A Look Back in Time: Gas tank explodes and kills man; Mary Jane Washington's headstone vandalized; Chehalis firefighters hope to save 1937 LaFrance truck

May 22-In this installment of A Look Back in Time, the Tuesday, May 21, 1946, edition of The Chronicle featured a story about Gate resident Fred Arthur Johnson being killed when a gas storage tank on his farm he was attempting to weld exploded (Gate was located near the modern town of Rochester).

City of Centralia staff suspected youngsters playing in the cemetery to have been the ones who broke the headstone of Mary Jane Washington, wife of Centralia's founder George Washington, among others, according to the Monday, May 21, 1956, edition of The Chronicle.

And in the Friday, May 21, 1976, edition of The Chronicle, it was reported that Chehalis firefighters were attempting to secure a spot at the Lewis County Historical Society's new museum building at the old train depot for the Chehalis Fire Department's 1937 American LaFrance fire truck, which was being retired from service by department staff after nearly four decades of service in the Mint City.

A Look Back in Time is compiled using Chronicle archives stored at the Lewis County Historical Museum - located at 599 NW Front St. in Chehalis - along with digital archives on newspapers.com.

Thursday, May 21, 1936

-Francis Barton, a member of the Centralia Future Farmers of America chapter, won a public speaking contest held for freshman members at Centralia High School that morning, The Chronicle reported. "His subject was 'Co-operation and the American Farmer.' Charles Webster, speaking on 'The Effect of Mechanization of Agriculture,' was second, and LaRue Breckenridge, whose subject was 'The Farm Credit Situation,' was third. Cash prizes were awarded to the winners. Judges of the contest were 12 members of the public speaking class of the Centralia Junior College."

-Workers were preparing to start construction of three new tennis courts on the Washington Elementary School grounds in Centralia on Monday according to federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) resident engineer N.W. Avery, The Chronicle reported. The WPA was created as a part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal to provide jobs during the Great Depression by funding public works, parks and art projects in communities throughout the nation. "Ten men will go to work Monday and it is expected to later get the crew up to the authorized 22 men. It was originally estimated that it would take three months to complete the job, but Avery said he believed it could be completed in less time. Total cost of construction will be $5,115.50. The bulk of the expenditure is being furnished with WPA funds. The school district will furnish $857."

-A seven-room home with a garage, woodshed, roothouse, barn and "hen house for 600 hens" on two-and-a-half acres of land in Waunch Prairie was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for $900.

Tuesday, May 21, 1946

-Gate resident Fred Arthur Johnson died on Saturday at his farm when a gasoline storage tank Johnson was about to do welding repairs on exploded and killed him, The Chronicle reported. "One end of the tank blew out when Johnson struck a match, knocking down eight other people who were in Johnson's shed to watch the welding operation. They all escaped injury, however, except that a young girl was reported to have had her hair singed. The blast set fire to the building, but neighbors extinguished the blaze. The accident victim was born at Gate on May 27, 1908. Surviving are his mother, Mrs. Johanna Johnson, Gate; sister, Mrs. Alfred Johnson, all of Port Angeles, and Walter O., Gate."

-Onalaska resident Morgan L. Downs luckily came out unscathed when he crashed on a road just south of Onalaska the previous day according to the Washington State Patrol, The Chronicle reported. "Morgan L. Downs, of Onalaska, driving on the Burchett Road Monday morning, lost control of his car and landed in the ditch. The State Patrol reported one mailbox had been taken down and considerable damage was caused to Downs' car. He escaped injury, however."

-A three-bedroom home with a "deep well" and electricity on eight acres of land northeast of the intersection of "Prairie and Bennett roads" in Centralia was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for $7,000. A pool hall and barbershop with "equipment and all" was listed for sale for $1,800.

Monday, May 21, 1956

-City of Centralia staff suspected "youngsters" were to blame after the headstone for Mary Jane Washington, among others, was found vandalized that morning at the cemetery where Mary Jane is buried with her husband George Washington, Centralia's founder, The Chronicle reported. "Arthur Kirkpatrick, above, holds the top half of a white sandstone headstone that marks the grave of Mary Jane Washington, wife of George Washington, the founder of Centralia. This tombstone was found broken Monday morning by park employees, and several other stones (were) tipped over in Centralia's Washington Lawn Cemetery ... City officials believe the damage is the work of youngsters who play in the cemetery. The tombstone will be repaired."

-Chehalis resident David Verplank was preparing to graduate from New York's Columbia College and not only start his own professional life, but write another chapter for his family in the college's long history, The Chronicle reported. "He will be following a family tradition 200 years old going back to his collateral ancestor Samuel Verplank - the very first person to enter and graduate from King's College, as Columbia was known in the 1750s, and he was also the first recipient of a college degree in what was then the Province of New York. David, 22, is the son of Mr. (Helmer) and Mrs. (Freda) Verplank of Chehalis. He is a pre-law student. Between Samuel in 1758 to David in 1956 stretch a succession of Ver Plancks, Verplanks, Ver Planks and Verplanks, all of the same family tree, who have taken degrees from Columbia - no fewer than 18. And they were honored with 23 degrees. All that is in a genealogical table drawn up by David's great-great-grandfather and it shows Verplancks out of Columbia were not only eminent in New York business and political life but in the young United States as well. David, after graduation, according to a university news release, is to marry Miss Frances McHugh, a student of Queen's College of School of Nursing, and then he will seek admission to Columbia's Law School. The Verplank tradition is continuing too. Younger brother William, valedictorian of the Chehalis High School this year, won the highly prized Columbia College national scholarship. William, 17, now has set his sights on a career in psychiatry. When William graduates in 1960, he will be the 21st Verplan(c)k to attend Columbia since classes started there 22 years before America declared her independence as a nation."

-Chehalis High School student Ron Pier took first place at the fourth annual Lewis County Junior Chambers of Commerce Teen-Age Road-e-o on Sunday after he scored 465 points out of a possible 500 in the driving competition, The Chronicle reported. "Second was Chehalin Ross Kennedy, with 441, and Jon Roos, Chehalis, was third with 424. Sherm Porter, Winlock was fourth, and Leonard Stark, Mossyrock, was fifth. Pier, as Sunday's winner, and Kennedy and Roos will be sent to Mount Vernon June 9 to compete in the state JC driving contest. Tests consisted of a written examination and actual driving tests including driving in a straight line, in a serpentine and parking. Drivers Sunday were checked and graded by State Patrolman Gordon Shea and Winlock Police Chief Dick Suter, assisted by JC Road-e-o assistants. Thirty-five drivers competed in the Sunday tests. Road-e-o chairmen were Frank Baur, Winlock; Dale Calkins, Chehalis, and Jack Halstad, Centralia."

-A "nice house" with an orchard on 10 acres of cleared land near Salkum was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for $6,500. A "modern, clean, newly decorated duplex" was listed for rent for $60 a month.

Saturday, May 21, 1966

-Family and friends of Michael Kavanagh, a U.S. Marine Corps officer cadet undergoing flight training, learned of his death in a training accident earlier that week, The Chronicle reported. "Twin City relatives and friends of Marine Corps Cadet Michael N. Kavanagh, 23, of Pensacola, Florida, learned this week of his death in an aircraft training accident. Kavanagh, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Norman Kavanagh, was born in Chehalis. He moved to Marin County, California, when he was 16. The family makes its home at Greenbrae, California. Training to become a pilot, Kavanagh was killed when his aircraft crashed into the Gulf of Mexico shortly after taking off from the carrier, Lexington. He made four perfect solo flights prior to the crash. Mechanical failure in the plane was believed to be the cause."

-Construction of the Chehalis Livestock Market, "the state's first sale barn,' was scheduled to begin the next week according to the market's manager, Art Payne, The Chronicle reported. "The construction site is one mile south of Chehalis on LaBree Road. The steel structure will cost around $100,000, Payne said. The present barn is on State Street in Chehalis. The one-acre market in Chehalis was opened in 1922 by Charlie Payne, uncle to the present owner. Ownership has remained in the Payne family since it was first opened. The market is being constructed on a five-acre lot owned by S(terling) C. 'Bud' Breen. When completed, the new sale barn will have the capacity of nearly 1,000 head of cattle with some outdoor pens. The present site has a capacity of 400 head of cattle. The new location was selected, Payne said, to provide more spacious parking areas."

-A "modern full-basement home" with a "sauna bath," garage and barn on two acres of land near Winlock was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for $9,500. A furnished one-bedroom home in Centralia was listed for rent for $40 a month.

Friday, May 21, 1976

-First purchased nearly four decades prior, Chehalis Fire Department staff were preparing to finally retire their old American LaFrance fire truck after getting a new tanker truck that week, but still hoped to at least preserve the LaFrance with help from the Lewis County Historical Society, The Chronicle reported. "In 1937, the small town of Chehalis bought a new, bright-red fire truck. As the town grew, the LaFrance truck began to look smaller. It was called to several major fires over the years. After each one, firemen rang a shiny bell on the truck as they returned to the station. Ringing the bell was traditional. It told the townspeople their firefighters were returning to the station and would be back on call. But as the town got bigger, larger fire trucks were needed. The little red LaFrance began to look smaller and smaller beside the massive, custom-made pumper trucks, which were painted white. It was moved to the back of the station, the last one to be sent to an alarm. The old LaFrance remained in good mechanical condition though. It still carried 100 gallons of water and could pump from a hydrant at the rate of 500 gallons per minute. But instead of racing to the Brown's Mill fire, or the Palmer Mill fire - one that raged from 9:30 straight through the night and all the next day - instead of battling such blazes, it was sent to douse grass fires. Then, late in 1975, the city fathers decided to buy a new American LaFrance fire engine. It was too red. They wanted to sell the old one, but the firemen, especially the older ones, disagreed. The firefighters said the several hundred dollars generated by the sale could begin to offset the $60,000 cost of the new pumper. And historically, the old pumper was worth more than money. It would only purchase a new nozzle and a few feet of hose, but the old engine would be lost to the city. Earlier this week, the Chehalis Fire Department received the new LaFrance pumper. It dwarfs the old one. It's square. A hulking thing almost oppressive looking. And the small red one? There's no room in the station for the old LaFrance. It was stripped down. Its hoses and axes removed. It's parked in a garage beside the fire station, for now. The city mayor and city manager are willing to donate it to the Lewis County Historical Society. It will probably be put in the new museum in the deserted train depot. The agreement isn't firm yet, but there's lots of time. The new pumper has to be outfitted. It needs a radio, hoses, masks and other equipment before it can 'go on the line.' Then, it can pump 1,500 gallons of water per minute and carry 750 gallons. There is one other thing the new LaFrance needs. A bell. The old one was taken off the little red truck. It will be bolted on the new one. There is, after all, the tradition." While the 1937 LaFrance fire truck ultimately didn't end up with the Lewis County Historical Museum, members of the International Association of Fire Fighters Chapter 2510 in Chehalis were able to save the truck. In 2024, they began and completed restoration efforts on the truck, which is now featured in multiple parades and events in the Mint City including ChehalisFest and the Chehalis Santa Parade, as previously reported by The Chronicle.

-A four-bedroom home with a family room, recreation room and large barn on three acres of fenced land in Rochester was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for $35,000. A three-bedroom home in Onalaska was listed for rent for $150 a month.

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