Here’s what was happening in the news this week:
100 years ago
Oak Harbor Mayor Ely took a trip to Washington, D.C. Along the way, he visited numerous national historical sites including Harper’s Ferry, Mount Vernon and the tomb where President George Washington and his wife had been laid to rest. Ely also took a drink from the well Washington and his family had used to draw water on their plantation, saying it was, “just as wet as any water, but for drinking purposes it was very poor.”
Voters cast their ballots in a school election to determine whether a new school house, estimated to cost about $500, should be erected. The final count was nearly a tie, with 54 voters against and 53 for the new building. The proposed building, had it been erected, would have been in the area of Sandy Flat between Dugualla Bay and John Power’s corner.
75 years ago
The Arlington Times wrote an article honoring H.L. Bowmer, the founder of the Farm Bureau News, during National Newspaper Week. Bowmer had recently retired and moved to Arlington to live with his daughter. Bowmer began his newspaper career in 1881. He founded approximately 10 different newspapers in the state and served as editor and manager of others.
Every male resident of Island County who would be age 21 by Oct. 16 and who were younger than 36 were required to register for the draft. Those too ill to appear at the nearest registration place were required to send someone to notify officers, who would then send someone to call on the person for the purpose of registering them. Those confined in hospitals or jails would be registered by county officers. Failure to register would result in a penalty of a jail sentence and a fine up to $10,000. Offenders would also lose all right of deferment and may be conscripted immediately.
50 years ago
A Canadian submarine, one of two in the Canadian Navy, stopped in Oak Harbor for two days to give the men aboard a short leave and rest from their duties. The 311-foot submarine, HMCS Grilse, carried a complement of seven officers and 72 men.
Capt. E.E. Hedblom sought to establish a “German Band” in Oak Harbor. Hedblom said he was looking for adults who were interested in “showing a little spirit.” Hedblom said he hadn’t played in 25 years, but had recently began playing his tuba once more. He said he was confident other adults could recall the skills they had learned in school just as easily, even if they hadn’t played in some time.
25 years ago
Local officials and environmentalists took an international oil prevention task force to task for appearing to endorse plans to cross Whidbey and Camano islands with an oil pipeline. The States-B.C. Oil Spill Task Force recommended in its draft report that the governments of the Northwest place a high priority on transporting more oil by pipeline and less by tanker. The report mentioned Trans Mountain by name. Trans Mountain had that summer announced plans to build a pipeline from the Olympic Peninsula, under Admiralty Inlet and across Whidbey and Camano islands.
A work party on South Whidbey spotted 47 or more bald eagles flying overhead within “a minute or so.” The spotting occurred near Greenbank and the eagles were reportedly flying south.
