110 years ago (1907)

“Steamship Dolphin, sailing for the north early yesterday, called in here to clear and while doing so disembarked two stowaways, whose ages totaled 27 years. The boys declared they desired only to make their way north to pick up a few handfuls of the gold nuggets they had read so much about in the Seattle papers.”

“At Chimacum last Saturday, Percy Wright’s team became frightened of an automobile at the corners and ran a short distance, but no damage was done.”

100 years ago (1917)

A construction engineer from the Pacific Coast Steel company is in Irondale “preparing plans for necessary repair and construction work in the reopening of the blast furnace.”

60 years ago (1957)

Complete remodeling of the second floor of St. John’s Hospital has been finished in time for public inspection during National Hospital Week. “Every room on the floor has been attractively painted in eye-pleasing modern colors” such as Bermuda white with orchid gray, Franciscan brown with citrus yellow, cocoa with camellia pink, and coral with turquoise. The maternity ward rooms have been painted pink and blue.

35 years ago (1982)

The state may aerate Anderson Lake in the fall and winter to improve fishing prospects, a battle that wildlife officials have fought since 1971. Algae in the lake tends to kill planted fish because of the lack of oxygen. The lake is so rich with food that other fish tend not to bite for fishermen.

The Coast Oyster Co. in Quilcene, opened in 1972 by a Canadian firm and with the hatchery building erected in 1978, has been sold to Hilton Seafoods of Seattle, the maker of clam chowder and oyster stew. The Quilcene hatchery produces the largest number of oysters of any hatchery in the world.

20 years ago (1997)

“Reed’s Supermarkets, a Port Hadlock business and community institution for almost 40 years, has been purchased by Quality Food Center (QFC), based in Bellevue.”

“With space crowding reaching an unbearable level at City Hall, the Port Townsend City Council has informally voted to vacate its chambers to make room for office space.” The city plans to negotiate with a Canadian company that has purchased an option on the Waterman-Katz Building (1885), a block from City Hall. The three-story building has been empty since 1971.

“The Jefferson County Alliance for the Mentally Ill is a newly chartered organization of people who have personal experience with mental illness.”

The Port Townsend Salmon Club plans a junior salmon derby this summer, but won’t stage the regular adult derby. The main summer derby was cancelled in 1995 and in 1996 due to state limits on recreational salmon fishing. Although salmon fishing is allowed in 1997, the club does not have enough members volunteering to stage a derby.

(Compiled by Patrick J. Sullivan. Sources: Leader Collection; Jefferson County Historical Society Museum and Research Center, 13692 Airport Cutoff Road, Port Townsend; Jefferson County Historical Society, 379-6673, jchsmuseum.org; jchswa.org, the online search site)