60 years ago this week (1957)

The third annual Applebox Downhill Derby, sponsored by the Crown Zellerbach mill, is expected to draw 25 cars to the track on Lawrence Street.

The USS Redhead mine hunter vessel, stationed here with the Navy Harbor Defense Unit, will leave for decommissioning.

David Brown, with a 14-pound, 12-ounce salmon, and Helen Plut, with a 13-pound, 14-ounce fish, are top of the ladder for the Port Townsend Kids’ Derby. They each win a new bicycle.

A $72,600 bid is awarded to remodel Building 204 at Fort Worden as a self-contained unit providing complete sleeping, dining, recreational and laundry facilities. Steel detention sash will replace the present wooden sash on the windows, as part of the post’s change from military post to juvenile treatment and detention facility.

The state estimates a drop in Port Townsend’s population since the 1950 census. There are now 4,400 people in the city, and 8,400 in the county.

“Fish story of the week is told by Roy Bergstrom, who doesn’t bother with a boat but is one of the purists who catch their salmon by casting light lures from shore. Bergstrom was casting off Point Wilson when he hooked a good-sized salmon. As the fighting fish was causing the water to boil on the surface, a hungry seagull (apparently thinking there was feed handy) swooped down and got its feet tangled in Bergstrom’s line near the fish. Bergstrom then started to play both the salmon and the seagull. But the strain got too much for his light tackle and the line parted. The last anybody here-about saw of the seagull it was bouncing along on the surface of the water, being towed out into the Sound by the swiftly departing salmon.”

30 years ago this week (1987)

The state cuts trees in preparation for widening State Route 20 to allow turn lanes at intersections with Old Fort Townsend Road, Seton Road, Jacob Miller Road and Frederick Street.

The 11th Wooden Boat Festival is set at Point Hudson. Heading the faculty are Earle Wakefield, Sam Devlin, Carol Hasse, Richard Golden and Lee Ehrheart. Tod Wakefield, Wooden Boat Foundation director, anticipates that good word-of-mouth from last year’s festival will contribute to a good turnout.

The fifth West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium is expected to bring a flotilla to Fort Worden State Park this weekend.

Traces of bacteria have led the state to close the commercial and recreational shellfish harvest at Dosewallips State Park on Hood Canal.

These “Looking Back” news items are gathered from The Leader newspapers on file at the Jefferson County Historical Society Museum and Research Center.