100 years ago
An early morning fire at the Washougal Woolen Mills on March 24, 1923, caused $100,000 in damage (about $1.77 million in today’s dollars) and put 160 people out of work. Purportedly caused by the spontaneous combustion of a sheet in “wool piled up in the picker house,” the burn quickly sparked into flames, The Columbian reported. Despite attempts of the on-site crew, the conflagration continued to grow until volunteer firefighters arrived on-scene to quell the blaze.
75 years ago
Gov. Mon C. Wallgren snipped a dedicatory ribbon and officially opened the Washougal River bridge on March 19, 1948. Attended by residents, local and state politicians, as well as the Camas High School band, the bridge’s opening ended a 13-month detour that slowed traffic on Evergreen Highway.
50 years ago
On March 23, 1973, Washougal High’s baseball team beat “arch rival” Camas High. The 15-1 blowout, thanks to pitcher Jerry Green’s 12 strikeouts, took place on the Washougal Panthers’ diamond.
25 years ago
Washougal-based Legendary Yachts touted its wooden boat bona fides in a March 25, 1998, Columbian article. The attention to detail and artisanship led many to take notice of the 4-year-old company, even seafarers from Maine, one of the most well-known wooden boat hubs.
Katie Bush is public historian at the Clark County Historical Museum.
