Phone photo 3144

For Rent, Montesano, Washington

I sure hope they are not expecting a huge rental fee for that vehicle

Phone photo 3094

Manger scene figures held up with metal farm fenceposts

Montesano, Washington

The big sheep looks like Harold, the most dangerous of animals, the clever sheep

Phone photo 3093

The other side of Santa and the reindeer

Montesano, Washington

Phone photo 3092

Weird Siamese Twin Reindeer

Montesano, Washington

Phone photo 3091

Montesano, Washington

Phone photo 3090

Bickmore's "Complete" Home Center

Montesano, Washington

Another entry for the Blog of Unnecessary Quotation Marks

Phone photo 3089

Holding up the shell of a burned building

Montesano, Washington

Morty Comix # 2675

Morty Comix # 2675 was placed under a pot of decorative holiday plastic flowers in a great restaurant in Montesano, Washington, one of my fave places to eat breakfast. Yes, Christmas is coming.

The Wild Russian Boars of Grays Harbor County

 

Remember about a dozen years ago how the proliferation of wild Russian boars terrorizing the hills of northern Grays Harbor County was in the news?

Seattle Times 8/9/2001

I remember seeing one that had been killed and then became a guest of a taxidermist and was on display in the front window of a Montesano sports shop. The thing had tusks and was about the size of a small couch.

The Washington State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife ruled that hunters could shoot these boars any time of the year, no permit needed, according to a June 22, 2001 press release.

Anyone out there have any update on this story?

Hepfinger's Western Washington Exhibit

This article was found in the Jan. 31, 1903 issue of Gant's Sawyer, a newspaper from Hoquiam that ran from 1902-1903:

Apparently Mr. Hepfinger did indeed carve out the spruce log. The final image comes from an auction website that has this description:

Hi Folks, Here we have a nice antique cabinet photo. This is a photo of a hollowed out log on its ways to the 1904 St Louis Worlds Fair. The sign on the log reads, GRAYS HARBOR TOOTHPICK. THE LARGEST TREE EVER HANDLED WORLDS FAIR AT ST LOUIS. WESTERN WASHINGTON EXHIBIT TENT. Where the bars are is titled, ANIMAL DEN. Inside is a Mountain Lion and a Bear. Next room is titled, PIANO ROOM, SOCIAL HALL. Then a sign on the side reads, WE ARE GOING TO MISSOURI AND WE HAVE TO SHOW EM. The photo measures, 5 3/8' by just about 12". Pretty cool antique photograph.

Other photos of this project can be found on websites from Tacoma Public Library, and Washington State University.

William J. Hepfinger was born Dec. 1865 in Ohio to German/Swiss immigrant parents. By 1900 he was living in Aberdeen/Montesano and serving as a deputy sheriff for Chehalis County. In that same year he had taken out a patent for a puzzle map.  

For most of his life he made a living as a house painter and interior designer, as well as a novelty salesman. By 1910 he was living in Nebraska and by 1930 in Chicago where he died Apr. 19, 1941. He apparently never married. 

Does anyone out there know whatever became of this amazing exhibit? 

Addendum:

Got this great email from Ted Tanner of Kenton, Ohio:

"About the spruce log....

I have a postcard that features this log, It seems after the worlds fair it was given to a senator Palmer of Michigan...After the property was given to the city and it became a park, this was one of the attractions along with an old log cabin...the spruce log is mentioned on the Palmer Park web site under the history page.
I find this very interesting having been born and raised in Grays Harbor."

And here's the link:

 http://peopleforpalmerpark.org/2012/05/15/history-of-palmer-park/

Thanks Ted! 

Phone photo 3012

Montesano, Washington

Phone photo 3011

Montesano, Washington

Phone photo 3010

Montesano, Washington

Phone photo 2982

Fleet Park, Montesano, Washington

Morty Comix # 2667

Morty Comix # 2667 was created on an Etch-a-Sketch while I was waiting at the barbershop in Montesano, Washington. Then I shook it up, making it a very short lived issue.

Morty Comix # 2583

Morty Comix # 2583 was slipped into a menu of one of my favorite restaurants in Grays Harbor County-- the Bee Hive in Montesano.

Phone photo 2401

Montesano, Washington

Phone photo 2291

Montesano, Washington

Interesting that using the word "Cave" is considered good marketing. I'm convinced advertisers know much more about our psychology than we want to admit to ourselves.

Phone photo 2290

Montesano, Washington

Phone photo 2289

Montesano, Washington