From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library:

A few decades ago, back when my family still had a farm out in northwestern Thurston County, my father noticed a small glass object that had surfaced after he plowed the field. The farm had once been home to an inn called “The Hicklin Halfway House” on the stage road between Olympia and Montesano in Territory days. We were used to plowing up small pieces of china and glass. But this was different.

Except for some chips on the opening, this small glass bottle is intact, about 3 inches high, and has the raised label: C.B. Mann, Apothecary, Olympia, W.T.

As it turns out, Champion Bramwell Mann ran a drugstore on the southeast corner of 4th and Washington in Olympia, site of the present Security Building. He was a prominent figure in the local history of the city, even serving as Mayor from 1894-1895. And, believe it or not, he had a short stint as the Territorial Librarian in 1870.

And so did his father, Sylvester Hill Mann. You can read about them and the other colorful characters who kept the flame alive in Washington’s oldest public institution on WSL’s biographical page: The Territorial Librarians.

Random News from the Newspapers on Microfilm Collection: The Missing Mayor, a Puzzling Death, and the Interstate Bridge Ghost.

From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library:

While skimming through WSL microfilm issues of The Evening Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), this short little bit on the top of page 1, November 12, 1920, caught my eye and curiosity:

PERCIVAL IS BELIEVED TO HAVE PASSED KALAMA, WN.

 RALPH PERCIVAL UNABLE TO FIND FURTHER TRACE OF FATHER, HOWEVER

“Kalama, Nov. 12.–R.G. Percival, son of Mayor G.R. Percival, of Vancouver, who has been missing for several weeks, was in Kalama this week investigating clues that have led him to believe that his father passed this way and went on farther.”

“A barber here was almost certain that he shaved the missing man Tuesday following his disappearance.”

“Young Percival in conversation here said that his father apparently did not strip himself of all means of identification and that prior to his departure he did nothing unusual.”

——————————–

“The son is visiting all farm houses along the road hoping to find a place where his father may have stopped.”

“Ralph Percival today declared that he had been unable to identify the man thought to be Mayor Percival as the missing man. While a stranger answering the general description of the mayor was in Kalama on the day mentioned, Percival declared, he was unable to find further trace of him.”

For a sitting mayor to vanish without a trace or any warning is intriguing. Grover Reed Percival was born in Ohio, Feb. 18, 1860. He arrived in Vancouver in 1902 and made his living as an attorney. His civic service included serving on the City Council. He was elected Mayor in 1918 and was about to finish his term when he vanished October 17, 1920.

WSL has a strong run of The Evening Columbian (an ancestor of today’s Columbian), and it didn’t take much browsing ahead to find news of with a sad result concerning the missing Mayor.

Percival’s body was discovered November 22, 1920, hanging in a clump of trees on the Oregon side of the Columbia, about 100 yards from the Northbank Railroad Bridge. Later accounts would place the tragic discovery on Hayden Island.

Random News from the Newspapers on Microfilm Collection: An Odd Story About the Odds

From the desk of Steve Willis, Central Library Services Program Manager of the Washington State Library:

This tale of coincidence caught my eye as I was perusing through the Yakima Herald. It can be found on page 3 of the May 30, 1889 issue, less than six months before Washington became a state:

The Strange Story of Dick See

“The story of the arrest of Richard See, who was recently taken from Ellensburgh to California, on a requisition charging him with murder, is an interesting one. Seventeen years ago See’s father and William Duncan were playing cards in a saloon in Los Angeles. A dispute arose and Duncan struck See in the face. Dick See, who was then a young man, was present and was greatly incensed. He left the saloon, went home, saddled his father’s fleetest horse, took his gun, carefully loaded it with buckshot, and went back to the saloon. When he arrived there the quarrel had been settled and the elder See and Duncan were in the act of drinking together at the bar. Young See deliberately pointed his gun and fired and Duncan dropped dead. The murderer fled to Winnemucca where for sixteen years his identity was lost under the name Bennett Jackson. A year ago he moved to Cle-Elum and resumed the name of See for the purpose of getting his share of an estate left by his grandmother. While in Cle-Elum he committed robbery and during his trial at Ellensburgh a stranger dropped into the court room. This stranger proved to have been one of those who were present in the Los Angeles saloon at the time of the shooting, and he recognized See as the murderer. He notified the California authorities, extradition papers were gotten out and when See’s sentence for robbery expired Detective W.H. Russell, of Los Angeles, was promptly on hand and took the prisoner in charge. This is only another verification of the old adage that ‘Murder will out’.”

Wow. What were the odds?

These were apparently real two-fisted times for central Washington Territory. Included in a neighboring “Local Brevities” column is this: “Ellensburgh is thronged with rough characters and a special force of police is required to maintain order.”

Random News from the Newspapers on Microfilm Collection: The 1020-year old man and a mathematical puzzle.

Found in the Bellingham Herald, Jan. 2, 1914, page 8:

FOUTS REVEALS AGE

NOBODY KNOWS; 

 “How Old Is Fouts?” Eternal Question — Submits Mathematical Problem Showing Him to Be 47 or 1,020 — Which Is Correct?

“Several millions of people, in as many aeons of time, have puzzled over that staple problem of how old is Ann. At the city comptroller’s office, however, the employes are agitating their gray matter over an entirely new phase of the question and are trying to find out how old is Fouts. No one as yet has solved the problem.”

“W.H. Fouts, who lives on G street, and who came to Bellingham when Puget Sound was nothing but a whisper, annually registers at the city hall in order that he may exercise the right of every American citizen to cast a ballot at elections. Each year Fouts is asked to give his age, a requirement imposed on all who register, even upon women, and each year Fouts evades the issue by swearing that he is of legal age. Thus all efforts to find out exactly how old he is have been frustrated.”

“The curiosity of the deputies in the comptroller’s office has not been satisfied with these evasions. Every time Fouts came to register efforts to find out his exact age have been redoubled. The climax of the situation arrived this morning when Fouts came to register for the privilege of voting in 1914.”

Submits Problems for Clerks.

“This time Fouts told the deputies his age. Of course he did not come right out with it and say he was 54 or 82 or anything as specific as that, but he left them a little arithmetical problem, which, if they are able to solve it correctly will tell the deputies the answer to their queries.”

“On the back of one of the campaign cards of mayor-elect J.P. deMattos was written and handed to the deputies the following mathematical problem: ‘Twenty plus eight times twelve divided by four minus two times six plus ten times eight divided by four plus twenty.'”

“There seems to be several ways of reading that equation and it is this that is causing confusion to the clerks in the comptroller’s office. One way theyfigure it Fouts is 1,020 years old and the other way he is only 47. Everybody knows that Fouts is not 1,020 and most of those who are acquainted with him are reasonably certain he is more than 47.”

Random News from the Newspapers on Microfilm Collection: 

Found in the February 18, 1910 issue of Ridgefield Reflector, from the newly incorporated town of Ridgefield, Clark County, Washington: Link

HELD POVERTY PARTY

“The poverty party that was given by the Sunshine Club in the I.O.O.F. hall last Monday evening was voted a success by all who were present. The costumes worn by the participants were most unique and diversified in character, depicting every phase of poverty and humility. A prize was awarded for the most ingenious make-up, went to Eugene Passmore, who had evidently secured the Ghetto of Portland for his inspiration. A prize for the female costume was awarded to Mrs. Murray, who was very tastefully and skillfully disguised. ‘Twisted downuts and kofy’ was served as refreshments.”

“‘An evening replete with pleasant surprises and of a most delightful nature’ was the unanimous verdict of all who attended.”

Poverty parties were apparently held across the nation as a form of entertainment chiefly in the flush times between the Panic of 1893 and the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Although the definition of “Poverty Party” has changed over time, it would seem in the era of this news article it was an event held by members of the emerging urban middle class. They would show up dressed in rags and consume food associated with the poor. Promotional materials were spelled in awful and phonetic ways.

Of course, mocking the less fortunate didn’t seem so funny after October, 1929. Which might account for why this style of socializing has been so under-reported to subsequent generations.

A most curious, once popular and now little known form of social entertainment worthy of a thesis.

More information on Ridgefield itself can be found in the book, Ridgefield Reflections 1909-1984.

In honor of International Women’s Day, we would like to share another gem from our newspapers on microfilm.

We stumbled on this little article from the Rosalia Citizen Journal of 1913.

It seems the city of San Francisco was being overrun with women seeking work with the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915. The San Francisco Y.W.C.A was imploring all governors of the United States to try to keep their women home.

The final warning of the article reads “…the association foresees a grave situation unless something is done to forestall the influx.”

The association does not elaborate on exactly what kind of “grave situation” might occur—we’ll leave that up to your imagination.

Volume 8, February 9, 2012 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) RFP FOR SERIALS SUBSCRIPTION AGENT

2) PRISONERS CONTACTING PUBLIC LIBRARIES

3) MOVING AHEAD WHEN THERE’S NO MONEY IN THE BUDGET

4) DIGITAL CONTINUITY – CALL FOR PAPERS

5) SERVING DEAF PATRONS IN THE LIBRARY

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff

So you found an old photo of your ancestor in the attic. He or she is clad in what you think must be a World War II uniform.  But you know almost nothing about his or her service. There may be visual clues to help you find out.

That’s when you go to Finding Your Father’s War by Jonathan Gawne.

This book talks about how to track down records on your World War II ancestor. It is also heavily illustrated throughout with both black-and-white and color photographs and drawings.

Appendices include military insignia, military vehicle markings, campaigns of World War II, official abbreviations used in World War II, and a select bibliography for further research.  Finding Your Father’s War is available for use at the Washington State Library.

From the desk of Mary Paynton Schaff

In honor of Pearl Harbor Day, the Washington State Library is featuring “American Battle Monuments,” edited by Elizabeth Nishiura.

This guide provides detailed descriptions of battle monuments honoring soldiers from World War I, World War II, and other conflicts. Each monument’s entry includes its location, hours, a description of the site, and a history of its development.  Specific names of soldiers are not included in this guide, but genealogists can track those down using sites like Find a Grave and the Nationwide Gravesite Locator from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The “American Battle Monuments” entry for the Honolulu Memorial and National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific include descriptions of major Pacific Operations of World War II, as well as the Korean Conflict.

Volume 7, December 1, 2011 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) FIRST TUESDAYS – TWO THUMBS UP

2) WANTED – ISSUES OF DEER PARK TRIBUNE AND SAMMAMISH REPORTER

3) BRAINS AT THE CAFÉ

4) TECHNICAL SERVICES – THE NEXT GENERATION

5) COMPETITION FOR LIS STUDENT AUTHORS

6) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

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