The February 5, 1891, edition of the Aberdeen Herald presented a number of stories on the growth that had taken place in the city’s development as an industrial base. At that time, the town encompassed an area running from Market Street on the north, the Chehalis River to the south, Broadway to the west and Think of Me Hill (at that time it was still Dabney Heights) on the east. The center of town was at Heron and F Streets. Here are some stories about the growing metropolis as reported 130 years ago, including an indignant letter to the editor.
ABERDEEN, YESTERDAY, TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW — Not withstanding the vastness of the undeveloped resources of this region, and inspite of the disadvantages of poor communication, both of which to hamper so materially her growth and progress, Aberdeen’s superior location was too obvious to be overlooked, and pioneer enterprise has established itself here. Five years ago the site on which the city is built was covered with timber.
Eighteen months ago we had 800 people; to-day the city has a population of more than 2,000. It is the manufacturing, commercial and financial center of the great Grays Harbor basin. Here have been attracted a cluster of industries that have an aggregate pay-roll of $30,000 per month. These consist of four saw mills, three canneries, boiler, machine-shops and foundry, sash and door plant, planing mill, ship-yard, brewery, cigar manufactory, metal works, etc. Aberdeen is at present the best-lighted city of its size in the state. Brilliant arc lights flash out in the night at every street corner. The offices and stores are lighted by a perfect system of incandescent lights.
There are five churches and good public schools.
At the present time the city is growing very rapidly and people are coming in faster than houses can be built for them. New industries are being located, new buildings are going up, new banks and business houses are being opened and these can be no doubt of Aberdeen continuing her present rapid advancement until she becomes one of the largest cities on the Northwest coast.
CAPITALISTS! — Do you want a half interest in one of the best town site properties in Chehalis county? Two hundred acres in the city of Aberdeen, with a mile and a half of deep water frontage. The largest steam schooners that have crossed Grays Harbor bar loaded with logs for San Diego at my wharf (which is near the upper end of this land), and passed out without hindrance, at low tide, one of them drawing sixteen feet of water. There is a gravel ridge, a quarry of excellent building stone and an exhaustless supply of brick clay, all close to deep water. Three streams of pure fresh water-flow through the land, one of which has been selected to furnish the water supply for the city of Aberdeen.
For further particulars, apply at my residence, or address.
Jas. B. Stewart,
Box 13,
Aberdeen, Wash.
THE WAY TO ABERDEEN — A reference to the map of Western Washington will show where Aberdeen is located. There are four routes to reach Aberdeen from the East; go to Tacoma or Olympia and take the steamer MULTNOMAH from either place for Kamilchie, where the steamer connects with the Puget Sound & Grays Harbor railroad at Montesano, close connections are here made with steamer that arrives in Aberdeen at 5 p.m., or take the Astoria steamer at Portland for Astoria, then cross to Ilwaco, take cars to Shoalwater Bay, then steamer to North Cove, then stage along ocean beach to Peterson’s Point (Westport) where the steamer will then bring you to Aberdeen; or you can take the steamer Alliance at Portland and have an ocean trip around and she will land you at our dock; or you can take a steamer once a month or a sailing vessel almost daily at San Francisco, and be landed at Aberdeen.
The Aberdeen Shaving Parlors are now the Queen of the Harbor. Everything fitted up and newly painted to the Queen’s taste. Everything new and neat and tasty, from the design over head to the oil cloth under foot. Bath rooms, with hot and cold water at all hours, with all the latest modern improvements and conveniences. If any one thing there is finer than another, it is the [shaving] cup case, made of cedar, and finished with white and redwood. it is truly a beautiful piece of wood, beautifully worked up. If you want to get shaved with grace and elegance, go to the Queen of the Harbor.
ALMOST READY — Mr. Jones, of the firm of Jones, Burrows & Co., returned last week, bringing his family with him. Aberdeen gains much in this addition to her population.
The firm mentioned have the building up for their shingle mill on the Wishkah completed, and the machinery is in Portland.
The railroad will open the market for all the shingles that can be cut on the Harbor and the more that come the better it will be for Aberdeen.
COMMUNICATED — Editor Herald: Will you bring to the attention of the people of Aberdeen through the columns of your valuable paper, the fact that more than one-half of them are living in open defiance of an important ordinance of this city? The law allows a man twenty-four hours to get his wood under shelter, after it is scattered at his door. It is safe to say that half of the wood consumed by the householders is never under cover until it is put into the kitchen oven to dry out, preparatory to to being burned.
There are wood-piles in this city that have so long occupied certain fixed positions that they have become land-marks and, like the curse of the biblical widow, they waste not, neither do they fail. The result of this slovenly laxity is that our streets present the appearance of a Kansas town the day after a cyclone. Winding its way through this disheveled lumber heap runs a tortuous road, just wide enough to allow a skillful driver to get his cart through.
The people of this place have grown so accustomed to the eye-sore that they can hardly estimate how much of this unkempt neglect detracts from the appearance of Aberdeenr.
(signed)
A. Protestant
WE ARE UNITED, BY WOOD — The beautiful driveway between Aberdeen and Hoquiam was completed last Saturday evening, and affords easy and pleasant communication between the two cities. On Sunday many of our citizens took advantage of the fine weather to make their first trip over the plank.
The following telegrams were exchanged by the mayors of the two cities, Saturday night, upon completion of the road:
Hoquiam, Wash., Jan 31, 1891 – To Hon. Samuel Benn, mayor of Aberdeen: The city of Hoquiam congratulates the city of Aberdeen upon completion of the beautiful boulevard between the two cities and hopes that we may soon be connected with steel rails and a lasting friendship.
(signed)
F.D. Arnold,
Mayor of Hoquiam.
Aberdeen, Wash.,
Jan. 31, 1891 – To Hon. F.D. Arnold, mayor of Hoquiam: The city of Aberdeen unites with the city of Hoquiam in the wish for lasting friendship, and hopes in the years to come the growth of the two cities may result in a single municipality
(signed)
Your obedient servant,
Samuel Benn,
Mayor of Aberdeen
Roy Vataja is the son of Finnish immigrants and is not surprised that Sam Benn was talking about consolidating the two cities even that early in their existence. The “plank road” connecting the two cities ran along what is now Pacific Avenue.
