75 years ago
May 26, 1943
William H. Turner, manager of the Willapa Harbor Lumber mills in Raymond, today reported receipt of a letter of thanks from Captain Walter T. Collins, Marine corps reserve, for 10 sheath knives turned out by filers in the company’s plants here and donated to the Marines. Captain Collins expressed deep gratitude for the gift and praised the spirit which prompted it.
The letter described the gift as a useful conservation of scrap metal, pointing out that it is impossible to get such knives through normal channels now.
May 27, 1943
Program for the annual Memorial Day observance at Olympic stadium Sunday afternoon has been announced. A mammoth parade starting at 2 o’clock will be the first event of the religious and patriotic rites. Bands, uniformed units and other marching groups will assemble on the ground and then will circle the park led by a cavalry band of Fort Lewis.
Soldiers will raise the American flag. Officers of America Legion post No. 5, Aberdeen and other organizations will conduct the patriotic ritual before a replica of the Unknown Soldier’s grave. Mayors Foelkner and Philbrick will speak, Chairman Troup will read General Logan’s Memorial Day order No. 11, Charles Anderson will recite the Gettysburg Address, Frank Milward, department of the Spanish-American War Veterans will deliver the patriotic address and Rabbi Wolf of Beth Israel temple will deliver the sermon
50 years ago
May 26, 1968
Sunday, no newspaper published
May 27, 1968
Doreen Taylor, a lovely dark-haired Weatherwax senior with sparkling brown eyes, stood crying in a spotlight beam at Miller Auditorium Saturday night stood. And twelve hundred persons stood to applaud because she was something very special — Miss Grays Harbor of 1968.
Miss Taylor has the slim figure of a high-fashion model. She is 5-7 and her measurements are 35-23-35. Her ambition is to be a registered nurse.
25 years ago
May 26, 1993
A.M. “Pat” Gallagher, who was Aberdeen’s police chief for 21 years and county sheriff for 10 more, died of natural causes at Grays Harbor Convalescent Center in Aberdeen this morning. He was 90.
Gallagher was chief from 1941 to 1944 and again from 1946 to 1962. Aberdeen was changing then from an untamed logging town with a reputation for prostitution and bootlegging into something more respectable.
“I’ve seen everything from shootings, knifings … to beatings, bludgeonings and everything you can imagine,” he said in a 1978 front-page Daily World feature. “Aberdeen was really a wild town with lots of drinking, gambling and prostitution.”
When Gallagher stepped down in 1973, the newspaper’s editorial of that day called him “a firm, but compassionate man … Hardly a day passed that Gallagher was not helping those in trouble, providing food and lodging for those in need and finding jobs for the jobless.”
May 27, 1993
After 30 years of coaxing music from the hands and mouths of young students, tonight Aberdeen School District’s elementary band teacher, Rick Lundstrom, will present his finale at the Sam Benn Gym.
The 52 year old says it’s time to retire.
Each weekday for the last 27 years, he has driven between five of the six Aberdeen elementary schools (students at Alexander Young join those at A.J. West for band) teaching hundreds of fifth and sixth graders how to play instruments and be part of a band.
He and his wife, Shirley, will continue to perform music together. The couple, along with Jeff Hood, “one of the first people I taught when I came here,” and Rob Hilliard make up Harbor Lights, a special occasion dance band.
Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom
