Yellow Pages
Sept. 9, 1909
After having experienced one of the stormiest fishing seasons known to the Bering Sea for twenty years, the Fanny Dutard, Capt. N.L. Matheson, anchored at Anacortes last Tuesday morning having made the run from Scott’s Cape in thirteen days. The season’s catch amounts to 170,000 cod fish, a total tonnage of about 350. The Fanny Dutard was but six miles distant from the Harriet G, a craft also owned by the Matheson Co., at the time the latter ship lost six men. The account of this disaster as related by one of the sailors aboard the Fanny Dutard describes vividly the perils peculiar to the fishing industry of the far north.
Sept. 11, 1919
Starting from an explosion of gasoline fumes in the tire repair shop of Rawley and Proud on 20th and Commercial Avenue, a fire Wednesday destroyed the Rex Theater, the tire repair shop, an empty store building and partially destroyed Mrs. Moreau’s Confectionery, causing in all a damage of approximately $5,000, part of which was covered by insurance. The explosion occurred at 9:15 in the evening when G.E. Rawley, who had been vulcanizing tires in the shop earlier in the evening, returned to lock the back door. In the darkness he was unable to find the keyhole and lit a match. The shop was filled with fumes from the high flame test gasoline used in vulcanizing, which ignited from the match. The explosion which followed blew Mr. Rawley out into the alley and set fire to the building. No one was seriously injured, although Mr. Rawley suffered rather severe burns about the face and hands.
Sept. 12, 1929
The comedy “The Cocoanuts” featuring the Marx Brothers, which has been shown at the Empire theatre this week, has broken the record for attendance, the show house having been packed at every performance, and one night many were turned away for lack of room. It goes to show that people like to laugh. They certainly did enough of it at this show, and everyone who saw it was delighted. One man remarked: “Isn’t it good, I have been here since seven o’clock,” and that was at the close of the last show.
Sept. 14, 1939
Anacortes school enrollment figures went over the 1,200 mark for the first time early this week it was revealed from the school superintendent’s office this week. Enrollment in the various city school buildings was divided as follows: Nelson, 248; Whitney, 366; Junior High, 375 and Senior High, 221.
Sept. 8, 1949
Anacortes citizens residing along 17th street deplored traffic dangers caused by speeding on that thoroughfare. In a petition presented to the city council they asked that a stop sign be erected at 17th and O to help slow cars down a bit. Testimony was given that in a period of less than one hour over 20 cars failed to stop for the signal further up 17th.
Sept. 10, 1959
More than 2,000 cars carrying nearly 8,000 tourists stopped for information this summer at the Chamber of Commerce tourist booth at 11th and Commercial Ave. Anacortes Chamber Manager Harry Nolan today reported that 2,059 cars stopped at the information booth between June 15 and noon Monday. The booth is now closed for the season and will reopen again next June.
Sept. 13, 1989
Managers of three fish farms on Cypress Island watched helplessly as their operations were virtually wiped out by fish-choking clouds of plankton. At least one of the three farms, reeling from more than $1 million in losses, was thinking about relocating its operations away from Cypress Island
— From the archives of the Anacortes American
