In this installment of A Look Back in Time, the Thursday, June 14, 1945, edition of The Chronicle featured a story about U.S. Army Private First Class (PFC) Edward W. Roberts of Centralia — who in a letter home to his parents written while recovering from injuries sustained fighting on Okinawa, said a fellow soldier received a blood transfusion from Roberts’ old high school Spanish teacher.
Investigators were looking to contact residents living in both Winlock and Chehalis who reported seeing a UFO at the beginning of June, according to the Monday, June 14, 1965, edition of The Chronicle.
And in the Saturday, June 14, 1975, edition of The Chronicle, it was reported that “near beer” — a beer with an alcohol content that may not exceed one-half of 1% by volume — could be returning to Washington state liquor shelves after a St. Paul, Minnesota, brewery applied to the Washington State Liquor Board to sell its “near beer” in the state.
A Look Back in Time is compiled using Chronicle archives at the Lewis County Historical Museum along with digital archives on newspapers.com.
Friday, June 14, 1935
• A fire destroyed a “landmark of Lewis County” near Onalaska earlier in the week, The Chronicle reported. “It was a two-story house, constructed wholly of cedar and was built in 1882. Ivy that had been growing about half a century added to its picturesqueness. The house was built by W. A. Deggeller, who is now in the taxidermist business in Centralia.” Located on the Newaukum River’s south fork near Onalaska, Deggeller had since sold the residence to John Arnold, whose son, Lawrence Arnold, was in the house when it went up in flames. “The fire started near the chimney about 5 o’clock in the morning, after Mr. Arnold had started his breakfast fire. Some clothing and bedding were all the effects saved from the flames.”
• Almost half of boys in the 1935 Centralia High School graduating class were former newspaper delivery boys for The Chronicle growing up, The Chronicle reported. “Of the 73 boys given diplomas, 36 formerly carried Lewis County’s only daily newspaper to its subscribers, a check by the circulation department has revealed … The Chronicle ‘alumni’ list includes Bill Androsko, Elzie Ashbrook, Ted Bieker, Bill Chapman, Bill Clark, Floyd Cole, Billy Connors, Johnny Davis, Glenn Farris, Clarence Flesher, Ray Fowler, John Galvin, Oscar Grohs, Jack Henzell, Floyd Homstad, Dick Hunter, Robert Jackson, Jack Jennings, Charles Jones, Billy Lohr, Julius McLeod, Edward Nelson, Edward Ringel, Harry Rutledge, Chester Straw, Robert Stuart, Russel Sutherland, Robert Tibbs, Eddie Truesdell, Ira Tucker, Lorris West, Donald White, Glenn White, John Wonderly, Philip Wortman and Murray Coburn.”
• The Woman’s Relief Corps held a ceremony in Centralia’s City Park to dedicate two trees to two of its past presidents during an ongoing Grand Army of the Republic convention, The Chronicle reported. “The memorial services will honor Susan L. Mock and Mary Copestick.”
• A used Singer sewing machine was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $10.
Thursday, June 14, 1945
• U.S. Army Private First Class (PFC) Edward W. Roberts of Centralia, injured fighting on Okinawa, told his parents in a letter a fellow wounded soldier received a transfusion of blood donated from his old high school Spanish teacher, The Chronicle reported. “From his cot at a hospital base in the Pacific, the young Centralian, son of Dr. (Edward C. Roberts) and Mrs. (Martha) Roberts, wrote that in the next bed a wounded soldier who had just received a blood plasma transfusion looked at the donor sticker on the plasma flask and asked, ‘Say Roberts, you’re from Washington. Ever known a K. Kemp of Centralia? She’s listed here as the donor of this blood.’ ‘Golly yes,’ PFC Edwards said he replied. ‘Know her? She taught me high school Spanish for two years. Centralia’s my hometown.’ Then he explained the donor was Miss Katherine Kemp, Centralia Junior College and high school faculty member.”
• The Centralia World War II Memorial Steering Committee had settled on making the Hub City’s “living war memorial” an indoor pool following a poll where a majority of residents favored an indoor pool over a civic auditorium, The Chronicle reported. “Favored with better than 80% majority through a public opinion poll, a new, modern indoor swimming pool, complete with building, gymnasium and meeting rooms for youth groups of the city, will serve as Centralia’s ‘living war memorial’ to commemorate the deeds and services of the community’s fighting sons of World War II and the memory of those who will not return. The announcement was made by Jack McNiven, chairman of the memorial steering committee.” McNiven’s next task was securing funding for the indoor pool project. Following funding hurdles stretching over six years, the pool design evolved into an outdoor pool with a locker room building known as the Veterans Memorial Pearl Street Pool, and was officially opened on June 2, 1951. It was operated by the City of Centralia until the 1980s when it was first closed. It was reopened in 1984 by a local nonprofit that operated the pool until 2008 when control was returned to the city. By 2011, the city closed the pool again, citing rising maintenance and staffing costs along with low attendance as the reasons. Despite the efforts of the local STOP (Save the Outdoor Pool) group over the next 12 years, the City of Centralia permanently closed the pool in 2023, filling it in with dirt with plans to convert it into a memorial park for veterans in the city’s updated master plan.
• Mexican immigrants were being brought in to help with Lewis County’s “$800,000 pea crop” harvest, The Chronicle reported. “G. A. Sonner, farm labor manager for the extension service, said the additional Mexicans have been assigned to Lewis County from a camp in Idaho which could not use all those tentatively assigned to it. The crop was threatened with the closing of the state prison wood-cutting camp at Onalaska and the removal of approximately 100 prisoners who had been expected to work in the pea fields.” A total of 335 immigrant workers were expected to harvest the crop beginning at the end of June.
• A “modern” four-bedroom home on 55 acres of land with a new barn near the Town of Riffe in was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $4,750.
Tuesday, June 14, 1955
• Chehalis Justice Court Judge James Vander Stoep tried the first cases under Washington state’s new drunk driving and driving without a license law on Monday, The Chronicle reported. “Bennett F. Dege, 42, Seattle, was fined $250 and court costs when he pleaded guilty to drunken driving and driving without a valid operator’s license, had his license revoked for 30 days and was sentenced to jail for five days … Bart Bloomstrom, 34, Hoquiam, pleaded guilty to driving while his license was suspended and was sentenced to 15 days in jail.”
• Chehalis residents were complaining about both dogs running loose around the city biting children and dust from a private road owned by the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company, The Chronicle reported. “Paul Bickel of Chehalis told the city heads a number of children in his neighborhood have been bitten by dogs recently with injuries to legs and faces. (Chehalis) City Attorney Lee Campbell told Bickel he might go to police and enter a legal complaint for action against the dogs because a city ordinance requires all canines in the city have license tags and be cared for … In another complaint, (Chehalis) City Clerk was instructed to write a letter to the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company to complain about the dust rising from the company’s private road in the Riverside addition in west Chehalis.”
• Centralia resident Charity Ann Howard, one of the last survivors of the 1877 Nez Perce War, had turned 90 in May, The Chronicle reported. The Nez Perce War was part of the American Indian Wars during the late 1800s, and started after members of the Nez Perce Tribe were forcibly removed from ancestral lands they were originally allowed to keep following the 1855 Treaty of Walla Walla with the U.S. Government. “More than three-quarters of a century later, she still remembers General (Oliver Otis) Howard, the one-armed man who led the U.S. forces, and Chief Joseph, commander of the hard-fighting Nez Perce.” Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, the Nez Perce fought multiple battles and despite efforts to trap the tribe, completed multiple fighting retreats fleeing east toward Montana. In 1877, the Montana publication New North-West stated the Nez Perce had been fighting valiantly, saying, “Their warfare since they entered Montana has been almost universally marked so far by the highest characteristics recognized by civilized nations.” Chief Joseph finally agreed to surrender on the condition the Nez Perce Tribe be allowed to return to its Idaho reservation land in October of 1877. However, the commander of the U.S. Army, General William T. Sherman, violated the surrender agreement and directed the tribe to be sent to Kansas. Chief Joseph famously wrote in 1879, “I believed General (Nelson A.) Miles, or I never would have surrendered.” Chief Joseph and 268 surviving Nez Perce Tribal members were finally allowed to return to the Pacific Northwest in 1885.
• A “brand new” three-bedroom home with a living room, dining room and large kitchen and an “extra big garage” in Centralia was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $11,900. A two-bedroom apartment on Main Street in Centralia was listed for rent for $20 a month.
Monday, June 14, 1965
• The National Investigation Commission on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) had requested assistance from The Chronicle in contacting eye-wittnesses from alleged UFO sightings reported by both Winlock and Chehalis residents at the beginning of June. “Anyone who observed the object is asked to send a report and diagram of such observation to the NICAP.” In the Wednesday, June 2, 1965, edition of The Chronicle, it was reported residents had seen a UFO described as a “bright and blinding white Tuesday night as it passed over western Lewis County. Mrs. Chester Burwash, Winlock, and her daughter, Mrs. Charles Rogers, said they observed the noiseless, round object as it passed northeast over their area about 9:45 p.m. Mrs. Burwash said the object was not too high and, as it passed directly overhead, they could see eight small lights underneath. Several Chehalis area residents also reported observing the object, which yet remains unidentified.”
• Lewis County strawberry farmers were beginning harvesting on most of their fields, The Chronicle reported. “County extension agent Ralph Roffler said weather would be a determining factor state-wide as farmers began harvesting the crop after it had been estimated around 50% of it had been lost due to heavy frost damage and a dry spring. “Roffler said county area growers will harvest somewhere between 50% and 75% of their crop provided the weather stays cool and not too wet.”
• Washington State University student Larry Kaiser of Winlock was awarded a $500 Washington State Dairy Foundation scholarship, The Chronicle reported. Kaiser was studying dairy manufacturing at WSU and was preparing to start his second year at the university. “A 1956 graduate of Toledo High School, Kaiser attended Centralia College and worked for the Weyerhaeuser Company in Longview before enrolling at WSU last fall. He has been named to the university honor roll and is a member of the Dairy Science Club.” In 1965, in-state tuition at WSU was $52.50 per semester according to the WSU Library.
• A three-bedroom “brick” home with a fireplace, built-in oven, range and dishwasher in Centralia was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $19,900. A “lovely” two-bedroom unfurnished home in Centralia was listed for rent for $75 a month.
Saturday, June 14, 1975
• Low-alcohol level beer, commonly known as “near beer,” was expected to become available in Washington state again after being absent from the market for years, The Chronicle reported. “The (Washington State Liquor Control) Board recently approved an application submitted by G. Heileman Brewing Company, Inc., St. Paul, Minnesota, which authorizes importation and sale of that company’s Schmidt Select brand of near beer. To qualify as a near beer, the product’s alcohol content may not exceed one-half of 1% by volume.”
• 1974 Miss Lewis County Cindi Sawyer of Onalaska was preparing to represent the county at the upcoming Miss Washington Scholarship Pageant in Vancouver, The Chronicle reported. “Thursday night, Miss Sawyer will give her talent presentation. She will sing a Barbara Streisand song, ‘People.’ She has chosen to wear a burgundy velvet long skirt with white bodice top and burgundy velvet jacket accented with lace. Her big burgundy felt hat is trimmed with a satin flower and ostrich feathers.”
• Morton School District classified employees received a 48-cent per hour raise from the Morton School Board, The Chronicle reported. “The employees have a two-year contract with the school district but the contract provided for salary negotiations this year. The board also approved a salary increase for the girls’ coach.”
• Gifford Pinchot National Forest Packwood Ranger District staff were hard at work continuing a tree planting operation that had been ongoing for three years, The Chronicle reported. According to Gary Matchett, reforestation manager for the district, the “backbreaking and grueling” work was being carried out by an all-female planting crew. “There’s only one way to plant trees,” explained Matchett. “You have to do it carefully, and they do it right. Our female groups have had a higher percentage of their trees survive than most of the male crews.’ This year’s group consists of Jan Anderson, foreman of the crew, Kathleen Pearson, Dolores Johnson, Bonnie Brazil, Eileen Connelly, Mary Higgins, Karen Bruhn and Nancy Quinn. Matchett is quite impressed with the job they’ve done. ‘They average about 600 to 700 trees per day, and believe me, it’s hard work out in the sun all day long. They have a good tree survival rate and they’re conscious about what they’re doing. I guess it takes a little tender loving care.’”
• A two-bedroom home on 20 acres of land with a two-car garage, patio and private well near Winlock was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $42,000. A two-bedroom home in Chehalis was listed for rent for $125 a month.
