A Look Back in Time: Ammonia leaks at Chehalis packing plant; Rumors dispelled Lewis County issuing license plates with letters 'LSD'; International credit card thieves caught in Centralia

May 15-In this installment of A Look Back in Time, the Thursday, May 16, 1946, edition of The Chronicle featured a story about an ammonia leak occurring and being contained at the Chehalis Packing Company.

Lewis County License Department head Margaret Swenson dispelled rumors being circulated that used cars purchased in Lewis County came with license plates bearing the letters "LSD," which also happened to be an illegal recreational hallucinogenic drug, according to the Monday, May 16, 1966, edition of The Chronicle.

And in the Saturday, May 15, 1976, edition of The Chronicle, it was reported that Carolyn Larson and Jan Jennings, a pair of credit card thieves who had been active nationwide and even internationally, finally ran out of luck when a Vader gas station owner became suspicious and reported them for possibly using a stolen credit card.

The Sunday, May 16, 1976, edition of The Chronicle was not in the archives, so stories from the Saturday, May 15, 1976, edition have been featured instead.

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.

Saturday, May 16, 1936

-Violet Prairie resident William F. Johnston was named the president of the newly organized Southwest Thurston County Republican Club while club officers were chosen at a meeting in Grand Mound on Thursday, The Chronicle reported. "The club voted to elect precinct committeemen as vice presidents, and they are Samuel D. James, Grand Mound; Elmer F. Hastings, Rochester, and Harlan Smith, Gate ... President Johnston appointed a by-law committee to draw up permanent rules for the club ... Tom Richards of Tenino, member of the county republican central committee and county commissioner of this district, spoke briefly and introduced Guy Owen of Olympia, who discussed the Townsend movement. Owen stressed the fact that the Townsendites were not entering politics, but stated that all political parties, composed as they are of the common people, must see to it that all candidates are Townsend men if a real solution is to be found for present economic dilemmas." The Townsend Plan was a proposed idea by California physician Francis Townsend, which created a government pension of $200 a month - the equivalent of around $4,700 a month adjusted for 2026 inflation - for Americans 60 and older, funded by a nationwide 2% sales tax.

-A total of "22 houses in Centralia. Priced from $650 to $2,100," were listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds. A five-room "plastered house" in Fords Prairie was listed for rent for $10 a month.

Thursday, May 16, 1946

-Residents in south Chehalis had to deal with hazardous fumes the previous morning after an ammonia leak occurred at the Chehalis Packing Company, The Chronicle reported. "One of the compressors used to change the liquid ammonia into a vapor sprung a leak about 8:30 a.m., allowing the fumes to escape. Workmen in the building were quick to close down the valves and cut off the ammonia; the fire department laid water lines in the building to counteract the fumes, and all was well in hand in about 10 minutes. Workmen combating the fumes donned a special type of ammonia mask, which allows them to work in rooms where heavy concentrations are located, and water was flushed across the floor continually to wash away the heavy vapor. The inquiring Daily Chronicle reporter with a nose for news arrived at the plant; was immediately shown the room, and entered the fume-filled enclosure. To his great surprise his nose for news was burning and tears were coming so fast he decided to get his facts on the outside."

-Local investigators were asking for help in identifying a body discovered earlier that week in a Centralia logging mill pond, The Chronicle reported. "Centralia police officers, co-operating with the Lewis County Sheriff's Office, were continuing their search Wednesday for information leading to the identity of a man found Tuesday morning in the mill pond of the S.A. Agnew Lumber Company. No one answering the description of the mystery man has been reported missing from the Centralia area, and officers have extended their search to other cities throughout Oregon and Washington. The body had no identification, except the word "Bill" tattooed on the upper left arm, to aid officers in their attempt to learn its identity."

-A six-room home with a barn and hen house on a "20-acre ranch near Adna School" was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for $5,500.

Wednesday, May 16, 1956

-Centralia School District voters approved a levy for a building project during a special election the previous day, The Chronicle reported. "Centralia school patrons marched to 25 polling stations late in the day and cleared not only a $1,000,000 bond issue but an additional six-mill levy to raise $70,000 expediting the consolidation of the Jefferson and Lincoln grade schools. A total of 2,890 voters validated the election. Required to appear at the polls was a minimum of 2,277. They approved the bond issue, 1,834 to 1,036 opposing. The majority was 63.9%. The required majority is 60%. For the six-mill levy, the vote was 1,794 to 1,047 opposing, the approval was by 63.1%."

-Members of the outdoor conservation group Lewis County Poggie Club were preparing a salmon bake at the Chehalis Civic Auditorium on Friday to kick off the summer season according to Edgar McCrady, club president, The Chronicle reported. "The annual dinner features baked salmon by a secret Indian recipe, mashed potatoes and gravy, fish sauce made by a secret Creole recipe, salad with dressing, hot buns, butter, coffee, cream, sugar, ice cream, soda pop and cookies. And the best part of it all, one can eat all he wants. Membership in the Poggie Club is open to anyone who loves the outdoors and is interested in keeping it beautiful and who will help to foster public sentiment in favor of conservation of the county's woods, waters and wildlife. Conservation means production without waste, McCrady pointed out. Tours are taken each month during the summer with the game department and forestry department to acquaint the public with the scenery, the streams, lakes, forests, game and wildlife of Lewis County and the surrounding area ... Membership in the club costs only $1.75 per year and includes the huge salmon dinner this Friday plus all the food on two overnight camping trips this summer."

-Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office investigators were examining a human skull found on a pipeline construction site near Kalama on the northwest slope of Green Mountain, The Chronicle reported. "Chief Deputy Robert Wiester said a Midwestern Construction Co. crew clearing right-of-way for the new natural gas pipeline unearthed the skull with a bulldozer. Foreman O.B. Webster turned it over to the State Patrol, which passed it along to the sheriff's office. The apparent age of the bleached skull was not immediately determined, Wiester said. He knew of no old cemetery or Indian burial ground in the immediate area where it was found."

-A four-room home with a "large utility porch," a hen house and a garage on one acre of land "near Howard Lumber Co." about three miles from the Mayfield Dam was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for $4,500. A "stationary trailer house" was listed for rent for $25 a month.

Monday, May 16, 1966

-While an unnamed Seattle newspaper claimed students were coming down to Lewis County because they could get license plates with the letters "LSD," the story was nothing but a "pipedream," The Chronicle reported. "It's just a pipedream - that report by a Seattle newspaper that University District students were flocking to Lewis County to pick up used cars with license plates bearing the alphabetical prefix LSD. 'LSD' is a designation for lysergic acid, a hallucinatory drug which is popular in certain sets. The drug is illegal, but the designation LSD on a license plate is not. The theory is, supposedly, that such a designation would be hip, like wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned 'Olympic Drinking Team.' Sadly for the hipsters, no such license plate will ever exist unless over 330,000 people organize a license plate march and buy up the alphabet from the current 'LBG' designation all the way to 'LSD.' Margaret Swenson, who is head of the license department at the Lewis County Courthouse, says her department does not even expect to issue enough licenses for the rest of the year to use up 'LBG.' 'We would never get as far as LSD,' she said. However, LBJ is only 3,000 away."

-Donald E. Stafford succumbed to his injuries and died Sunday at Tacoma General Hospital after being injured while working at the Mossyrock Dam construction site on Friday, The Chronicle reported. "He is the first worker to be killed on the project since work began a year ago. Stafford, a Dravo-Johnson Construction employee, was clearing rock prior to concrete pouring when he was struck by a rock, J.L. Wilson, project manager said. He was taken to Morton General Hospital with head injuries, then transferred to the Tacoma hospital, where he died. Stafford and his family had established residence in Centralia about one month ago. Safford was born July 28, 1939, in Concrete, Washington. He had been a Seattle resident for the last five years and formerly lived in Rockport. He was a member and Sunday school superintendent of the Full Gospel Lighthouse Church, Chehalis, and was preparing for the ministry of his denomination. He served in the U.S. Navy between 1959 and 1960." By the time the Mossyrock Dam was completed in 1968, Stafford was one of five construction workers who had died while building it - the other four being Bernard Evans, Dale Rael, John Roth and Mark Montague.

-John B. Edinger, who was the publisher and an editor for The Chronicle at the time, attended a state-wide newspaper publisher's conference, The Chronicle reported. "The Daily Chronicle's editor and publisher, John B. Edinger, was in Spokane for two days last week attending the annual spring meeting of the Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington. A highlight of one of the sessions was the publisher's outline to newspaper executives of the state of The Chronicle's school for political candidates. The school, involving meetings for candidates of each major party, is a clinical affair for election and campaign information. The Chronicle has held the schools for the past four years and they have drawn attention elsewhere over the state. Mrs. (Betty) Edinger also attended."

-An "attractive home" with a barn, garage and shop buildings on 10 acres of land near Rochester was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for $12,500. Furnished apartments at the McDonald Motel at 11th Street and Market Boulevard in Chehalis were listed for rent for $40 a month.

Saturday, May 15, 1976

-Carolyn Larson and Jan Jennings - a pair of thieves who were 22 and 21 respectively at the time who had apparently been on a prolific run stealing credit cards, even internationally - finally ran out of luck and were apprehended at a gas station near Vader according to Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney Jeremy Randolph, The Chronicle reported. "Randolph said the women were arrested Tuesday night after allegedly purchasing gas at the Schon's Mobil Station with a credit card believed to be stolen. After the arrest, a warrant was issued for the search of the pair's rented car. During the search a briefcase was found containing numerous credit cards from throughout the United States and several foreign countries, Randolph said. 'Investigators from other jurisdictions and the FBI have indicated an interest in the two suspects,' said Randolph. The jurisdictions he referred to include St. Louis Park, Missouri; Florida; Kansas City, Kansas; Maryland; Oakland, California; Tigard, Portland and Beaverton, Oregon, and Minneapolis. Randolph said, 'in my nine years experience, this appears to be one of the largest and most sophisticated operations I've ever seen.' The briefcase found in the car contained credit cards, checks, and kits for producing identifications complete with fingerprints and photographs, the prosecutor said. The women were arrested Tuesday night by Lewis County deputy sheriffs, assisted by State Patrol troopers. In the meantime, FBI agents from Portland have studied the evidence seized in the search. The women were apprehended after Charles Schon, owner of the station at the Vader freeway exit, became suspicious. Sheriff's deputies commended Schon, whom they say had been in the business sometime and was 'savvy.' He became suspicious when the credit slip was passed to the passenger for signature, out of his view. The driver reportedly engaged Schon in animated conversation. He felt she was too talkative, say deputies, and leaned back and allegedly saw the passenger changing the license number on the credit slip. Schon wrote down the license plate number of the car as it left the station. He telephoned to determine if the card was allegedly stolen, then alerted authorities and described the 1976, two-door car. Jennings and Larson were apprehended an hour later in Centralia."

-A three-bedroom "bungalow" with a barn and other outbuildings on "20 cleared acres neatly seeded for hay pasture" in Onalaska was listed for sale in The Chronicle's classifieds for $35,000. A furnished two-bedroom duplex in Grand Mound was listed for rent for $175 a month.

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