80 YEARS AGO
February 17, 1941
Fred Stubbs, Montesano shingle weaver, burned to death and William Larkin suffered painful burns and cuts this morning in a fire which swept the two-story Larkin hotel and boarding house, a landmark on South Main Street in Montesano.
Larkin, who operated the boarding house with other members of his family, was burned about the hands and feet attempting to save the victim.
February 18, 1941
The U.S. Navy, in event of emergency, could depend on the Chilman Shipyard & Engine Works in Hoquiam to turn out ships up to 250 feet in length, it was announced today following a survey of the ways by officers of the 13th naval district.
The biggest boat ever turned out by the Chilman works was 140 feet long but the naval officials assured Mrs. Ivar Chilman that the ways were ample for 200-foot ships and if necessary, up to 250 feet.
Eager to see work started on a turf gridiron at Stewart field, 150 volunteer boy students of Weatherwax high school took advantage of the good weather this afternoon to start clearing of the recently acquired property north of the field.
It is on this property that a practice filed will be laid out so that the present gridiron may be turfed.
February 19, 1941
Observances of state Americanism week are being carried out daily in Aberdeen schools, Superintendent Edward F. Bloom said today.
Proclaimed by Governor Arthur B. Langlie, the week is intended to give American youth a more sincere appreciation of Americanism and what it means to them.
In every school in this district at least part of each day is devoted to a study of some theme of Americanism — songs, stories and dramatizations of Washington and Lincoln and great events in American history.
February 20, 1941
The city of Aberdeen plans to build a civic center, to cost complete more than $500,000 on Franklin field if it is successful bidder for the school property at the public auction March 8.
Oscar Larson, chairman of the city council’s special property committee, said today the civic center will include a $250,000 city hall, an auditorium, a new library and possibly tennis courts and other athletic equipment.
February 21, 1941
Death this morning claimed G.F. “Gary” Karshner, one of Grays Harbor’s earliest merchants, following a three-month illness. He would have marked his 70th birthday anniversary May 19. He died at the family home.
The Karshner Brothers meat market, which he founded and which is now operated by his brother, was established in 1895 after he had operated a similar market in Cosmopolis for two years. Karshner Brothers is now the oldest business establishment in Aberdeen.
• Now available at Kaufman Scroggs Co. in Aberdeen, the Dial-o-matic washing machine. “Put your clothes in — set a dial — and take them out, ready for the line! That’s all there is to a ‘Bendix Washday.’” Your hands never need touch water. Bending over set-tubs, lifting soggy clothes, soaking your hands in water, all the drudgery is ended! $99.
65 YEARS AGO
February 16, 1966
Harry Bridges, president of the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union is in Aberdeen to visit the local union (ILWU 24) to talk about possible contract negotiations and to find out how the Harbor longshoremen are getting along with their employers. “Apparently from what I’ve been told,” he said, “relationships are good, both with the Port of Grays Harbor commission and private employers.”
Slim, trim, wiry and giving an impression of a plentiful reserve of energy, Bridges is friendly but not effusive. His speech retains a trace of his native Australia and he answers questions concisely and without much elaboration. When asked about his salary, he said it was under $15,000 a year plus actual expenses — less than some of his longshoremen make.
Putting together an orchestra of 213 young musicians representing 77 high school orchestras of the state requires lots of paper, perseverance and midnight oil.
Such has been the experience of J. Gordon Edlund, director of orchestras for the Aberdeen public schools, who is the organizing chairman of the 1966 Washington All-State Orchestra which is sponsored by the Washington Music Educators Association in conjunction with the biennial WMEA conference to convene this year in Spokane Feb. 21-23.
February 17, 1966
Weyerhaeuser Company’s Twin Harbors Branch announced this week that some of the remaining office functions, now headquartered at the Raymond office, are being transferred to the company’s Cosmopolis headquarters.
David E. Isaacson, who is in charge of the branch, noted that other operations, both sawmill and logging, now conducted in the Raymond area will continue as usual.
February 18, 1966
Top 5 records of the week as selected by young people: 1. “Lightnin’ Strikes” by Lou Christie; 2. “Up Tight” by Little Stevie Wonder; 3. “My World is Empty Without You” by The Supremes; 4. “My Love” by Petula Clark and 5. “No Matter What Shape Your Stomach’s In” by the T-Bones.
February 19, 1966
To the accompaniment of practically no fanfare whatever, Aberdeen High School’s first basketball championship in 11 years became an accomplished fact last night as Washington’s sixth-ranked quintet raced away from cellar-dwelling Chehalis 87-53 at Sam Benn Gym.
It was an appreciative but undemonstrative crowd of nearly 2,000 that saw the Cats run their season mark to 17-2 by reeling off their 14th straight victory in the final home appearance of the campaign.
February 20, 1966
Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz, who took command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet after Pearl Harbor and led it to victory over Japan, died Sunday at him home on the Yerba Buena Island navy base.
Nimitz was the Navy’s highest ranking officer and its oldest active member (80) — he never retired.
On Dec. 7. 1941, Nimitz was listening to concert music on the radio in his Washington home when the program was interrupted for the announcement of the Japanese attack on Hawaii.
Eighteen days later, Nimitz arrived in Honolulu and took command of the Pacific Fleet. Many of his ships lay at the bottom of Pearl Harbor. He went to work quietly and counseled his subordinates “be patient.”
He rebuilt the bomb-shattered fleet into the mightiest naval armada ever assembled — a force of 5,000 ships, 16,000 aircraft and 2 million men which beat the Japanese back across the Pacific.
35 YEARS AGO
February 16, 1991
If Hoquiam High School junior Brett Bradley had a theme song, it would be “you’ve gotta have heart.”
Bradley won two gut-wrenching 190-pound decisions Friday in Tacoma and remains on target today to claim a state AA wrestling title in Mat Classic III at the Tacoma Dome.
Bradley’s senior teammate Jason Jex also won a pair of matches at 135 pounds as did Elma junior Jason Wharton at 168.
Those three are the only Harbor AA wrestlers alive in a bid for a state title.
February 17, 1991
For some students the ability to land a well-paying job straight out of high school is essential.
In Elma, vocational programs are taking on new popularity and prominence in the district’s curriculum.
The success of the vocational education department in placing students in the work-force is evident in the garage at Day Motors in Elma, where five of seven workers are EHS graduates.
“If you have that experience you’re more likely to get the job than someone who’s never done this kind of work before,” said Darrin Clark, a 1986 graduate.
The other four EHS grads working at Day Motors are Dennis Pierce and Larry Bosler, class of 1985, Tim Harp, 1983, and Joe Wescott, 1988.
A year after they were seized from an Elma farm, 11 horses once at the brink of starvation seemed to glow with health as they were auctioned off Saturday afternoon.
Former owner Mary Huff was on hand at the Elma Fairgrounds, shouting out details of the horses’ blood lines to the auctioneer. Despite spending what she had to feed the herd, the impoverished Elma woman could not provide them with the food they needed and last spring they were seized from her farm.
February 18, 1991
Police won’t know until after an autopsy Tuesday whether two young women from Lakewood drowned or were killed when a car crashed through a fence early Sunday at the Westport Marina near Float 11.
The accident was unreported for several hours until the car became exposed at low tide Sunday morning.
Police reports said the car was southbound on Westhaven Drive, apparently at a high rate of speed, when it failed to negotiate a 90-degree curve near the intersection of Patterson Street. The car became airborne, crashed through a fence and landed on its roof in the water near the dock area. County Coroner John Bebich said the accident occurred near high tide.
February 19, 1991
Two-fifths of South Bend’s game plan had been accomplished with barely two minutes gone. By game’s end, however all of Valley’s objectives for the day had been realized.
Tracy Thompson shook off early foul difficulty to score 28 points as the Vikings pulled away from the Indians, 56-43, in a loser-out contest in the Southwest Washington District Class B girls’ basketball tournament Monday in Chehalis.
February 20, 1991
As his constituents absorbed 4 1/2 inches of rain in two days, Aberdeen Mayor O’Dean Williamson was flying through the unfriendly skies in an effort to keep funding alive for flood control.
The mayor and Public Works Director Bob Salmon left Tuesday for Washington, D.C. as the inevitable flooding on some city streets was just beginning to recede. The two are lobbying to keep some $9 million in federal funds alive for the South Side levee. They’re also hopeful of rounding up funds to help solve West End flooding a well.
February 21, 1991
Ken Harrison of Hoquiam, junior vice commander of the Washington state VFW, presented an American flag to Darcy Peterson, marketing director of the SouthShore Mall. The flag is a gift from the entire 11-post VFW District and now stands beside a tree at the mall decorated with the names and pictures of Twin Harbor service men and women serving in the Gulf. “It’ll never be taken down until they come home,” Harrison vowed.
Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom, Editorial Assistant at The Daily World. You can contact her at karen.barkstrom@thedailyworld.com or call her at 360-537-3925.
