A century ago, the news columns often contained reports on everything from dinner guests to family visits to where people were working and who was sick. These types of reports were collected by a correspondent or sent directly to the newspaper by the people involved.

One-hundred years ago in 1923, for example, “Mr. and Mrs. W.P. McFarland and Lawrence Stovall and family returned to Philomath Saturday from Newport, where they had spent the past few days” and “Misses Minnie Tatom and Ardath Thompson returned Monday from Marion where they had spent the past few weeks employed as cherry pickers in an orchard there.”

As far as people who had been ill, “Mrs. J.D. Cooper is recovering from an attack of ptomaine poisoning.” That’s basically an antiquated way of saying Mrs. Cooper had food poisoning.

Vital records were also routinely published in the paper, including marriage license filings. Here’s an item from July 1923 about two Philomath couples who were trying to keep their marriages a secret by heading out of town and state.

“Rumor has it that two Philomath couples, weary of being congratulated along matrimonial lines, concluded to see how long they could keep their friends in the dark if they were really married and on June 30 stole a march on relatives and friends, went to Vancouver, Washington, and were quietly married.

“Miss Vada Smith became Mrs. Jesse Peterson and Miss Farn Peterson was married to Ralph Chapman. In applying for their licenses, the young people had difficulty in recalling their names and ages and a threatened mix-up in the brides was narrowly avoided.

“It is strange,” said one of the youthful brides, “how consternated a person gets under such circumstances, when attempting to recall a little thing like one’s name or age.

“They were married, however, and the news has already become generally known among their friends in Philomath and Benton county.”

150 years ago
1873

Card game: Bishop Conner, of Philomath College, has retired from the “three-card monte” business and will loan all his ill-gotten gains to his congregation at 2 per cent a month interest. (Published July 18, 1873, in the Albany Democrat).

125 years ago
1898

News items: Osborne & Ferris have opened a meat market on Main Street. … There were thanksgiving services at the chapel Sunday evening. Patriotic speeches were made by Profs. Miller, Holm and others. … Dr. J.L. Akin of Kings Valley was in the city Friday. … Bishop Castle and Prof. Sheak are at the bay with their families. (Published July 15, 1898, in the Corvallis Gazette).

100 years ago
1923

Whiskey drinking: Charged with possession of intoxicating liquor, A.E. DeGraffenreid was fined $50 and given a 10-day jail sentence and Jessie Chesley was fined $50 by Municipal Judge Conner this morning. The men were arrested last night by Henry Robinson, chief of police, in a woodshed back of Gardner’s studio, as they were in the act of drinking from a one-gallon jug. Both men were partly intoxicated, but were released on $50 bail, and appeared for sentence this morning. (Published July 16, 1923, in the Corvallis Gazette-Times).

75 years ago
1948

Semi-pro baseball: Philomath’s two entries in the Coast semi-pro baseball league clashed for the first time Sunday with the Townies emerging victorious in a double header with the Babes. The first game score was 4-1, the second 9-5. The Townie pitchers had their strikeout balls working, Lloyd Farthing fanning 15 Babes in the first game and Bennett sending down an even dozen in the second by the same method. (Published July 13, 1948, in the Corvallis Gazette-Times).

50 years ago
1973

Surprise party: Several friends of Leone Minshall, who lives at Corvallis Manor, surprised Miss Minshall on her birthday one day last week. The ladies took cake, gifts and ice cream for the celebration. Miss Minshall will be remembered by many old-timers as having started the Philomath Public Library, about 1930. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred S. Minshall, owned and operated the Benton County Review, where she also worked. (Published July 18, 1973, in the Corvallis Gazette-Times).