I have lived in the PNW all my life. I was born & raised in Coos Bay, Oregon. which appears to have been much the same economic base as Aberdeen. I have since move on, but I did make a trip to Aberdeen earlier last week to pick up my new, beloved Boxer puppy. The short trek from Olympia was nothing short of stunning. A beautiful drive and lovely. I also noted that Aberdeen was once a prosperous and bustling city. Lovely old hotels, store fronts, and city streets. Much like Coos Bay in years past. My short visit in Aberdeen at a down town motor loge was scary to say the least, but I would do it all over again. Towns like Aberdeen & Coos Bay deserve a shot. All we need is money!
Two memories of Aberdeen... in the 70's we would go through Aberdeen to the Pacific beaches to dig for razor clams. Returning cold and filthy we always stopped at the old Crystal Steam Baths for a hot steam and many tall Buds. On another trip I stopped at an old pawn shop in the early 80's and found a stunning 1979 Guild F212XL NT Jumbo 12 string guitar (mahogany B&S) that had incredible power and chime. I still have it and play it often. Sounds fantastic. Aberdeen is just a sad shell of what it once was. Sun never seems to shine when I (now rarely) drive through the area.
I grew up and went to school in Aberdeen. It wasn’t until 1962 when I moved to Kent that I realized that not all small towns had blocks and blocks of taverns with whorehouses operating above. An Interesting story you could research would be when Nick Yantzen, of the Aberdeen Police Department (a captain I believe) teamed up with some local ministers and raided the houses. The police were getting kickbacks, of course, so they “promoted” Nick to vice patrol, took away his car and gun as set him out to patrol the streets. It was about 1957 or 58 and I was 18, working in an office in town and he used to come in and talk to my bosses.
It seems very likely that Billy Gohl, as an influential union organizer, was framed by the powers that be of his day. The 1910s and 1920s era was one of worker militancy met by heavy-handed strike-breaking tactics by law enforcement and the establishment in Grays Harbor. Read the books "Ghoul of Grays Harbor" and "The Red Coast" for more on that (both books by Aaron Goings, who was brought up in Aberdeen).
Framing Grohl accomplished two things for the bosses; (1) got rid of Grohl; and (2) provided cover for just how deadly the average job was at the time. The young men likely weren’t being murdered, they were just getting killed by the extremely unsafe working conditions.
Just randomly drove through Aberdeen today. Just moved to Tacoma bout 2 months ago and wanted to see the pacific ocean, this was along the way. Pretty city, easily identifiable as some place with historic roots. I didn’t know about Cobain being from there until later this same evening. Driving through i kept telling my wife i felt as if i was in an Alaskan fishing village.
Thank you for commenting. It’s nice to hear that you loved the video. I would love to say more about Kurt , but I have to be so careful because there are copy right problems that I could get in trouble with.
Its Kurt not Curt. Seen Kurt Cobain's name underneath a river bridge where he hung out. Kurt committed sucide by gun. Sam Benn Parks on top the hill behind Aberdeen & the high school. Sam Benn's son still fishes for salmon.
