History at a Glance

On March 28, 1985, the Shelton-Mason County Journal published a special edition celebrating Shelton's first 100 years. This story is from the section of that paper that covered the years 1955 to 1964.

In early 1957, Shelton's downtown area was getting used to its new dimensions. Evergreen Square, which had replaced the old railroad yards, was finally completed and included a large parking lot. Businesses included Sprouse-Reitz variety store, McConkey's Drugs, Heinie's Broiler, Mode O'Day ladies' fashions and a Sears Roebuck catalog office. A new Tradewell grocery store was just across the street on Railroad Avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets.

The Rayonier pulp mill was disposing of nearly all of its spent sulfite liquor through an evaporation and burning plant and the state was holding the operation out as an example of proper disposal. However, in 1956, after several sudden and unexpected kills of Olympia oysters in nearby bays, the State Pollution Control Authority refused to renew the mill's operating permit. After much negotiating, a temporary permit was issued, and the oyster growers filed a suit in federal court claiming over 1 million dollars in damages. At the same time, markets for pulp began to decrease, and after a few short shutdowns, the mill was closed indefinitely in August 1957.

The state later granted the burning permit, and the oyster growers' suit was denied by the court, but the mill did not reopen. Only the Rayonier Laboratory, renamed the Olympic Research Division, remained in operation.

Several projects were underway in the city. The new National Guard armory was dedicated, and annexation of large sections of Mountain View made sewer installations possible. A new elementary school was built on Mountain View, and Bordeaux School on Hillcrest was enlarged, allowing for the closure of the old Lincoln School on Cota Street.

The Navy ceded control of the local airport to the Shelton Port Commission. The Civil Air Patrol sponsored a series of auto drag races on airport runways, which lasted for several years and became one of the biggest race sessions in the Northwest. The racing ended at Shelton when a larger track was built at Kent.

Rural school districts were under pressure to combine in order to afford new buildings. In 1957, Belfair and Allyn joined to form the North Mason district, which included high school, and Hoodsport, Skokomish and Union consolidated into the Hood Canal district, where students were sent to Shelton High School after junior high. All county schools participated in a program to vaccinate students against polio.

City Commission meetings were lively. In 1958, Mayor Earl Moore argued repeatedly with water department employees, and in 1959 he took on Police Chief Paul Hinton and City Attorney C. T. Hatton. Moore suspended Hinton for 45 days and fired one of his police officers. Two years later they were still suing for repayment and the city, while trying to cut the budget, was spending a lot of money on legal fees. Moore also attempted, unsuccessfully, to fire Police Judge Rolla Halbert. In 1961, the mayor hurriedly passed an ordinance to build a new city hall, and excavation was started at once. Local citizens circulated a petition to halt the construction and refer the matter to a public vote. That vote rejected the city hall proposal by a 4-1 margin, and the city was left with a $33,000 bill for the work that had been done, which Moore refused to pay. In the general election in March, 1962, Mayor Moore lost his position to Frank Travis Jr. by a vote of 1,340 to 443.

A unique educational opportunity for what were then referred to as retarded children and young adults was created in 1955. Founded under the leadership of Bob and Louise Kimbel, Exceptional Foresters was a residence, school and training program. For older students, the Kimbels made use of available resources and devised a training program that included wood cutting, reforestation and related trades.

Expanding local businesses altered downtown Shelton considerably. In 1958, the old Ancient Order of United Woodmen building at the southwest corner of Third and Railroad was demolished to make way for a new JCPenney building. (The original Penney's store was at the southwest corner of Second and Cota, and is now the home of The Saints' Pantry.) In 1962, a new Safeway store building took out an entire block of houses on Franklin between Fourth and Fifth streets (that building is now a Mason County courts facility). The old Safeway store building on the northwest corner of Railroad and First was remodeled to house Capitol Savings, the Capitol Restaurant and several offices. In 1964, a three-business building was constructed on the last open corner of Fifth and Franklin streets for Neil's Pharmacy, Hembroff's Insurance Agency and Beckwith's Jewelry.

In 1962, Shelton finally got its own radio station when KMAS (named for Christmastown, USA) began broadcasting. That same year, a business as old as the town of Shelton itself - the Lumbermen's Mercantile Company, southeast corner of Third and Railroad - was sold to the P. N. Hirsch Company and reopened as Miller's Department Store.

Construction on a "diagnostic and rehabilitation center" was begun at a site on West Dayton Airport Road in 1963. The community was asked to contribute $28,000 to acquire the property, which was accomplished with the support of the Chamber of Commerce and veterans' groups. The Washington Corrections Center opened in September 1964.

■ Jan Parker is a researcher for the Mason County Historical Museum. Email her at [email protected]. Membership in the Mason County Historical Society is $25 per year. For a limited time, new members will receive a free copy of the book "Shelton, the First Century Plus Ten."