75 years ago

May 8, 1943

Neil Cooney, 82, pioneer Grays Harbor lumberman and civic leader, died today at a local hospital following a long illness.

He came to the Harbor district in 1888.

Under his management, the Grays Harbor Commercial company became one of the biggest lumber producers of the west and lumber shipped by the firm went to all parts of the world. During its many years of operation the firm employed thousands of men, bringing in many from the midwest and east, and at one time operated a huge mess all and hotel for employes.

The company was responsible for many of Cosmopolis improvements also, having installed the water system there.

May 9, 1943

Sunday, no newspaper published

50 years ago

May 8, 1968

Aberdeen founder Samuel Benn’s only surviving child, Mrs. R.A. Brassfield of San Jose, Calif., came back yesterday to the city her father founded where the Wishkah and Chehalis meet.

Aberdeen, incorporated 80 years ago, is looking better than ever according to Sam Benn’s daughter.

Mrs. Brassfield is in town this week on what she called a “social visit.” She noted “quite an improvement” in the city’s appearance, even in the year and a half since she’d been here last. “The new buildings particularly,” she noted. “There’s been quite an improvement in Heron Street, wouldn’t you say?”

(A quotation worthy of noting, for her father named that street after a wily blue heron who now and then stole fish from an old cannery at the foot of the street.)

May 9, 1968

An effort is being made now by two local men to raise money to operate the old West Coast Plywood plant — now owned and recently shut down by U.S. Plywood-Champion Papers.

The two men, Robert Abts, and James J. Sullivan, are now employed at Evans Products Co.; they’ll leave their positions with Evans at the end of this week.

Abts is assistant manager for Evans, has worked as production manager and has had 18 years of plywood experience. Sullivan, a timber purchaser for Evans, has been in the wood products industry for 16 years, mostly in logging operations.

25 years ago

May 8, 1993

Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Cosmopolis are virtually fat free, says an independent consultant hired to find ways the three cities might save money.

They’ve cut and cut and cut over the past decade as costs rose faster than revenues.

The most far-reaching recommendation of a 22-page Urban Services Study recently made public is creation of a single agency that could administer police, fire, parks, streets, utilities, accounting and legal services for all three cities.

When looking at other communities of about 27,000 residents (that’s the population of Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Cosi combined), the Harbor triplets spend a total of about $1.35 million more per year.

May 9, 1993

Some fifth-graders at Elma recently added a little spruce to the school district’s facilities.

They also added hemlock, pine, western red cedar and Douglas fir.

In all, the youngsters have planted more than 20 tiny trees as part of a new arboretum that will take root near the baseball fields south of town.

One day many of those trees will tower high above everything and the sight will be something the students will be able to share with their grandchildren, says elementary Vice Principal Morris Boyer.

Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom