150 years ago
1874

Collapsed: The Yaquina stage met with an accident near Blodgett’s Valley last Tuesday, due to the passengers being these two “heavy” men – Mart. V. Brown, of Albany, and W. W. Martin, of Salem. Nothing broke except the “king bolt,” and this defect would have been easily repaired had the General not lost his cane while paying attention to a young lady just before leaving Albany. The stagecoach continued on to Philomath, where the damage was repaired. (Published August 14, 1874, in the Weekly Corvallis Gazette).

125 years ago
1899

College President: Prof. P. O. Bonebrake, the newly appointed president of Philomath College, is a comparatively young man, born in Iowa in 1864, where he received his earlier education. … Prof. Bonebrake comes to Philomath College with a strong constitution, a striking appearance, a mature knowledge and experience of travel, and has already held important official positions, which make him eminently qualified for the office. His marked individuality and determined character will contribute materially to making the future glory of Philomath College eclipse that of the past. (Published in the Daily Journal, Salem, August 16, 1899).

100 years ago
1924

Horner Lecture: Professor J.B. Horner will give an illustrated lecture on Palestine on Friday evening in Beulah, three miles south of Philomath. Professor Horner is known to be an interesting speaker and a very good turnout is expected. A pie dinner will follow the lecture. The proceeds will go to the relief fund for the people of Lorain, Ohio, who were made homeless by the tornado which left the city homeless on June 28. (Published August 14, 1924 in the Corvallis Gazette-Times).

Annual picnic: The annual Sunday school picnic of the college church will be held at Rock Creek on Tuesday, August 19th. Cars will leave the college at 9:30 a.m. Everyone is invited. (Published August 19, 1924 in the Corvallis Gazette-Times)

75 years ago
1949

Truck accident: Sam Steven Place of Waldport narrowly escaped serious injury at about 11 a.m. on August 16 when the fully loaded log truck overturned in a ditch on the Alsea Highway, about four miles west of Philomath, near the Greasy Creek Bridge. When Deputy Sheriff Aaron Dearing later observed the accident, the truck was upside down with its wheels in the air. When Deputy Dearing questioned Sam Place about the accident, he learned that the truck driven by Place had been trying to avoid a car on the road and had overturned. To avoid hitting the car, Place pulled his truck to the side of the road and into the ditch. When it hit the ditch, it overturned completely. Fortunately, no one was injured in this accident, Dearing pointed out. The truck driven by Johnny Newman of Waldport was not seriously damaged. (Published August 18, 1949 in the Benton County Herald).

40 years ago
1984

Philomath omitted: Don’t rely on the American Automobile Association’s Oregon Tour Book to find Philomath. The Benton County town is not listed there, and the City Council says — not without a wink — that this is “a travesty of physical geography” and “a moral scandal” to its 2,700 citizens. It is the eighth year in a row that Philomath has not been on the Tour Book map. But the AAA says that won’t happen again. Declaring “enough is enough,” City Council members voted unanimously Monday to “immediately retain and amend” all copies of the guidebook to correct the “public misinformation” it contains. “Any non-citizen found in possession of an unaltered copy of the said Burlesque Tour Book shall be referred or led by any citizen of Philomath to a source of accurate and reliable information,” the council resolution states. “We wanted to rebuke AAA a little bit” for withholding almost all mentions of Philomath from the Oregon Tour Book, said Councilman Paul Dillon, who wrote and introduced the resolution. In the latest edition of the guidebook, the Benton County Historical Museum, which is owned by the city and located in downtown Philomath, is listed under the heading “Corvallis,” Dillon said. (Published August 15, 1984 in the Oregonian, Portland).

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