A Look Back in Time: Centralia's first fire chief dies; East County residents petition Tacoma to relocate transmission line; locals split on salary increase for Lewis County commissioners

In this installment of A Look Back in Time, the Saturday, June 19, 1926, edition of The Chronicle featured a story about Frank C. Miller's death after undergoing surgery.

Miller was the first paid chief of the Centralia Fire Department, which is now the Riverside Fire Authority.

Lewis County Planning Commission members requested a meeting with City of Tacoma officials to discuss finding an alternate route for a proposed transmission line from Tacoma City Light's new dams in East Lewis County. The request came after area residents submitted a petition asking for the line to be routed elsewhere, according to the Monday, June 20, 1966, edition of The Chronicle.

And in the Monday, June 21, 1976, edition of The Chronicle, it was reported that local taxpayers at a public hearing were split on whether to support a proposed salary increase over the next four years for Lewis County commissioners.

The Sunday, June 20, 1926, and the Sunday, June 20, 1976, editions of The Chronicle were not in the archives, so stories from the Saturday, June 19, 1926, and the Monday, June 21, 1976, editions have been featured instead. When The Chronicle was still a daily newspaper, Sunday editions were often reprints of Saturday editions.

A Look Back in Time is compiled using The Chronicle's microfilm archives along with digital archives on newspapers.com.

Saturday, June 19, 1926

-Having served as the first paid Centralia Fire Department chief, Frank C. Miller died after undergoing an operation at a local hospital the previous day, The Chronicle reported. "Mr. Miller located in Centralia in 1891 and served as the first chief of the city's paid fire department when it was organized in 1908. He held the post about eight years. Prior to 1908 he was a member of the volunteer department nearly 20 years. Mr. Miller was was 65 years of age. His wife (Orilla Miller) died several years ago. The only surviving relative is a sister, Mrs. E.C. (Lillian) Foster, residing at Birmingham, Michigan." No information on why he underwent surgery or what complications he suffered could be located.

-Olympia resident Walde Forsman was charged with manslaughter in Thurston County Superior Court after driving into and killing Centralia resident John Nixon on the Pacific Highway near Tenino on May 16, 1926, The Chronicle reported. "Forsman will face trial before a jury next month. A coroner's jury found that he had driven at reckless speed through a stretch of highway virtually blockaded by a previous wreck, when Nixon was struck."

-A "new log house, the beginning of a nice little home" on one acre of land in Fords Prairie was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for "a real bargain at only $500." A partially furnished, four-room home was listed for rent for $25 a month.

Saturday, June 20, 1936

-Centralia Chamber of Commerce members attended the Rochester Grange's strawberry festival the previous day, The Chronicle reported. "The attendance from here was not as large as had been expected, but those who made the trip report an enjoyable time. The grangers again proved themselves to be excellent hosts. Residents of Olympia, Tenino and other nearby communities also attended the event, the Tenino group being accompanied by the Tenino Eagles' band. In addition to strawberry shortcake in abundance, music for dancing was furnished by an old-time orchestra. Ed Mayes had charge of the Centralia group. Another caravan, organized by A(gustus) D. Boone, left this morning for Randle to attend the annual meeting of the Citizens' League of Eastern Lewis County. A chicken dinner at noon, served by Randle women, was to be followed by a program of speaking and entertainment."

-A "house and property" at 1409 Windsor Ave. in Centralia was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for "mortgage balance full price, $198.76 as is. Cash discount 10%." A total of 80 acres of "level" land near Olympia was listed for sale for $1,500, or $500 cash.

Thursday, June 20, 1946

-Saturnia roses were the most popular displayed during the Lewis County Rose Show in Centralia the previous weekend, The Chronicle reported. "The Saturnia was considered the loveliest at the Lewis County Rose Show in Centralia Saturday and Sunday, with 149 votes being cast in favor of the blooms by visitors. The contest was held in order to determine what was considered the loveliest flowers by persons possessed with only a limited knowledge of roses. Besides the Saturnia, 107 votes were cast for the Mme (madame) Henri Guillot, 102 for the McGredy's yellow and 73 for the peace, a new rose only recently developed. Armilda Boone of Chehalis was the winner of the door prize. A guestbook revealed 400 Centralians registered at the rose show, and 205 from Chehalis. Others from almost every state in the union were listed in the guest book, indicating many service men visited the event."

-A "modern house" and other outbuildings on 90 acres of land with 40 in cultivation, a large orchard and creek access adjoining the Chehalis River was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for $9,000. A five-room home on a "nice lot" in Chehalis was listed for sale for $6,000.

Wednesday, June 20, 1956

-With Mossyrock's Pioneer Days celebration set to start the next day, a husband-wife wheelbarrow race and and a steam-powered calliope were announced as new attractions added to the upcoming three-day festival, The Chronicle reported. The calliope is a musical organ which worked by forcing high-pressured steam through a series of tuned whistles first patented in 1855, and was commonly used on riverboats to announce arrival or by circuses to advertise due to their excessive volume - which is not controllable. "Mrs. Cleo Bryant, chairman of the festival said the calliope is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Webber of Yakima. They will operate it and guarantee it can be heard for three miles. The wheelbarrow race, a novelty in this year's celebration, is being sponsored by Rankin Electric. It will be run from the company's building to the Mossyrock grade school and will start at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Married couples are eligible to enter the race. The husband is to push the wheelbarrow with his wife riding as a passenger. Three prizes will be awarded (to) the first three winners."

-A "new ranch-type home with attached garage" and a creek running through it on 40 acres of land "three mi. from Centralia" was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for $7,500. A furnished two-room apartment with utilities included was listed for rent for $30 a month.

Monday, June 20, 1966

-Lewis County Planning Commission members were asking to meet with City of Tacoma officials to discuss re-routing a Tacoma City Light power transmission line coming from the Mayfield and Mossyrock dams after area residents submitted a petition to find a better path for the line, The Chronicle reported. "Planners at their last meeting received a petition from 27 residents of that area who felt the transmission line could be routed through another area. Planning Director Vern Cain said Monday morning, 'I wrote the City of Tacoma, asking that discussion be held on the possibility of locating the line where it would be least damaging to the community. We expect an answer soon.' Tacoma had earlier petitioned the superior court of Lewis County for a right to acquire easements for the line." It appeared the petition fell on deaf ears in Tacoma, as the Wednesday, July 13, 1966, edition of The Chronicle reported the City of Tacoma was obtaining the right-of-way for the transmission line from Lewis County for $4.5 million. While Tacoma officials were willing to take easements from property owners for the land needed for the line, no mention of the area residents' June petition was made.

-A three-bedroom home with a "handy kitchen" and barns on five acres of land "only four miles from Chehalis" was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for $14,950. An unfurnished two-bedroom home in Centralia was listed for rent for $50 a month.

Monday, June 21, 1976

-Local taxpayers who spoke during a public hearing earlier that morning were split on supporting a proposed pay increase for the Lewis County commissioners, The Chronicle reported. "Four persons testified, two of them opposing and two supporting the proposed increase, which would set the commissioners' salaries at $16,000 for 1976, $17,500 for 1977, and $19,000 for the years 1978, 1979 and 1980. Britten Hasken, Chehalis, was the most vociferous of the group, quoting figures of other county employee salaries which he said showed the commissioners' pay scale to be 'exorbitant.' Joyce Barnes, of Centralia, sided with Hasken, stating, 'I am opposed to the raise.' County Commissioners Hamlet Hilpert, Harold Cooper and Bob Jacobsen defended the raise as necessary because the state legislature has required them to set their own salaries four years in advance. Inflation was one of the reasons cited by them for the increase. The commissioners present salary is $13,800. Delbert Miller, Pe Ell, and Merrily Knutsen, Onalaska, said they believe the increase is warranted. 'I believe they're entitled to a raise,' said Miller. 'They have to live, too. They do a good job.' Mrs. Knutsen agreed, saying, 'I want above average people for commissioners, and they should get above average salaries.' The commissioners are expected to take action on the proposed salary increase later Monday."

-A three-bedroom home with an attached two-car garage on 27 acres of land near Winlock was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for $65,000. A one-bedroom home in Centralia was listed for rent for $135 a month.

Thursday, June 20, 1986

-Theodore J. Fagerness, a well-known local accordion player, was named the Hub City's Pioneer of the Year, The Chronicle reported. "A Centralian of Swedish-Finnish background who learned English in a one-room school house in Independence Valley has been named 1986 Centralia Pioneer of the year. He is 77-year-old Theodore J. Fagerness. But everybody calls him Tom. That was the name he got stuck with when he started the third grade in the Galvin School. A classmate named Lloyd Anderson called him Tom Sawyer. And Arne, his younger brother, was given the name of Huck Finn, which wasn't too far off because the parents of the Fagerness boys were born in the Swedish speaking section of Finland. Fagerness is a retired logger and farmer. He built a log cabin on a 60-acre farm on Cooks Hill where he operated a sawmill for 26 years after he quit logging for big timber companies in 1945. He learned to play the accordion in logging camps. Fagerness continues to play his accordion at grange programs, in nursing homes and at wedding receptions. He is a member of the Oakville Grange on Waunch Prairie, where he has lived for the past 12 years in retirement. Fagerness played his accordion in a small band during the first Pioneer Days celebration in Centralia in 1931. He will be playing at the Pioneer of the Year luncheon at the Lewis and Clark Restaurant next Friday. He will also be playing at the Washington State Grange Convention in Chehalis next week with Ralph Case, a longtime friend. Agnes, his wife, plays the piano. They often play together but sometimes run into problems because Tom plays by 'ear,' while Agnes must have notes in front of her."

-Building repairs had resumed at Al's Laundromat, formerly located in downtown Centralia, after a driver crashed into the business the previous year while renovations were already ongoing, The Chronicle reported. "A major remodeling project is going on at Al's Laundromat, 403 N. Tower Ave. The work was hastened when a Mossyrock motorist crashed through the front window last March, causing thousands of dollars in damage. The vehicle traveled more than halfway through the laundromat before it was stopped. Bert Price, building owner for the past seven years, is now rebuilding the front. He has cleaned the Tenino sandstone exterior and repainted the mortar. He also plans extensive interior remodeling work."

-Winlock residents were preparing to host up to 10,000 attendees for the "EGGS-PO 86" Winlock Egg Day festival that upcoming Saturday, The Chronicle reported. "Gather 30 former community festival queens, paint the town's best known landmark gold, invite performers from Seattle, Portland, Olympia and other regional stages, invite a skywriter, get the local meteorologist to cooperate with sunny skies, whip up 4,000 egg salad sandwiches and you've got the necessary ingredients for EGGS-PO 86. That's right, Egg Day 1986 is almost here. Beginning with the egg-travagant coronation ceremony tonight at eight for this year's Egg Day queen, this eggs-iting event is eggs-pected to draw up 10,000 eggs-uberant revelers. It's the 50th renewal of Lewis County's oldest continuous community celebration. So if you and your family or friends have nothing planned Saturday, take an eggs-pedition down to Winlock. You'll eggs-perience live entertainment, watch a skywriter eggs-pound on the virtues of Egg Day and be able to eggs-tend your hand to grab as many free egg salad sandwiches as you can eat."

-A three-bedroom home with out-buildings on four acres of land in the "Centralia area" was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for $65,000. A two-bedroom home with a garage described as "country living in Adna" was listed for rent for $300 a month.

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