Here’s what was happening in the news this week:
100 years ago
Farmers were irritated by the large number of hunters on the island. Although several farmers had posted “no hunting” signs on their fences, they claimed some marksmen took pot-shots at the signs when there was nothing else to shoot at. An abundance of birds, especially quail, and a “liberal” bag limit was thought to be attracting the hunters. Duck season was set to open the first day of October.
Mrs. Sophy Murphy, who was well-known in Oak Harbor, passed away. She had crossed the Isthmus of Panama in 1862 on a mule’s back, and had come to settle in Seattle in the early 1880s, having been born in Pennsylvania.
An automobile thief was still at large after carrying off “everything that could be unfastened” from Antone Munroe’s automobile. There had also been several launch robberies prior to this.
A child, Annette Erickson, received a “difficult operation” at Fort Casey that involved removing a portion of the bone in one of her legs, in which an abscess had formed. Although she was only seven years old, it was said she withstood the operation “bravely.”
75 years ago
Whidbey Island and the greater Puget Sound area experienced “its most unusual and undoubtedly most intense electric storm.” Even “old-timers” had never witnessed such a display. Though lightning struck in several places, no fires were started. Five transformers on the north end of the island were burned out completely, and three more were badly damaged. A mainline insulator was shattered, and several poles were struck. Sixty-five transformer fuses were blown.
Applications for the Civilian Conservation Corps were being accepted at the county welfare office. In order to qualify for the corps, applicants needed to be between 17 and 23 and-a-half years old and be unemployed. The enrollees were paid $30 a month.
A new 1941 Chevrolet was to be introduced locally and nationally Sept. 21. It was rumored that the new model would be much larger inside and out compared to the previous model.
50 years ago
Fleet Air Whidbey units earned the U.S. Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet’s most prestigious and coveted award, the famous Battle Efficiency White “E”. The “E”s were awarded to the most outstanding squadrons in the Fleet according to the type of aircraft flown. The awards for each of the three types of planes flown at NAS Whidbey Island were given to squadrons based on the island.
Unofficial returns indicated that nearly 80 percent of citizens voted in favor of Coupeville’s special levy to provide funds for the schools. The $8 million levy would provide funding needed for school operations in the coming school year.
A Seattle electronics industry firm had expressed interest in exploring the possibility of letting sub-contracts to such an industry in Oak Harbor if skilled labor was available. The Jaycees had conducted a survey earlier in the year that indicated several residents would be willing to lend their skills in the establishment of an electronics plant.
25 years ago
An Island County Superior Court judge heard a case regarding the distribution of water connections in a private Central Whidbey community. The crucial ruling in the case was not made after two hours of testimony that convinced Judge Alan Hancock that board members of the Sierra Country Club did meet illegally in April when choosing a lottery method for distributing water shares. Hancock did not have time to rule whether the lottery was the most fair method of distribution. The hearing was to be continued at a date to be determined.
The John Vanderzicht Memorial Swimming Pool in Oak Harbor was set to open its doors to the public after undergoing a number of taxpayer-funded improvements.
A motorcyclist was killed on State Highway 20 after colliding with a car driven by an Oak Harbor resident. Both vehicles were traveling northbound and collided while the motorcyclist was making a U-turn.
