From the first year of The Centralia (Weekly) Chronicle, in 1889 - SALOON POWER: With an upcoming vote for the state constitution, the Temperance Alliance of Chehalis urged voters to also vote for a separate question about prohibition. The group urged a vote against the "saloon power" and liquor trade. "Every citizen - nay, every man, woman and child of rational understanding - must admit that no benefit comes from the trade of intoxicating liquors. On the contrary, it is a curse whose baleful effects surround us."
100 years ago, in 1906 - GOLD IN PE ELL: Irvin Jones and Fred Lagreide had found samples of ore in the hills near Pe Ell which when assayed showed $12 in copper and $3 in gold to the ton, besides some other minerals. "The boys have already had some tempting offers for their find but they propose to hold on to it," the Pe Ell Enterprise reported. "The mining industry may yet become of some importance in this vicinity."
75 years ago, in 1931 - FAMOUS OMELET: The Peacock Theater in Chehalis displayed newsreels of the "World's Largest Omelet" taken by the Universal company at the recent Farmers-Merchants picnic in Chehalis at Alexander Park. Admission to the show was 10 cents and 25 cents, which also included a showing of "The Gay Diplomat" featuring Ivan Lebedeff and Betty Compson.
50 years ago, in 1956 - THIEVES ARE THIRSTY: Thieves backed a truck up to Anderson's Tavern in Tenino early this morning to steal the safe, which held $1,050 in cash. While they were there they also grabbed several cases of beer, at least six jugs of wine and as many as 75 cartons of cigarettes, owner L.B. McGill said. The safe was found empty a mile away. It had been pried open with a crowbar and battered with a sledge hammer.
25 years ago, in 1981 - YOUR NUMBER'S UP: Yard Birds held its Telephone Book Treasure Hunt Sale, sending customers searching through the store for their names. The retail store put pages from phone books up throughout the store, listing the names of every person in Lewis County at least four times on different aisles. Those whose names appeared in that section would receive 50 percent off that item. The sale included ammo, Pyrex ware, indoor/outdoor carpet, and tropical fish.
10 years ago, in 1996 - NEED A HUMAN: Auditor Gary Zandell said he had never encountered anything like it in his 20 years as Lewis County's top election official. The Port of Chehalis was asking to annex about 80 acres and a 1/2-mile strip of railway land into its port district so it could access its Curtis industrial site. All the land was owned by Weyerhaeuser Co., which as a corporation couldn't vote. Without a vote the annexation couldn't take place, so the port had asked to include 14 acres owned by the Fay family so that someone could cast a vote in favor.
Five years ago, in 2001 - STARTS CAREER WITH HIT: Lyle Overbay this week "stroked a screaming single to right field to begin his big-league career in grand fashion." In the top of the ninth inning, with his Arizona Diamondbacks trailing Colorado by an 8-2 score, Overbay was called in to pinch hit for Jay Bell to lead off the inning. Overbay, a 1995 graduate of Centralia High School, had been called up from the AA Texas League at the beginning of September, but this was his first time at the plate. He said his first major-league at bat "was worth the wait."
One year ago, in 2005 - MAYOR LOSES: Chehalis voters tossed out their incumbent mayor in the primary election. Mayor Fred Rider took 19 percent of the vote, losing out to former interim police chief Dennis Dawes (50 percent) and citizen activist Susan Gonzales of the Chehalis Tea Party (31 percent). Grocery store owner Robin Fuller was leading former Chehalis Mayor Bob Spahr, with 56 percent for Fuller to 36 percent for Spahr. (Fuller went on to defeat Spahr in the general election later that fall).
From the Files of The Chronicle is compiled by Brian Mittge, who can be reached at brianmittge@hotmail.com or by calling 266-0568.
