1890 — Move the County Seat to Winlock?
The Centralia Weekly News published an article from the Aberdeen Bulletin on a potential move of the county seat to Winlock.
“A petition is being circulated in Lewis county for the removal of the county seat from Chehalis to Winlock,” the newspaper wrote. “About every two years a petition of this kind is run, and it is done principally at the instance of Centralia, by a few soreheads who are never satisfied with anything. Winlock is a good town, but is not the place for the county seat. In fact, there is no town in the county so well situated as Chehalis to accommodate a majority of the people. If the county seat is to be moved at all Napavine is a better location than Winlock. There is really no danger, however, of a removal being made.”
1935 — Centralia Hopes Feds Build Armory, Golf Course
A potential Works Progress Administration project was discussed at the Centralia City Commission this week.
“Possible construction of a $100,000 armory and training field, along with a municipal golf course on Seminary hill was discussed at today’s city commission meeting,” The Centralia Daily Chronicle wrote. “The armory project, which would be financed through an $80,000.000 fund the federal government has allocated for armory development was revealed when A.S. Kresky, commander of the Centralia national guard unit, inquired about the possibility of obtaining a site on the hill.
“If obtained, the Centralia armory would be erected at a cost of $100,000.
“In its application for WPA funds for recreational development, the city has included the state-owned land on Seminary hill as a site for a municipal golf course.
“Mayor D.O. Nugent explained that the city has permission to build a golf course on the state land, providing it can obtain the money, and that the city could not give title to the government inasmuch as it is necessary for the legislature to pass a bill to transfer such title. He stated that the land was donated for a specific purpose, and that it cannot be transferred without an act of the legislature.”
1956 — Cut Broccoli for a Buck an Hour
Student workers were headed back to school, but the crops were still growing in the fields of Lewis County. The employment security office in Centralia issued a call for 40 bean pickers, 50 cucumber pickers and 10 broccoli cutters. Bean pickers earned 2 1/2 cents a pound; cucumber pickers received $1 per sack, and broccoli cutters made $1 an hour.
1960 — Dam Children Flood Tiny Schoolhouse
The little Jackson Prairie school set a record high for student enrollment with 40 students, up six from 1959. The increase was due to the building of the Mayfield dam, where many construction workers were employed.
The two teachers at the elementary school were Mrs. Laura Hovies and Mrs. Hilda Morrell.
1981 — This Win Smells Fishy
A Centralia couple and their friend from Aberdeen were the apparent winners in the 44th annual Port Angeles Fishing Derby, but protests were lodged by competitors who examined the 43-, 36- and 28-pounders and said they looked old and didn't seem fresh. Officials then impounded the fish, a formal protest was lodged, and the salmon club decided to delay awarding prizes until the fish could be examined at the University of Washington to see how long they had been dead.
1985 — Packwood Runway Paved
For the first time, the runaway at the Packwood Airport was paved. The previous runway was just oil and rock, which caused airplanes to be banged up and jolted.
2000 — Tim Layser Discovers Ancient Cave
U.S. Forest Service employee Tim Layser discovered a secluded ancient cave while preparing for a timber sale near Randle. The 32-feet-deep cave was the oldest known archeological site in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
It was a mystery why the dwellers never returned in 3,500 years ago, according to Rick McClure, Gifford Pinchot archeologist. It was estimated that American Indians began using the cave 7,000 years ago.
2001 — ‘I Thank God for Her’
An elderly Cinebar woman had renewed faith in humanity after recently recovering her wallet and $6,000 cash.
Kary Fay, assistant manager at Healthy Harvest in Chehalis, had found the wallet but didn't know how to contact the owner. She tucked it away until the woman came back, looking "really stressed out."
The woman, who had withdrawn the money to pay her husband's funeral bill, said, "I thank God for her, that we have someone like her in this world."
