Rev. Bekkedahl became pastor and led the way to incorporation as the church became recognized as Harbor Baptist Church.

The next year the property for the present church at 6308 Central Park Drive was purchased and the first service in the new structure was conducted in April of 1965.

The church began in 1958

August 15, 1993

What started as a one-room log schoolhouse in the middle of the Saginaw Logging Camp in North River has now reached its 100th birthday.

The North River School, founded in 1893, celebrated its centennial Saturday with more than 300 alumni, staff, faculty and friends.

“I’ve seen the school go from old manual typewriters to electric and now to computers,” said Thelma Talley, 72, the school’s custodian since 1959 and also a 1940 graduate. “We have a lot of new buildings and additions but I can’t really tell the difference in the students. Kids are kids.”

The school traditionally graduates about five students a year. Talley said the biggest class was in 1936 with 21 graduates.

The school is the only one in the North River School District and it employs 10 teachers.

Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom