In this installment of A Look Back in Time, the Thursday, Aug. 1, 1946, edition of The Chronicle featured a story about the harvesting of what was believed to be “one of the last ‘big’ logs” in the region from the forest near Oakville.
Randle couple Richard and Carol Evans Moore’s pet cat had survived but was understandably "indignant" after somehow getting trapped in the family’s new washing machine during a soak cycle, according to the Wednesday, Aug. 1, 1956, edition of The Chronicle.
And in the Saturday, July 31, 1976, edition of The Chronicle, it was reported that Centralia quilters had completed their special bicentennial quilt and were publishing a book detailing the 40 historical squares on it to celebrate the nation’s 200th birthday.
Some Sunday and holiday editions were not in the archives, so stories from the previous days’ editions have been featured instead. When The Chronicle was still a daily newspaper, Sunday editions were often reprints of Saturday editions, unless major breaking news needed to be reported.
A Look Back in Time is compiled using microfilm archives at The Chronicle, physical copies stored at the Lewis County Historical Museum — located at 599 NW Front St. in Chehalis — and digital archives on newspapers.com.
Saturday, July 31, 1926
• Roy Johnston was arrested after being caught attempting to sell car parts stolen from a local logging camp The Chronicle reported. “Accused of having stolen automobile accessories worth $200 at Lincoln Creek Lumber Company’s camp, Roy Johnston was taken into custody yesterday by the Centralia police in the act, it is said, of trying to sell a stolen tire. Johnston is alleged to have confessed and to have informed the police where the balance of the articles are cached.”
• Five Tenino residents were recovering from significant injuries from mishaps throughout the week, including four who suffered falls, The Chronicle reported. “A number of Tenino people were victims of accidents this week, in one of which George Stanley seriously injured both ankles when a scaffolding on which he was shingling a house gave way and plunged him to the ground. The young son of Henry Reneke, owner of the house, also fell, and a hatchet, following him, inflicted a bad cut on the boy’s neck. Mrs. Ernest (Letta) Neat suffered a broken arm when her auto backfired as she was cranking it. The small son of Jess Prince broke his collarbone in a fall. Mrs. George (Mary Lavina ‘Ollie’) Churchill was hurt when she fell through a hole in a barn loft.”
• Himalayan blackberries were listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $0.25 a gallon. A “modern” five-room home at 619 M St. in Centralia was listed for rent for $18 a month.
Saturday, Aug. 1, 1936
• Pe Ell Mayor James Moloney announced the dedication ceremony for the West Lewis County community’s new pool would be delayed at least three weeks, The Chronicle reported. “Dedication of Pe Ell’s new swimming pool will not be held for at least three weeks, Mayor James Moloney said today in contradicting reports circulating during the last several days. Water was let into the pool for the first time this morning and at 11 o’clock more than 80 young people were swimming in the new pool. Moloney said that the water would be left in the pool over tomorrow and then would be drained for two or three weeks. No fence has been built around the pool to protect persons from falling into it, he said, and neither have the bathhouses been built. It is expected to have the pool completed within four weeks. Mayor Moloney said that when the dedication is held citizens of Pe Ell are planning on arranging a program to fit the occasion. Gov. Clarence D. Martin has signified his intention of being present at the ceremonies, Moloney said. The mayor said that the value of the pool was indicated today by the large throng that immediately gathered at the pool to enjoy a swim as soon as it had been filled.”
• A “farm or stock truck” was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $75. An Eastman Kodak Special camera with a “(f/)6.3 Zeiss lens” was listed for sale for $25.
Thursday, Aug. 1, 1946
• What was believed to be “one of the last ‘big’ logs” in the region was harvested from the forests near Oakville, The Chronicle reported. “One of the last ‘big’ logs in this area was taken from logging operations 10 miles southwest of Oakville, according to Arnie Faggerness, superintendent. The huge spruce log measures 28 feet long and 12 feet in diameter, and it is estimated it contains about 11,500 board feet of lumber. It was cut about six months ago, and only recently was equipment brought in to take it out of the forest. The log was dumped into the bay at Olympia and will go into veneer when it reaches the mill. No estimate of age could be made. Faggerness stated no other log or tree of this size remains in this area to his knowledge.”
• A “modern” five-room home on a large lot “two blocks behind Pippin’s Store” in Centralia was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $3,500. A “real good stock ranch” with a six-room home and large barn on 362 acres of land with 30 cleared “on Independence Creek,” around four miles south of Oakville, was listed for sale for $8,500.
Wednesday, Aug. 1, 1956
• A cat belonging to Randle couple Richard and Carol Evans Moore was lucky to be alive and understandably “indignant” after getting trapped in the family’s new electric clothes washing machine, The Chronicle reported. “A full-grown yellow cat belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Moore survived an ordeal in the Moores’ new electric washer Saturday. Mrs. Moore had put some clothes in the washer on a soak cycle, not realizing her little daughter Debbie was helping her so much. When the washer was opened several minutes later, the cat was in it, thoroughly clean, indignant, but very much alive.”
• Ethel farmer A.G. (Aloysius George “Louie”) Hadaller and his wife Wilhemina Marie “Minnie” Hadaller were featured on The Chronicle’s front page in a photo showcasing “oats as high as the proverbial ‘elephant’s ear’,” coupled with a story about that year’s temperature extremes and their effect on local crops. “Despite the extremes of heat and cold registered in Lewis County the past year, the 1956 yield of hay and grain is expected to be at average, County Agent Ralph Roffler said Wednesday. Roffler’s crop forecast came as county farmers were preparing to harvest their mid-summer grain crops. At some spots, the fall freeze knocked out the newly-planted grain entirely, causing some farmers to replant their crops, it was said. Hot weather hit the grain crops, too, and caused variations in germinations in different regions. The prediction is for a normal spring-planted grain crop, while the fall-sowed crops will probably range below normal, the county agent said. Most of the hay crop has been harvested and the yield was normal, Roffler said … Roffler also noted the ‘hot drying winds of the past two weeks have taken the moisture out of our soils. Land that is not being irrigated is really getting dry.’ The county agent said moisture tests conducted in county soils so far this year seem to indicate that lighter, more frequent irrigations are needed to maintain soil moisture at proper levels.”
• A “house, garage and barn” on 45 acres of cleared land with some farm equipment in the Chehalis Valley was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $11,700. A two-room with steam heat, an electric range and private bath with utilities included was listed for rent for $37.50 a month.
Monday, Aug. 1, 1966
• Toledo resident Mary Raupp announced the date for their second annual Threshing Bee festival, The Chronicle reported. “The second annual Threshing Bee sponsored by the Cowlitz Prairie Grange will be held at the William Raupp farm near here (Toledo) Aug. 28, it was reported Monday. The annual Threshing Bee, which has been held at several sites in Washington and Oregon, will feature exhibitors from many Southwest Washington areas, Mrs. Raupp said. Francis Borte hosted the Threshing Bee a year ago, which drew a crowd of an estimated 500 people, it was said. Cowlitz Prairie Grange will serve a dinner from noon at the Sunday celebration, which is open to the public. Three steam engines and a threshing machine will be among the items on exhibition, Mrs. Raupp said.”
• Lewis County Extension Agent Ralph Roffler was “looking for someone who can positively identify a rattlesnake,” The Chronicle reported. “Roffler thinks he has one. It was taken to him Monday morning by Mrs. Nolen Webster, Winlock. The three-foot snake is in cold storage awaiting identification. It has no rattlers but otherwise has the color and general appearance of a rattler, Roffler said. ‘It may have come over in a hayload from eastern Washington. It definitely is foreign to the area.’”
• A three-bedroom with a two-car garage, gas furnace and fireplace in Centralia was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $17,000. A “large, attractive” apartment in Chehalis was listed for rent for $40 a month.
Saturday, July 31, 1976
• Centralia quilters, including one who had just turned 99, were debuting their special bicentennial quilt coupled with a newly published book titled “Quilting Coloring - History of Lewis County - 1976” to celebrate the nation’s 200th birthday that year, The Chronicle reported. “A book describing the 40 historical squares of the bicentennial quilt will go on sale at several locations in Centralia Aug. 1. The book, ‘Quilting Coloring - History of Lewis County - 1976,’ has been assembled and written by a subcommittee of the Centralia Chamber of Commerce Bicentennial Committee. The cover of the book shows Centralian Mary Acker, who recently celebrated her 99th birthday. Mrs. Acker sewed one of the intricately-designed scenes depicted on the quilt, created to honor the nation’s bicentennial. Mrs. Myrtle Shult, co-chairman of the quilt book committee, said the quilt will be permanently displayed at the Lewis County Historical Museum after January of 1977. The bicentennial quilt consists of 40 blocks, depicting historical events and pioneers and scenes that were common in the county during its early years. More than 150 women worked on various parts of the quilt.”
• Four Centralia Church of the Nazarene members were preparing to leave for a two-week trip to Guatemala to help rebuild a Nazarene church in the Central American country which collapsed after an earthquake earlier that year, The Chronicle reported. “The four, Ray Stiltner, Glen Wray, Bruce Henry and Jerry Eacker, are volunteers who will spend two weeks helping rebuild the Church of the Nazarene at Rabinal, Guatemala. The rebuilding project was made possible largely through the efforts of Dr. Larry Hull, Centralia, who was one of the first to visit Guatemala after the devastating earthquake Feb. 4. Hull helped raise $28,000 which will go to rebuild the Rabinal church, destroyed in the quake. An additional $2,000 has been raised as plane fare for the four volunteers but $500 more is needed. There will be a recognition service this Sunday morning for the four volunteers. Siltner is a maintenance supervisor at Quali-Cast Corp., Chehalis, while Wray is a mechanic for the Centralia School District. Henry is quality control for Quali-Cast (and a free-lance carpenter) while Eaker is principal of Centralia’s Edison School. The new church in Rabinal will be constructed of steel-reinforced concrete which will be able to withstand severe earth shocks much better than the old church building, constructed of adobe.”
• A four-bedroom “farm house with full basement,” two barns and a two-car garage with spring water and creek access on 20 acres of land “one mile to Cowlitz River and Lake Mayfield” in Silver Creek was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $65,000. A “modern” four-bedroom home in Centralia was listed for rent for $275 a month.
