World Gone by

In 1941, no explanation for all-pervading odor in Aberdeen

75 years ago

Oct. 15, 1941

Sharon cemetery, the second burial ground to be established in the early days of Chehalis County, now Grays Harbor, will have perpetual care and will become a community burial park for Southeastern Grays Harbor.

One of the earliest pioneers to carve a home on the prairies of western Washington was Sidney Ford, who took up a homestead on Fords Prairie near Porter and gave the area his name. The death of a baby necessitated establishment of a cemetery and Sidney Ford deeded a tract of land for that purpose. Others added to it and the plot became known as Sharon cemetery.

Oct. 16, 1941

Neighbors looked askance at one another, householders hunted through basements for dead cats or “something” and the accusing finger pointed hither and yon — but no one apparently today had solved the mystery of Aberdeen’s sudden-born, all-pervading and very unpleasant smell. Not a single person could be found to explain it — not pulp mill people or officials of plywood plants and sawmills. Some blamed the Harbor’s tidal mud, but others opined “Our mud never smelled that bad, even on the lowest tide.”

S.C. Watkins, city engineer, said the city was not to blame. “The odor reminded me of a dead and slightly scorched fish — or rather about a million such fish,” Watkins said. But the pilchard plants quit running weeks ago.

Nobody seemed to know what it was or where it came from, but the noses knew ‘twas there.

50 years ago

Oct. 15, 1966

“I’m doing so much here and really learning a lot. At last I can talk fairly well, but by Christmas I should be doing great (“Ho Ho)” writes Karen Linnenkohl, to her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Linnenkohl of Hoquiam. Karen is residing in Effretikon, Switzerland as an American Field Service students and is attending school in nearby Zurich.

“Every Thursday night Suzanne (my ‘sister’) and I go faithfully to sing negro spirituals. I have been helping with their pronunciation. I say the words and they repeat. We’re singing ‘Let My People Go’ and “It’s Me, O Lord” on Christmas Eve.”

Oct. 16, 1966

Sunday, no newspaper published

25 years ago

Oct. 15, 1991

At a time when most men their age are planning for retirement, former Harborite Ray Damitio and Olympia businessman Don Preston are ready to roll up their sleeves.

Damitio, 64, and Preston, 63, together with Wayne Pullar, 54, of Montesano, have purchased Duane Dewees Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge from Barbara Dewees, who has run the Aberdeen dealership since her husband’s death a year ago.

Pullar has been sales manager at Dewees since 1986. Damitio says Preston is the “entrepreneur and I am the nuts and bolts of the operation.”

Oct. 16, 1991

Jodie Hazen, the Daily World’s Carrier of the Month for April, was selected as this year’s Carrier of the Year.

Jodie, who lives in South Aberdeen, has a route in Cosmopolis. It is moderately large and situated close to the foothills.

Jodie is home taught and considers her routes her P.E. She is looking forward to getting her Learner’s Permit, something she claims her father is not overjoyed with.

In addition to a trophy and check given by the Daily World, Jodie went to Olympia to attend Carrier Appreciation Day and toured the Capitol Campus.