100-year-old news headlines from The Wilcox Progressive Era

Flag of the Wilcox True Blues military unit.

I was reading some old newspapers made available by the Department of Archives and History in Montgomery the other day and got the chance to look at some 100-year-old copies of The Progressive Era. It’s interesting to look back and see how much has changed and how much remains the same. The Progressive Era published four editions during the month of February 1921, and those newspapers included many interesting news items that took place a century ago this month.

In the Feb. 3, 1921 edition of the newspaper, publishers S.C. Godbold and O.C. Weaver let readers know, under the headline of “OIL COMPANY ORGANIZED IN CAMDEN,” that a “meeting of a number of Camden citizens on Tuesday night resulted in the organization of the Wilcox Oil & Gas Co., with the object of developing the oil and gas interests of the county. The personnel of the company is as follows: O.C. Weaver, President; E.H. Pritchett, Vice President; and J.M. Moore, Secretary-Treasurer. The board of directors is made up of W.J. Bonner, President of Bank of Camden; E.W. Berry, President of Camden National Bank; Dr. E. Bonner, Grady Rogers, O.C. Weaver, J.M. Moore and E.H. Pritchett.”

In the Feb. 10, 1921 edition of the paper, in news from the Furman community, it was reported that E.L. Cunningham was “tearing down and removing the old Purefoy antebellum home to his plantation. This old home is one of the oldest structures in our community and has stood all these years as a monument to the memory of the early pioneer settlers of this section. Mr. Cunningham is one of our most progressive men. He has in the past five years put time, energy and money in redeeming his waste lands and to make farm life attractive, which he has done.”

In the Feb. 17, 1921 edition of the paper, under the headline “EMBLEM OF THE SIXTIES ON DISPLAY,” it was reported that the “Banner of the Wilcox True Blues, which was recently returned from a northern museum where it had been since its capture near Island No. 10 in 1861, is now on display in the office of Mr. S.M. Cobb, Clerk of the Circuit Court. This battle-scared emblem still retains the vital characteristics of its former days and carries in its folds historic incidents of more than passing interest. Mr. R.E. McWilliams for years has labored diligently to secure its return and his efforts were finally rewarded with success. This is probably the first banner of the State and was the first emblem of the county. It will be carried to Montgomery and placed in State Archives.”

In the Feb. 24, 1921 edition of the paper, readers learned that the “attendance record of Wilcox schools will very likely reach its highest point in several years, this year. The unusual weather with the absence of influenza, etc. have been the contributing factors to the better showing.”

Also that week, it was reported that “active efforts are now underway at Pine Hill to begin the erection at a date in the near future of a new school building, a vocational department is likely to be established at Pine Hill the ensuing session and plans for the erection of a new building is being rushed.”

In the end, as you can see from the above, February 1921 was a busy month in Wilcox County, and there is no doubt that February 2021 will be much the same. If you get the desire to look at old Wilcox County newspapers for yourself, I encourage you to make the trip to the state archives in Montgomery. The staff there will be more than happy to point you in the right direction.