Grays Harbor County WA, located in the U.S. state of Washington, was originally named Chehalis County when it was formed out of Thurston County on April 14, 1854. It was later renamed to Grays Harbor County on March 15, 1915, in honor of the large estuarine bay on its western edge, Grays Harbor, which itself was named after the American merchant sea captain Robert Gray who discovered and entered the harbor in May 1792. This coastal county is marked by its significant geographical features, including dense temperate rainforests, large expanses of coastal beaches, and the Olympic Mountains to the north. The area has a rich history of indigenous habitation by various Native American tribes, European exploration and settlement, and economic development initially centered around the fur trade, fishing, and timber industries.
“The Last Wilderness” by Murray Cromwell Morgan, published in 1955 by Viking Press in New York, is a comprehensive historical account of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Spanning 275 pages, this book delves into the rich and tumultuous history of the region, offering insights into its pioneering days, the challenges of its lumber ports, and the establishment of Olympic National Park.
SAMUEL BENN. – There is a certain keenness amounting almost to prescience which enables a man to locate a successful town. The laws of a city’s development are so peculiar that few are able to make much of the riddle. Nevertheless some seem to know where to locate a townsite, and where to invest in real estate. It is a business instinct. Mr. Benn is one of these persons. He is the founder of Aberdeen. He was born in New York City, and, as a youth, learned the carpenter’s trade. In 1856 he came to San Francisco, and mined and … Read more
GEORGE HARVEY EMERSON. – It is ever with peculiar interest that we observe the career of one who has been a soldier of the union. It was noticed that in the England of 1670, if any man was an exceptionally industrious and sober mechanic or man of business, it usually proved that he was an old soldier of Oliver Cromwell. In much the same way the severe discipline and the exercise of elf-devotion in our great war educated the soldier and prepared him for large and difficult enterprises. The subject of this sketch was born in Chester, New Hampshire, in … Read more
La Grande, Oregon Darrel Ray Billerbeck, 68, of Elma, Wash., and formerly of La Grande died June 26 at his home. A celebration of life will begin at 11 a.m. July 21 at Whiteside Family Mortuary in Elma. A potluck meal will follow at Vance Creek Park. Participants are encouraged to bring a story or favorite memory to share. Mr. Billerbeck was born June 22, 1938, to Harry and Bernice Billerbeck in La Grande. He graduated from La Grande High School and attended Oregon State University until he returned home to run the family farm. He graduated from Oregon Technical … Read more
Scientific company executive; b. Hoquiam, Wash., Feb. 15, 1919; son of Clifford Harvey and Edna Winifred (Johnson); married Anita Knapp Wegener, Sept. 6, 1941; children: Suzanne Winifred Whalen, Colleen Louise Szurszewski. BS, University Puget Sound, 1941; MS, University Washington, 1950; postgrad., MIT, 1955, 57, UCLA, 1959. Certified teacher, administer, Wash. Teacher at Lake Washington School Dist., Kirkland, Wash., 1942-48; professor of Math, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, 1948-1951, Supervisor Mathematician Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash., 1951-1955; research specialist Boeing Company, Seattle, 1955-1968; vice president R. M. Towne & Assocs., 1968-1975; founder, president Dynac Scis., Tacoma, 1975-. Cons. R .M. … Read more