Old newspaper excerpts from The Monroe Journal newspaper of Monroe County, Alabama

USS Constitution, aka, "Old Ironsides"

12 YEARS AGO

JAN. 25, 2007

VF Intimates to sell for $350M: It’s business as usual, Corky Fountain, vice president of manufacturing in Monroeville, said following the announcement that VF Corp. has agreed to sell its intimates division, which includes the Monroeville operation that employs about 950, to Fruit of the Loom, Inc. for $350 million.

“I’m very optimistic and very positive about the planned sale,” Fountain said. “I see a bright future. Vanity Fair is celebrating its 70^th year in Monroeville and I see many more years for us here.”

Shields sets new record for wins: J.F. Shields’ Lady Panthers set a new record for the most consecutive wins in a single season Tuesday night of last week in Beatrice when they defeated J.U. Blacksher, 46-22.

That win improved the Panthers to 16-0. Prior to this season, the Panthers’ longest single-season win streak stood at 15.

Tykia Robinson led a trio of Panthers who scored in double figures. Robinson scored 16 points, got four steals and grabbed four rebounds.

(Other top players for Shields that season included Shante Finklea, Mariah Jones, Latresha Lymon, Dahricia McIntosh, April Montgomery and Adriana Wright. Herbert Blackmon was Shields’ head girls coach.)

Book of Monroe County cemeteries is available: A five-year long project by an Eliska woman has come to fruition in the form of a new book cataloguing cemeteries in Monroe County.

Kathryn Weatherford recently finished the book “Burial Grounds of Monroe County,” which covers 63 cemeteries north of U.S. Highway 84. The book is dedicated to Alene Brooks and Dorothy Parker, who Weatherford said came up with the idea for the project and helped with the cataloging process.

37 YEARS AGO

JAN. 28, 1982

Junior Miss tour: Monroe County Junior Miss Marsha King, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl King of Frisco City, gets a pilot’s view of an Alabama Air National Guard RF-4C Phantom jet during a tour Friday of the Alabama Army and Air National Guard facilities. She and 47 other Junior Miss contestants made the tour while in Montgomery for the state pageant. The tour was conducted by Alabama Guard members at the Army Aviation support facility and the Dannelly Air National Guard Base in Montgomery.

13-point buck: Larry Montgomery of Beatrice shot this 13-point buck near his Uncle Booker Wesley’s house in Beatrice Dec. 2. The 203-pound deer was the first for Montgomery this season. He plans to have the head mounted.

All-state band members: Allison Wright, who plays the bassoon, Al Brewton, trumpet, and Debbie Johnson, flute, are Monroe County High School band students selected Saturday in Mobile for the all-state band clinic and concert which will be March 4-6 in Tuscaloosa. Miss Wright, a band member for six years, was chosen as an alternate, and Brewton and Miss Johnson have been band members for five years. John Bradley is the MCHS band director.

Frisco City Chamber of Commerce’s annual banquet is scheduled for Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. in the Frisco City High School cafeteria. Speaker of the House Joe McCorquodale of Jackson will speak and Frisco City’s annual Citizen of the Year award will be presented.

62 YEARS AGO

JAN. 24, 1957

John Shannon was named president of the Monroe County Cattlemen’s Association at a recent meeting here.

He replaces P.J. Norris of Eliska in the position.

Vice-presidents named were Gene Garrett of Uriah and Edward Broughton of Perdue Hill. Jeff Martin of Monroeville was elected secretary-treasurer.

The J.U. Blacksher High School Bulldog cage quintet marched through the annual Monroe County basketball tournament to capture both “A” and “B” team championships as hosts to the meet in Uriah Friday and Saturday.

In the “A” team finals Saturday night, the Uriah cagers, under the piloting of Coach James Allen, edged the Frisco City High School Whippets, 43-40.

In the “B” team final game, which preceded the “A” squad match, the Bulldogs emerged champions by again stopping the Frisco City team, 40-33, in a tilt which went into overtime.

HAVE SON: Mr. and Mrs. Bill Stewart announce the birth of a son, David Anthony, Jan. 21, in the Monroeville Hospital.

Miss Delores Jay of Uriah, Monroe County’s 1956 “Good Citizenship Girl,” shown above in the March of Dimes parade, will represent the county in Montgomery when the state “Good Citizenship Girl” is chosen by lot Feb. 9. Pictured above with Miss Jay is Miss Gaylyn Lambert, “Good Citizenship Girl” for the Excel School. The annual selection of high school senior girls for the title from all school systems in the state is sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

87 YEARS AGO

JAN. 28, 1932

OBITUARY, W.G. ANDRESS: William George Andress, son of Capt. Reddin Andress who died in the Civil War, and Mrs. Elizabeth Riley Andress, sister of the late Dr. B.F. Riley and his host of splendid brothers, was born July 27, 1859 and died Dec. 23, 1931.

While he was yet a young man, he was elected deacon of the old Pineville Baptist church. He remained a deacon at that church until it was absorbed by the Beatrice church, and was then a deacon of Beatrice Church till deafness caused him to resign.

Messrs. Howard Hunt and Jack Dees have opened a barber shop on the south side of the square and bid for a share of the public patronage.

The Monroe County High School band has received notice that they will be invited to come to Mobile Mardi Gras if sufficient funds can be raised. If the band goes this year, it will be their second trip to Mardi Gras. This shows the high standing held by our band in the state. The band from Auburn is the only invited this year so far.

SEVEN SCOUTS VISIT “OLD IRONSIDES” – Mr. W.M. Lindsay chaperoned seven boys to Mobile to see “Old Ironsides,” namely Armistead Harper, John Barnett, Walter and Clifton Lindsay and three Scouts from the Uriah troop.

The boys experienced quite a thrill in seeing a battleship which had been through 84 years actual service, 42 battles, and had never known defeat. In fact, she had more life and action than any battleship ever put out by any country.

112 YEARS AGO

JAN. 24, 1907

Mr. G.L. Witherington, a prosperous merchant-farmer of Mt. Pleasant, was in to see us Monday.

Mrs. S. Faulk and Miss Callie Faulk are visiting relatives at Laurel and Meridian, Miss.

Mr. J.L. Bowden, president of the Moore-Bowden Mercantile Co., Jones Mill, was at the county capital the first of the week.

Rev. J.W. Killough, pastor of the Bell’s Landing circuit, visited his daughter, Mrs. J.S. Busey, the first of the week.

Rev. C.H. Motley will fill his regular appointment at the Methodist church next Sunday.

Senator O.O. Bayles returned to Montgomery Monday to resume his legislative duties after spending a few days with his family.

CHESTNUT: Miss Martha Sessions, who has been teaching school at Finklea, is at home for a while.

Miss Mary Beard, who is teaching at this place, visited home folks at Pineapple last Saturday and Sunday.

BUENA VISTA: Mr. O.B. Finklea and little son attended the Cotton Press Association in Birmingham – whilst visiting friends and looking after mill machinery.

Miss Edna Middleton is the happy recipient of some beautifully bound books for her new library – among them, the popular, “John Halifax, Gentleman,” “Miss Merlock, The Prince of the House of David,” and some works of Bulwer and Scott.