In this installment of A Look Back in Time, the Friday, Oct. 1, 1926, edition of The Chronicle featured an update in the ongoing allegations against Lewis County Sheriff Frank Roberts and several other local law enforcement officials, who were challenging the accusation they operated an illegal liquor ring during Prohibition.
A bull got loose and charged at a car driven by a Galvin resident just east of Centralia, according to the Saturday, Oct. 3, 1936, edition of The Chronicle.
And in the Thursday, Oct. 3, 1996, edition of The Chronicle, it was reported that McMenamins Breweries purchased the historic Olympic Club in downtown Centralia, along with the adjacent Oxford Hotel.
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, Oct. 2, 1926
• Chehalis and Centralia ranchers tallied there were over 75,000 egg-laying hens in the Twin Cities area, and were asking for a candling station to inspect eggs at the local Washington Egg and Poultry Association plant, The Chronicle reported. “Centralia and Chehalis members of the Washington Egg and Poultry Association, holding their monthly meeting here last night, decided to petition the directors of the association to establish a candling station at the organization’s Centralia plant. A recently appointed committee, of which T.E. Junkin is chairman, reported that there are 41,508 hens in the Centralia district, and 34,960 is the territory just south of Chehalis.”
• While it wasn’t in Saturday’s edition, the Friday, Oct. 1, 1926 edition of The Chronicle provided an update to the ongoing allegations against Lewis County Sheriff Frank Roberts and other local law enforcement officers, who were accused of running an illegal liquor ring during Prohibition, and were now entering demurrers to their indictment in federal court. “Sheriff Frank Roberts of Lewis County and six others who were indicted secretly by the federal grand jury two weeks ago on a liquor conspiracy charge, entered demurrers to the indictment late yesterday in federal court … The defendants contend that indictment fails to state facts sufficient to constitute an offense and that it is so vague that it does not sufficiently inform the defendants of the charge they are expected to meet … Following the filing of the demurrers, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertil Johnson made public 10 overt acts alleged in the indictment. The first seven involve (John Harry) Renaud and (Frank) Cook. They are charged with setting up a still near Forest, Washington, on June 1, 1925, and with possessing (and) transporting 285 gallons of liquor. They are also accused of possessing and transporting 52 gallons of liquor near Riffe, Washington, on Oct. 1, 1925, and possessing and transporting 60 gallons at the same place on Oct. 20. The eighth overt act charges (Sheriff’s Deputy Robert) Fallon with soliciting and accepting $25 from Melvin Steele of Chehalis on Oct. 25 for protection in transportation of liquor. Deputy (Lou) Hawkins is charged with selling Steele a copper coil for a still for $4.50, intended for use in manufacturing liquor in Chehalis on Nov. 15. The tenth charge accuses Fenton of receiving and accepting $50 from Helen Moore for protection of the illicit sale of liquor at Centralia on Feb. 1, 1926. All defendants were arrested last week and were released on bond.” The initial story breaking Roberts’ arrest can be found in the Look Back in Time from two weeks ago online at https://tinyurl.com/tub8s6tc, and other details on the alleged co-conspirators were in last week’s Look Back at https://tinyurl.com/3eetwb4w.
• “My equity in a beautiful modern 11 acre home, 10 minutes ride from Centralia on the highway; cows and chickens included,” was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for “$400 will handle if taken at once.” A five-room bungalow with a garage “near Edison School” in Centralia was listed for rent for $30 a month.
Saturday, Oct. 3, 1936
• A local bull got loose and charged a car being driven by W.E. Smith, The Chronicle reported. “It was a nice shiny truck, but the bull didn’t like it, so W.E. Smith of Galvin, forced to it, became as artful a matador as Spain ever saw. Yesterday, while driving on the Halliday Road between the Little and Big Hannaford valleys, Mr. Smith was astounded to behold somewhat ahead of him an infuriated boss of the herd, who put his head down and charged the car at a rapid gait. It’s one thing to flip a velvet cape at a bull and another matter to toss a truck as lightly, but the harried driver managed to twist the steering wheel in unison with the wild lunges of the animal, which attacked from both sides. And eventually off he rode, exhilarated over the victory, but still a wed at the display of ferocity. Incidentally, Mr. Smith later learned the bull dislikes people as well as cars, and has a reputation for running persons up fences and to other shelter.”
• A one-room home with a woodshed on five acres of land “one mile from town,” was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $300. A five-room home in a “good location” at 217 N. King St. in Centralia was listed for rent for $25 a month.
Thursday, Oct. 3, 1946
• The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company had received the largest building permit issued by the City of Centralia in “many moons,” The Chronicle reported. “The largest building permit issued at the city hall in Centralia in many moons had been obtained Wednesday for the new plant being erected by the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company at 117 W. Pine St. Its value was $190,000, and a fee of $83 was paid by the constructors, the Sound Construction and Engineering Company.” The 18,660-square-foot building still stands in downtown Centralia today, owned by the Quest Communication Corp, according to the Lewis County Parcels website.
• A four-room home with a “good barn, garage, chicken house,” on 13 acres of land “seven miles west of Chehalis on Ocean Beach Highway” was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $5,500. While the full sale price was not listed, one acre of land with a six-room home “on lower floor” was listed for sale, along with “two three-room apartments on second floor rented for $45 per month each.”
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 1956
• Centralia mail carrier Donald Ticknor refused to miss a minute of the ongoing World Series between the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers, even while working, The Chronicle reported. “World Series action will always be within hearing range for Centralia mail carrier Donald Ticknor, above, even while he’s on his route. Ticknor, an avid baseball fan, has attached a small transistor radio to his mail pouch, so he can hear all the games. Neither storm, nor hail, nor World Series play will keep this carrier from his appointed rounds.”
• A basic outline sketch of the proposed Fort Borst Park “Athletic Plant” was featured in The Chronicle. “Fort Borst recreational facilities will be given a tremendous boost next year with the construction of baseball, football and softball fields as planned by the Centralia Park Board in a $120,000 development. Proposed plans for the park, now generally accepted, have been compiled in the sketch above.” Along with the sports fields, a pair of horse barns, a park area, community buildings, a rifle range and indoor archery range were also proposed.
• A “modernistic” two-bedroom home with hardwood floors, a fireplace, sliding glass patio doors and mahogany paneling on a “landscaped and partially fenced” lot in Centralia’s “Mountain View addition” was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $10,500. An unfurnished four-bedroom home with a fenced yard at 1213 Old Chehalis Road was listed for rent for $55 a month.
Monday, Oct. 3, 1966
• Members of Lewis County granges gathered for a meeting over the weekend and stated farmers were not to blame for ongoing inflationary woes, The Chronicle reported. “More than 300 Lewis County grangers heard the state grange master declare here Saturday that agriculture is not responsible for the inflation today. The event was the annual Silver Star Pomona meeting at St. Urban Grange. A. Lars Nelson, state grange boss, decried the high interest rate and credit costs but emphasized the need of farmers to be adequately financed if they are to meet the goals and objectives of agricultural production. ‘Some 25 to 30 million acres of new land must be put back into production across the country soon. We need more feed grains to meet domestic commitments, livestock demands, climatic reversals and for export abroad,’ Nelson revealed.”
• A two-bedroom home with a drilled well on one acre of land “five miles south” of Chehalis was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for “$4,000, $500 down.” A furnished one-room apartment with utilities included at 124 N. Diamond St. in Centralia was listed for rent for $40 a month.
Saturday, Oct. 2, 1976
• Local youths Brenda Branch and Stephanie Raye Wilde were featured on The Chronicle’s front page in a photo feeding cheese puffs to ducks at Fort Borst Park. “Two young girls had fun in the Indian summer weather at Borst Park this week, feeding cheese puffs to the numerous ducks near Borst Lake. The ducks (not all of which are pictured) flock to anyone with a handout for them. Brenda Branch, left, 4, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Branch, Bellevue, and Stephanie Raye Wilde, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Wilde, Centralia, were walking with their grandmothers, Mrs. John (Thelma) Svinth and Mrs. Keil Alderson, respectively, both Centralia, when another park visitor offered them some cheese puffs to feed the waterfowl.”
• A “one-year-old home” with stream access and a pond on six acres of land in Onalaska was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $49,500. A three-bedroom home within “walking distance to grade school and high school” in Rochester was listed for rent for $250 a month with a $50 deposit.
Friday, Oct. 3, 1986
• The Heritage Days festival in Chehalis and Centralia was ending, marked by both steam train rides between the Twin Cities, and the unveiling of a new mural of Centralia’s founder, George Washington, The Chronicle reported. “Heritage Days in the Twin Cities ends Sunday, with the Mount Rainier Heritage Express making its return trip to Tacoma and the last chance for now to ride on the steam train. Thursday, about 600 elementary youngsters rode the steam train between Chehalis and Centralia, including Centralia first graders and Napavine second graders. Today hundreds more grade school children will ride the train, including the entire student body of the Vader Elementary School. Because of time constraints, not all grade schoolers in the region will be able to ride the train. Saturday and Sunday, the public will get its chance. Four roundtrip runs from Chehalis to Centralia will be given and a special run made to Curtis and back.” As for the mural, “unveiling ceremonies were held today outside Rainier National Bank on Pearl Street for a 20-foot tall mural depicting George Washington, Centralia’s founder. Puyallup artist Darrell Harlow holds a smaller water color version of the painting. Harlow took about 400 hours to complete the painting. Centralia City Light employees volunteered their time to install the art piece, sponsored by Rainier Bank and the law firm of Olson, Althauser and Dettmer. It is the fifth of six downtown murals to be completed this centennial year under the direction of the Main Street Association mural committee.”
• A “log house” with oak floors and cabinets, a hot tub and skylights which was “secluded” on 3.3 acres of land near Tenino was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $67,500. A two-bedroom home with Newaukum River access near Onalaska was listed for rent for $350 a month with a $150 deposit.
Thursday, Oct. 3, 1996
• McMenamins Breweries purchased Centralia’s Olympic Club, The Chronicle reported. “Want to taste the fruity sweetness of a McMenamins’ Ruby beer, or swill the bitter paleness of the brewery’s Hammerhead ale? In less than two months you can stroll to the Olympic Club in downtown Centralia, go down at the bar and order a beer brewed by the Portland-based and regionally renowned McMenamins brewing company. McMenamins purchased the 105-year-old Olympic Club, a nationally registered historical site, plus the adjacent Oxford Hotel, this week. The company will reopen the Olympic Club as a microbrewery in about 60 days, and then pump up to $2 million into renovating the two fading and out of use locations known and endeared to locals. The Olympic Club was built in 1891 and then rebuilt following a fire in either 1908 or 1912, according to different sources; the Oxford Hotel was built about the same time the Olympic Club was rebuilt. The sites’ leaded glass, ceramic tile floors, woodwork and cigar counter all piqued the company’s interest, said Mike McMenamin, owner, He said the family stumbled across the Centralia site a couple months ago on a fluke. He was entranced. ‘Out of the corner of my eye I saw the entry for the club and it was one of those spectacular entries,’ he said. ‘The lady behind the bar said it's really nice and gave the history and said, “You know it’s for sale,” and we went, “Wow, it can’t be!”’ McMenamins will add a brewery to the Olympic Club and reopen the lodging for the Oxford Hotel during the ensuing year-and-a-half blowout remodeling. The launch adds Centralia to the 35 other McMenamins pubs in the Northwest.” McMenamins Olympic Club and Hotel is still open to this day, located at 112 N. Tower Ave. in downtown Centralia.
• A three-bedroom home on an “11-acre mini farm” located “one mile to town, min. to I-5” was listed for sale in The Chronicle’s classifieds for $179,500. A two-bedroom home at 368 NE Washington Ave. in Chehalis was listed for rent for $450 a month with a $200 deposit.
