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In this installment of A Look Back in Time, the Friday, Sept. 6, 1935, edition of The Chronicle featured a story about a Pacific Highway sign in Thurston County warning motorists considering murder to kill in Lewis County, as Lewis County authorities viewed murder “as about the same as double parking or operating a car without a driver’s license,” compared to Thurston County judges who would sentence them to death.
Former Centralia resident John Ghormley, a Centralia High School and Centralia Junior College alumnus, was revealed to have been one of the chemists helping enrich uranium for the Manhattan Project developing the atomic bomb during World War II, according to the Thursday, Sept. 6, 1945, edition of The Chronicle.
And in the Tuesday, Sept. 6, 1955, edition of The Chronicle, it was reported Washington State Liquor Store manager Bill Patterson foiled a would-be robber “when he took a healthy swing with a wine bottle at his would-be assailant.”
A Look Back in Time is compiled using Chronicle archives stored at the Lewis County Historical Museum — located at 599 NW Front St. in Chehalis — along with digital archives on newspapers.com.
This Look Back features stories from the Tuesday, Sept. 7, 1965, edition of The Chronicle, as the Monday, Sept. 6, 1965, edition was missing from the archives.
Friday, Sept. 6, 1935
• The Chronicle featured an Associated Press story about a “mysterious sign” on the Pacific Highway near the border of Thurston and Pierce counties warning “would-be murderers (drivers of cars) to do their killing in either Pierce or Lewis counties, because to do it in Thurston County would result in sure death at the hands of Superior Judges John M. Wilson and D.F. Wright.” The sign was owned by Thurston County Prosecutor Smith Troy, and advised southbound motorists heading into Thurston County to kill before they crossed county lines, lest they face the wrath of the judges. A portion of the sign’s text stated, “If you don’t like Pierce County, you may pass on through Thurston County and do your killing in Lewis County. Killing people in this county is looked upon as about the same as double parking or operating a car without a driver’s license, and in extreme cases possibly as severe as stealing chickens.”
• The Columbia Construction Company secured a contract with the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company to extract Tenino sandstone from a quarry on Weyerhaeuser land for the Grays Harbor jetty, The Chronicle reported. “It is anticipated that about 50 cars of rock will be shipped daily, each of the special cars carrying about 50 tons of rock. Rocks of 20 and 25 tons in weight will be required in order to resist the action of the ocean waves and not sink deeply into the sand. The jetty will be 2,300 feet in length and will be 16 feet high. The contract price on the first unit is $258,610, and the total appropriation by Congress is $4,565,000.”
• With a total of 320 students enrolled for the school year at the Chehalis Junior High School, 20 of those students were twin siblings, The Chronicle reported, “which Principal Wallace Kelso thinks ought to qualify for some sort of record, on a per capita basis.” The twins included David and Dorthy Stinson, Dick and Bob Strom, Wilbur and Walter Larsen, Elva and Elsa Lewis, Peter and Paul Bailey, Lyle and Lloyd Paulsen, Marjorie and Constance Quick, Thelma and Velma Price, George and John Throop, and Luella and Louise Davis.
• An ad in The Chronicle’s classifieds featured someone looking to trade 10 acres of “partly improved” land “for a good, light car.”
Thursday, Sept. 6, 1945
• Former Centralia resident John Ghormley, who had moved to Spokane, had been revealed to be one of the chemists working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Manhattan Project developing the atomic bomb, The Chronicle reported. “A graduate of Centralia High School in 1934, Ghormley graduated from the Centralia Junior College and majored in chemistry at the University of Washington. Later he entered a Chicago chemical firm and, so reports indicate, went to Tennessee to work on the development of the atomic bomb.” While the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico gained fame as the main location for the development and testing of the atomic bomb, scientists and engineers were recruited and carried out work for the Manhattan Project in dozens of facilities across the nation. In Tennessee, Ghormley was working at Clinton Engineer Works, which was one of the laboratories producing enriched uranium for the bomb.
• U.S. Navy sailor and Centralia resident Lawrence McLaughlin was officially listed as killed in action after being listed as missing in action when the Atlanta Class light cruiser he was on, the USS Reno, was struck by an Imperial Japanese torpedo in the Pacific Ocean on Nov. 3, 1944, The Chronicle reported. According to Navy Captain M.A. Sawyer — the Reno’s new commander — the ship was sailing west toward the Philippines about 400 miles from the Ulithi Atoll when it was struck by the torpedo at 11:25 p.m. In Sawyer’s letter to McLaughlin’s parents, he wrote, “The torpedo struck below the water-line just beneath a living compartment where part of the crew was sleeping. This compartment, open to the sea, flooded immediately. Hatches and doors were jammed shut by warped decks and bulkheads and by wreckage. Of the men in this compartment, only two reached safety. Your son was sleeping in this compartment.” While damaged, the Reno didn’t sink and was towed to port for repairs, while other ships and Navy planes patrolled the area looking for survivors. Unfortunately, none were found. “After the Reno had been towed to port and it was finally possible to get into this compartment, no trace could be found of the occupants.” Sawyer explained security protocols had prevented him from informing them of McLaughlin’s fate sooner. “Please accept the sincere sympathy of all the officers and men of the ship Lawrence served so faithfully. While I did not know him personally, having recently assumed command of the Reno, I can attest to the fact he was loved and respected by all of his shipmates, and is sorely missed.” Born on May 5, 1925, McLaughlin was 19 when he was lost at sea. He was survived by his parents and two sisters, Barbara Ashmore and Genevieve McLaughlin.
• A seven-bedroom home on 76 acres of land with turkey and hen houses, a barn and a well “close to town” was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $9,000.
Tuesday, Sept. 6, 1955
• Washington State Liquor Store manager Bill Patterson foiled an attempted robbery earlier that day, The Chronicle reported, “when he took a healthy swing with a wine bottle at his would-be assailant.” The store used to be located at 108 W. Walnut St. in downtown Centralia. According to Patterson, he had never seen the would-be assailant before when the man came in to order a fifth of wine. Patterson retrieved a bottle but when he turned back around to the counter, saw the man attempting to jump over the counter to attack him. “That was when Patterson drew back and swung the bottle at his assailant, knocking his glasses off with a glancing blow. When the would-be robber turned to run, Patterson threw the bottle after him, hitting him again, but failing to knock him down. Patterson said the man turned and ran up Tower Avenue as he left the store, but had disappeared when Patterson and his assistant, Les Van Horn, got out to the street … Patterson said he didn’t really take a good look at the man, but he had on a brown coat and had a ruddy complexion. Centralia police, who recovered the man’s glasses, are investigating.”
• Bay Center resident Jaunita Gracy, 25, was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $200 after she was convicted of “furnishing liquor to minors,” The Chronicle reported. “She was one of the persons accused of furnishing liquor to five Pe Ell and Frances youths who were arrested on Aug. 27 in South Bend for possession of alcoholic beverages … She provided liquor for the five when they approached her in Bay Center and gave her money with which to buy beer, (Pacific County) Sheriff Herman Felber stated. Pacific County authorities are investigating further as to who supplied the boys with the bottle of gin that was also found in their possession.”
• The Chronicle featured an Associated Press story about a Washington State Director of Game and Fisheries lawsuit against Tacoma City Light, challenging construction plans of the power utility’s two proposed dams on the Cowlitz River. The lawsuit, which was being reviewed by Thurston County Superior Court Judge Charles T. Wright, claimed construction of the dams violated state law which designated fish sanctuaries on streams flowing into the Lower Columbia River. “Judge Wright said he planned to issue a decision this week as to whether a temporary order restraining the city from doing any construction work on the river bed shall remain in force pending the outcome of the trial.”
• A three-bedroom home with a basement “situated on a large lot only two blocks from downtown shopping” in Centralia was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $5,200. • A two-bedroom furnished home located at 411 E. Pine St. in Centralia was listed for rent for $45 a month.
Tuesday, Sept. 7, 1965
• An estimated 8,000 people attended Tenino’s two-day Labor Day celebration over the previous weekend according to the festival’s chairman, Lee Cook, The Chronicle reported. “The crowd, largest in the event’s history, lined the streets of Tenino to see over 44 entries in the main parade Monday morning. State Eagles president H.C. Hendrickson of Hoquiam was the parade marshal.” Other events during Tenino’s Labor Day festival included skydiving, a logging show, motorcycle races, dances and a horse show which was sponsored by the Lewis County Junior Posse.
• The First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Chehalis had begun construction of a new bank branch in Morton, The Chronicle reported. “The site is at the intersection of Second and Adams streets, adjacent to Winslow’s shopping center.” Upon completion, the one-story building was to be 2,200 square feet in size with two units for office rentals. “The new office, to cost about $75,000, will be staffed by George E. Godding, loan officer and branch manager, and Ione Olson, secretary and teller. Both are residents of Morton.”
• Chehalis resident Harry Thode received the American Milking Shorthorn Society’s gold medal certificate for one of his cows producing over 4,000 pounds of butterfat, The Chronicle reported. “Another of Thode’s animals won the bronze medal certificate for production of 2,000 pounds of butterfat. The gold medal award was based on a production of 4,253 pounds in nine records and the bronze medal was won on the basis of 2,249 pounds in seven records.”
• Hotel owner Marian Argo announced she intended to finally close the Tenino Hotel after “having decided she is too old and too tired to operate it,” The Chronicle reported. “In recent years the old hotel has been a home for 20 people in 14 apartments, who have found other places of residence. It was purchased in 1928 by C.S. Argo and after his death was taken over by his daughter. The main part of the building was constructed in 1909 as a boarding house for employees of the Blumauer Lumber Co. The east wing was added later.” Argo, who was originally born in 1898 in Sioux City, Iowa, was the first woman elected to the Tumwater City Council in 1960. She passed away in 1969 at the age of 71.
• A four-bedroom home on two acres of irrigated land with a small barn in Centralia was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $21,500. A two-bedroom unfurnished home on Prindle Street in Chehalis was listed for rent for $40 a month.
Saturday, Sept. 6, 1975
• Lewis County Director of Emergency Services Ken Allwine revealed the county had emergency field hospitals stored in both Centralia and Winlock, The Chronicle reported. “Both are complete, operating hospitals. However, instead of occupying conventional hospital buildings, the hospital equipment is stored in crates in Centralia City Hall and the Winlock Community Building, ready to be set up on a moment’s notice.” Both locations had a total of 200 U.S. Army cots along with electric generators, X-ray units, water storage units, fully equipped operating rooms, laboratory facilities and support elements including medical instruments, dressings and oxygen. “The identical hospital units, supplied by the U.S. Public Health Service as part of a nationwide program, include all equipment necessary to perform hospital functions in an emergency.”
• Lewis County Undersheriff Don Barnes said a manhunt to find Onalaska resident Elmer Lee Burton was still ongoing following multiple shootings the previous week, The Chronicle reported. Burton had been charged with three counts of first degree assault after he shot Onalaska residents Randy Kempf, 15, and Don Letteer, 17, while they were attempting to look at a property they hoped to rent. “The assault charges stem from the shooting of the boys and the alleged firing of a pistol at Jennifer K. Lyons, 16, rural Chehalis.” According to Barnes, 14 Lewis County sheriff’s deputies conducted a four-hour search of the Onalaska area the previous day for any signs of Burton. “The heavily armed officers returned with nothing but tired and hungry bodies.”
• A new three-bedroom home with a sunken living room on half an acre of land in the Adna area was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $29,000. A one-bedroom furnished apartment in Centralia was listed for rent for $110 a month.
