75 years ago
Aug. 20, 1941
An aged but sturdy fireplace, built of bricks brought by boat and stake from Portland in 1875, stands like a sentinel at the residence of Mrs. William Irvine, 1400 Young St. recalling the days when Aberdeen was not a city but a wilderness.
It was Alexander Young, one of Aberdeen’s first settlers, determined to have a fireplace to please his young bride, who sent for the bricks.
The bricks came down the Columbia by boat to Astoria. Loaded aboard a stage coach on the Washington side, they rode over rutted roads and the beach to Port Chehalis, now Westport. They were taken up the Chehalis and Wishkah rivers to their present location.
Young was aided in construction of the fireplace, which is still is use, by James Stewart, another homesteader of this area, whose skill in stonework gained him a job working on the original Dexter Horton building in Seattle.
Aug. 21, 1941
August Jonas and George Wickman believe they have found the answer to the logger’s prayer, a donkey engine that will not stall or break up the rigging.
Jonas, a gasoline donkey “puncher” for 10 years or more, has adapted the “fluid drive” principle in converting steam donkey frames into gasoline motor-driven rigs. He and his associate have completed one unit and are preparing a shop on lower F street in which to build more.
In repeated tests the new hook-up has been found to deliver 100,000 pounds of line pull with the 200-horsepower drive unit. Jonas claims the tests have shown the motors never stall despite any “hang up” of logs and the pulling power is steady without jerks, which saves rigging.
The completed donkey has been sold to Frank Evanson and will do its first work in the Newskah valley.
50 years ago
Aug. 20, 1966
A ban on all sprinkling and on car washing as well was announced this morning by Aberdeen’s Mayor Walt Failor.
The mayor said that the reservoir is not filling during the night and that it is absolutely necessary that people cooperate to conserve water. Inspectors will be out checking the residential districts.
Aug. 21, 1966
Sunday. No newspaper published
25 years ago
Aug. 20, 1991
Playing this week at the Act III theaters in the SouthShore Mall are “Hot Shots,” “Pure Luck,” “Mystery Date” and Doc Hollywood.” At the Twin Harbors Drive In, it’s “Double Impact” and “Terminator 2” or “Delirious” and “V.I. Warshawski” for $8 a carload.
Aug. 21, 1991
• Everything from antique and experimental aircraft to Army helicopters will be on display at the Grays Harbor Aviation Day and Fly-in Saturday at Bowerman Field in Hoquiam.
The third annual event is sponsored by Grays Harbor Flight, the Port of Grays Harbor, Grays Harbor Chamber of Commerce, the Grays Harbor Tourism Board and Grays Harbor Jaycees.
Grays Harbor Flight will be offering 25-minute tours of the Harbor for $10 per person and radio aircraft demonstrations will be provided by Alfie’s Hobby House and RC Raceway in Aberdeen.
• Les Bolton, who skippered the Lady Washington on a profitable voyage to Puget Sound, was hired last night as executive director of the tall ships project.
Also hired was Randy Beerbower of Elma as project coordinator.
Board members were told that the $37,000 in bills they voted to pay included checks that clear the decks on various debts left over from the ship’s construction. Two years ago that debt was $133,000.
“We can now concentrate on stabilizing the project, begin to really look now at the project’s future,” said Tori Kovach of Aberdeen, board president.
