Having lived near Aberdeen in the late '70's through late '80's as a child and having visited the area fairly often as an adult, I can't imagine at what point in time it was ever a 'nice little town'. It was then much as it remains; a sad, dirty, poor place that has seen more destruction than construction in the past few decades. It's a place with a seemingly equal ratio of churches to bars and BAC limit signs rival speed limit signs. Weather wise, there are more days of overcast and rain than sun and it's economy was based on an industry that has been dying for years. I have a nolstalgia for the place and the neighboring towns of Hoquiam and Montesano, but the only thing that seems to come close to thriving that isn't a church or bar is the Wal*Mart just past the city entrance sign that reads 'Come As You Are'.