75 years ago
Aug. 25, 1941
Three young salmon fishermen, Teddy Mantschewsky, 15, Tokeland, Morris Peterson, 12, and his brother Tommy Peterson, 9, Portland, exhausted and with little hope of rescue, were picked from the cold waters of Willapa Harbor late last week by Melvin Nelson, Tokeland crab fisherman.
Nelson, inbound from a fishing trip, spotted the boys a mile away, two clinging to life preservers, the third to their capsized boat. Nelson’s was the only craft that passed within sight of the spot in hours.
The boys had been fishing near buoy No. 16, off North Cove, when their boat ran out of gas. As they were attempting to refill the tank, the fuel took fire when the motor backfired. Unable to put out the flames, the boys capsized the boat.
When Nelson pulled Tommy aboard he was so cramped with cold that he had to be pried loose from his life preserver. Nelson estimated the boys would have lasted only about 15 minutes longer.
The lads showed no ill effects from their ordeal and all were out fishing the next day.
Aug. 26, 1941
Construction of the Grays Harbor Shipbuilding company’s new Aberdeen yard doubled in speed today with addition of another piledriver to put down foundations for the first marine rail way.
Quigg Brothers, contractor on the pile driving, put a floating driver to work extending the marine rail way foundations toward the Harbor channel, while the land driver began foundations for the yard’s biggest building, a mill and joiner shop with a big sail loft on the second floor.
50 years ago
Aug. 25, 1966
Pat Morris’ tight pants cost about $10,000 a day.
That’s the estimated payroll loss for the 315 workers who went on strike at the International Paper Co. plywood plant in Gardiner, Ore., after Miss Morris, a 35-year-old plywood worker, was suspended because she wore tight pants.
The strike began two days ago, and no end is in sight.
Miss Morris, whose vital statistics are 37-27-40, says “i don’t why why they singled me out. The other women wore the same type of clothes. They said something about being too stacked and sent me home.”
Aug. 26, 1966
• One of the oldest schools of beauty in Washington, the DeWitt Beauty School, will celebrate its 30th year of operation with a grand opening this Saturday at its new location, 209 E. Wishkah.
Facilities at the newly-outfitted school have been greatly expanded over those of the old school on East Heron.
• More than 4,000 persons filed through the gates last night for the opening of the 1966 Pacific County Fair in Menlo.
Miss Laura Bale, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Don Bale, a Baleville farm family, was chosen to reign as Queen of the Fair in judging last night.
25 years ago
Aug. 25, 1991
Harbor bicycle riders, who have been in the process of forming cycling clubs for the past three months, will hold their first bicycle tour Sept. 8.
The ride will start from the Polson Museum in Hoquiam and proceed in a 29.3 mile loop out the East Hoquiam Road and back to Aberdeen on the Wishkah Road and then back to the museum.
There will be support persons stationed along the route with liquids and fresh fruits for the riders, says state Rep. Bob Basich (D-Aberdeen), one of the organizers of the club.
Aug. 26, 1991
Leroy Christiansen, a 73-year-old Aberdeen resident, was listed in serious condition this morning in the intensive care unit at St. Peter Hospital in Olympia after he took a bad fall Sunday afternoon. Christiansen is known to many Harbor residents because he was a shoe salesman at J.C. Penney Co. for years.
It is likely he would have died on the sidewalk in front of his home on Bench Drive, but a Daily World paper carrier discovered him in time to get emergency help, Aberdeen Fire Department medics said.
They estimated that Christiansen had been lying on the sidewalk perhaps 30 minutes when 15-year-old Craig Fauber found him. Fauber, also a Bench Drive resident, was collecting for his paper route.
Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom
