Thomas Carroll, a Centralia resident, was visited by “Mr. and Mrs. J. Brady” of Goldburn, New South Wales, Australia, The Chronicle reported on April 15, 1933. “Mrs. Brady” was the sister of Carroll and the visit marked the first time they had seen each other since Carroll left their home in Ireland over 50 years earlier. There were 13 children in their Irish family, with Carroll being the second youngest and “Mrs. Brady” the youngest. The Bradys had married in Ireland and had lived in Australia for the previous 20 years. 

“(The Bradys) have found the Pacific Coast a land of enchantment. ‘Everywhere we have found wonderful progress and development,’ they said yesterday. ‘We thought San Francisco (was) so beautiful and so busy. The difference between it and Los Angeles was extreme. We were in Southern California a fortnight ago and Los Angeles appeared almost deserted. The streets were unusually quiet and business appeared to be dull,’” The Chronicle reported. 

“Mrs. Brady” reportedly found Centralia to be an “agreeable little town.” 

“We like the air and the homes,” she said. “The street planning is similar to that of Canberra, the new capital of Australia. Your country is far ahead of ours in its development of roads and streets and sidewalks. We have been fortunate in having fair weather while on the Pacific Coast. Centralia pleases us very much.”

Saturday, April 15, 1933

• Work on improvements to Rainbow Falls State Park had begun earlier in the week of April 15 following a visit by Washington state Secretary of State E.N. Hutchinson to Pe Ell, The Chronicle reported. Hutchinson, who authorized the improvements to proceed, mentioned clearing underbrush, adding water pipes and the construction of ovens and tables as examples of improvements that were planned for the park. Also under consideration was the construction of a swimming pool in the river.

• The Lewis County Welfare Board was named as the official group to handle the registration and selection of men between the ages of 18 and 25 to work in the reforestation camp program, The Chronicle reported. The selected men were to come from families that were already receiving welfare relief during the ongoing Great Depression.

• William Urquhart died in his Chehalis home at the age of 77, The Chronicle reported. Urquhart was born on his family’s homestead on Cuttings Prairie in Lewis County on Dec. 22, 1855. The homestead still belonged to William Urquahart’s family as of the time of The Chronicle’s reporting. The son of James and Helen Urquhart, his father came to the Pacific Coast in 1850 from Rooshire, Scotland. Described by The Chronicle as a “native son of Lewis County,” William Urquhart “was actively identified with the growth and development of Chehalis and Southwest Washington” through his time in business. He was survived by a son, two daughters, two brothers and six grandchildren. His funeral service was held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Chehalis.

• Centralia Churches were preparing for Easter celebrations on Sunday, April 16, The Chronicle reported, with local churches expecting to include “special music and sermons appropriate to the spirit of the day.” Young Centralia residents were expected to hold a sunrise service on Seminary Hill at 5:15 a.m. A choir event at Centralia’s Methodist Church was also described, including a list of songs expected to be sung. 

• The Chronicle featured a list of plans by Chehalis churches for their upcoming Easter celebrations. The Westminster Presbyterian Church choir was expected to sing at the vesper hour service at 5:15 p.m. The choir was to be led by “Mrs. Frank Lipscomb” while Velma Steelman was to serve as the organist. At St. Joseph’s Church, a high mass was scheduled for 8 a.m. Soloists at the mass were to include Rosemary Nacht, Donald MacDonald, Agnes Harwas, and Robert and Marion Donahoe. Father Joseph Schmidt was to deliver the Easter sermon. 

•Lewis County Commissioner James Tucker was the recipient of a letter from U.S. Sen. C.C. Dill informing Tucker federal funds had been secured for flood control. The funds were apparently for work around the Cowlitz River at Toledo. “During recent years heavy damage has been done there by erosion and unless means are taken to prevent it, there is an eventual possibility that the fine Pacific Highway state bridge may be endangered,” The Chronicle reported. Dill was a Democrat who served as a U.S. Senator for two terms from 1923 to 1935.

• Chris Miller of Chehalis was arrested by Deputy Sheriff J.D. Compton on charges of third degree assault, The Chronicle reported on April 15. Miller was arraigned before Judge Nort Wynn and pleaded not guilty before being released on $25 bail. 

Thursday, April 15, 1943

• Joseph Sanderson, described by The Chronicle as a “pioneer resident” of Lewis County, died at the age of 64 in his home near Chehalis on Wednesday, April 14. Sanderson was born on June 2, 1878 in Fairfax, California and had lived in the Chehalis area for 60 years. He was survived by his wife, two sons, two step-daughters, a sister and nine grandchildren. 

• A new group of men were listed as having been drafted for military service during America’s ongoing involvement in World War II. The drafted men were Richard Nowadnick, Lawrence Wood, George Bell, Richard Scott, Raymond Hazelrigg, Willfred Brown, Glenn Dunham, Jack Morton, James Howard, Robert Buren, Robert Murray and Philip Wilson. 

• The Centralia Ministerial Association had announced plans for Holy Week noon services at the First Baptist Church from Monday through Friday the next week ahead of the upcoming Easter celebrations. Local ministers were expected to speak each day, except for Friday when Rev. J. McCullough of the First Presbyterian Church in Tacoma was expected to speak. 

• Twin City banks were reportedly investing in war bonds, according to Centralia Mayor Ray Sprague, who served as the Lewis County War Finance Chairman. “Banks of Centralia and Chehalis had put their shoulders to the wheel in the nation’s 13 billion dollar Second War Loan Drive today, subscribing $422,000 in various issues of new treasury bonds and certificates,” The Chronicle reported. According to Sprague, while he was enthused by the banks’ purchases, he “only regret” was the raised funds didn’t count towards Lewis County’s $750,000 quota for the April bond drive.

• The Chehalis April bond drive was going at an “express train speed,” The Chronicle reported. The goal of the drive was to fund the building of a “PT” boat, which the city was two-thirds of the way to achieving. The Chronicle reported Chehalis’ bond committee had announced a new goal for April, selling 5,000 individual bonds, or one for every Chehalis citizen. The “PT” boat was to cost $300,000 and Chehalis residents had already raised $219,033. The name selected for the boat was “The Battling Bearcat,” which was selected in a contest between Chehalis Senior High School students. The name beat out “The Chehalis Seacat,” which came in second, and “Chehalis Avenger,” which came in third. 

• Tin cans were expected to be collected for salvage by the local tin can salvage committee during the upcoming weekend of April 17 and 18, The Chronicle reported. “Centralia housewives who have been saving this metal are asked to take whatever quantity they have on hand to their grocers, or, if that is not possible, send it by their children to their schools Friday,” The Chronicle reported. Cans for paint, oil, varnish, floor polish, coffee and condensed milk were not wanted. Cone-shaped cans and cans with painted on labels were also not wanted.

• A full page ad was taken out in The Chronicle advocating for readers to purchase war bonds. “America ... You’ve got to get tougher!” The ad read. “THEY GIVE THEIR LIVES … YOU LEND YOUR MONEY!” 

Wednesday, April 15, 1953

• A case to prevent Chehalis from using fluorine in its water supply had reached the Washington state Supreme Court, The Chronicle reported. “Arthur Kaul, instigator of a long-fought battle against the city of Chehalis to prevent the use of fluorine in the water, announced Wednesday that his appeal case is being presented to the state supreme court,” The Chronicle reported. According to Kaul, his lawyers had filed a brief in the state supreme court on April 15. Chehalis reportedly had 60 days to file a response with the court to consider the case after the city had filed. Kaul had appealed after the Lewis County Superior Court ruled Chehalis could use fluoride in the water to prevent tooth decay.

• The Chehalis School Board had accepted a preliminary budget of $428,219 for the 1953-1954 school year. The budget was $7,216 higher than the $421,003 budget for the 1952-1953 school year. A public hearing was to be held on the proposed budget on April 27 at 12:30 p.m. in the superintendent’s office in R.E. Bennet school. The proposed budget included a pay increase of $300 a year for all “certificated” personnel and a $240 increase for full time non-certificated personnel. 

• A new oil well had been “spudded in” on Tuesday, April 14 in northwest Lewis County. The well was located on a Lincoln Creek site northwest of Centralia and was owned by the Standard Oil Company. Because the Standard Oil Company was broken up earlier in the 20th Century, it’s unclear which specific company actually owned the oil well. 

• Six Chehalis High School chemistry students were accompanied by their teacher, Lynwood Smith, to the University of Washington for a “math-science” day on Saturday, April 11. The students were Janice Hosch, Halvor Peterson, Larry Noel, Larry Annis, Charles Fay and Jarry Sparhawk. According to The Chronicle, the purpose of the event was to “interest high school students in science by showing them and letting them try out various experiments, as well as demonstrate old principles in new ways with new equipment which is available at the University.”

• Lewis County farmers were warned of junk dealers who offer to pick up their junk and pay later by the Lewis County Sheriff’s office on Tuesday, April 14. The office had received nearly 10 complaints in the past week of farmers who had not received payment for their “junk.” 

• Benth Twedt, 73, an Alpha resident for the previous 12 years, was reported to have died on Monday, April 13 in a Stanwood hospital. Twedt was born Aug. 31, 1879 in Norway. Twedt came to the U.S. 55 years earlier and was a member of the Lutheran church. Survivors included a nephew as well as a sister and another nephew in Norway. 

• A shooting on a farm near Mary’s Corner on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 14 ended with an unnamed man in the Lewis County Jail, The Chronicle reported. The shooter, who owned the farm, had been discussing selling his farm when an argument over the price resulted in the owner going inside his house, grabbing a gun and shooting at the potential buyer. Sheriff’s deputies reported no resistance from the farm owner and reported the shooter surrendered the rifle. No charges had been filed as the shooting was under investigation. 

Monday, April 15, 1963

• Population increases in the Twin Cities were expected to give them additional state tax allocation funds for the year, according to city clerks. Centralia City Clerk Lloyd Hackett reported the population of Centralia had increased by 42 residents to 9,292. Chehalis City Clerk Margaret McChord reported the population of Chehalis had increased by 16 to an estimated 5,215 residents. The Chronicle also reported Winlock’s population had risen from 808 residents in 1962 to 927 in 1963 while Morton’s remained steady at 1,187. 

• In an Associated Press story featured in The Chronicle, it was reported legislative redistricting was now before the U.S. District Court in Seattle after state legislators “struggled with the problem for 83 days and finally gave up without reaching a solution.” The issue of redistricting had been put before the Legislature after a panel of three federal judges ruled in December of 1962 the legislative district maps were “invidiously discriminatory” because of the “wide variance” in the number of persons each legislator represented. According to the AP, the judges cited districts where legislators represented three to seven times as many people as their fellow lawmakers. The judges said that if the Legislature failed to act “we … will unhesitatingly take appropriate action to correct the inequity.” A hearing on the case was scheduled for April 29. State Rep. Slade Gorton, R-Seattle, who reportedly masterminded the Republicans’ redistricting plan, claimed the Republicans had earned 53% of the votes in the 1962 elections for the state House. State Sen. Robert Greive, D-Seattle, the Democratic Majority Floor Leader in the Senate, said that number was misleading because it included uncontested races Republicans won. Gorton went on to serve as the state Attorney General and a U.S. Senator. 

• Frederick Hess, 73, died on Saturday, April 13 in a Chehalis hospital. Hess was described as a “major Chehalis business figure” who served in the state Legislature. He was born on Sept. 25, 1889 in Newark, Oregon and first came to Chehalis in 1911. He later moved to Kelso but moved back to Chehalis with his family in 1963. He was survived by his wife, a daughter and two grandchildren.

• A total of 63 drivers were arrested by state patrolmen over the weekend of April 13 and 14 in Lewis County. Of those arrests, 48 were for speeding. Arrests were also made for driving with no license, failure to stop, negligent driving and for having an invalid scooter license.

• Gordon Sparks, a 68-year-old Chehalis resident, reportedly died on Friday, April 12 in a Tacoma hospital. Sparks was born on Feb. 16, 1895 in Wenatchee and had lived in Lewis County for three years. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, two sisters, two half-sisters and five grandchildren. 

• A “little blonde girl” named Wendy Wagner was to carry the banner the “National Association for Retarded Children (NARC),” according to Tremayne Flagg, the president of the group’s Lewis County chapter. “It is the hope of NARC that, as a symbol, Wendy will build more public understanding and therefore more help for all retarded children,” Flagg said, using the conventional terminology for the time. The next meeting of the Lewis County chapter of NARC was expected to meet on April 18 at the Cascade school. 

• A picture showed all the third graders at Mossyrock’s elementary school getting on a train at the Chehalis train depot. The students were to ride the train from Chehalis to Kelso as part of their transportation study. According to The Chronicle, it was the first time riding the train for most of the students. “Mrs. Mildred Duncan and Mrs. Lois Smith, third grade teachers, were in charge of the 46 youngsters,” the caption stated.