Saturday, February 6, 2021

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

35 YEARS AGO
FEB. 6, 1986

Mineola man is named Cattleman of the Year: At the annual Monroe County Cattlemen’s Association banquet, O’Neil Smith of Mineola was named Cattleman of the Year and guest speaker James E. Martin, president of Auburn University, talked about the cattle industry and how to make it more productive.

Also at the meeting, new officers were installed, including Wayne Thames, president; Dr. Larry Knight, vice president; and William Carter, secretary-treasurer. During the meeting, the association presented Martin with a $200 check for Auburn’s library.

Track winner: Monroe County High School senior Marcus Taite took second place in the 440-yard dash Friday at the state indoor track meet at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery. Taite crossed the finish line in 53.67 seconds behind state record holder Jack Williams of Gardendale. Williams set the old record of 51.17 last year. His new time Friday was 50.13. Taite is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Taite of Monroeville. Also attending the meet from MCHS were Anita Lett, Banessa Grace, Anita Carmichael and Tim Lindblom.

$2.3-million River Road bid accepted: A bid for constructing the grading, drainage, pavement and bridges on the midsection of River Road between Eliska and Perdue Hill has been accepted by the state highway department. Capital City Asphalt Co., Inc. of Montgomery was the low bidder in Montgomery Friday for the Monroe County project, with a price of $2,377,051.70. The 5.165-mile project is expected to be completed in 210 working days.

60 YEARS AGO
FEB. 2, 1961

Motion Picture Rights Have Been Sold For Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” – Motion picture rights for Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” have been acquired by a producer-director team, Alan Pakula and Robert Mulligan.
According to the native Monroeville novelist’s agent, Annie Laurie Williams, the book, a Literary Guild and Reader’s Digest selection, as well as an alternate choice for February of the Book-of-the-Month Club “was sold under an excellent cash and percentage deal.”
The novel, a deeply perceptive, incisive and haunting study of family life in a small town in the Deep South, has been a best seller since published by Lippincott last July.

The Monroe County High School Tigers captured their third Pine Belt Conference trophy during the past year by winning the annual basketball tournament in Thomasville last Saturday night in a 66-63 defeat of Millry.
Top scorers for Monroeville were Jim Lazenby with 23 points and Billy Boone with 24.
(Other players on MCHS’s team included Branchard Tucker, Bill Austin, Charles Rumbley, Bob Burns, Jimmy Wible and Laurie Jones. James Allen was head coach.)

Otha Lee Biggs Replaces Hendrix: Otha Lee Biggs, 29-year-old native of Peterman, has been named as successor to the late L.L. Hendrix in the position of Clerk of the Court of County Commissioners in Monroe County. Mr. Hendrix had held the position for 25 years until his death Saturday. Announcement of the replacement was made Wednesday morning by Probate Judge E.T. Millsap.

85 YEARS AGO
FEB. 6, 1936

Misses Jennie and Callie Faulk left Sunday for Atlanta to do their marketing in spring and summer goods.

Three Men Held On Liquor Charges: Three men were taken into custody last Wednesday night by Sheriff J.P. Farish and his deputies when 21 gallons of whiskey were found in their automobile. The men were brought to the county jail following their arrest and until Tuesday had failed to make bond. The arrest took place about one mile west of Monroeville. The men were driving a late model coupe when the arrest was made.

County Poll Tax Receipts Total $3,027: There was a total of $3,027 paid into the Monroe County treasury in poll tax prior to the deadline, Feb. 1, says A.I. Nettles, tax collector. This amount was paid by 1,411 persons. Funds derived from poll tax payments are used exclusively for educational purposes. The number of persons to pay poll tax in 1936 was greater than for the past two years.

Kearley-Jones: A recent wedding of much interest to friends throughout the county was that of Miss Eloise Kearley of Excel and Thad Jones of Frisco City. The wedding was quietly solemnized at the Methodist parsonage by the Rev. J.T. Cameron.
Both these young people are very popular in their respective communities. Mrs. Jones is the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.I. Kearley and is a graduate of the Excel High School. Mr. Jones is the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Jones of Frisco City. They will make their home with his parents in Frisco City.

110 YEARS AGO
FEB. 2, 1911

Mr. J.L. Godfrey, editor of North and South, Louisville, Ky., was a visitor to the city Monday collecting data for a write-up of Monroe in the forthcoming number of his publication. Mr. Godfrey favored our sanctum with a pleasant visit.

For Sale: A pair of high-class hound pups, 16 months old, cheap. Guaranteed to run a fox or cat with any pack and stay there. H.C. Fountain, Burnt Corn.

Mr. Samuel H. Dailey, one of the oldest and most universally esteemed citizens of Monroe County, died at the home of his brother, Dr. Fielding S. Dailey, at Tunnel Springs on Sunday morning, Jan. 29, in the 76th year of his age. Interment was made at Bethlehem cemetery Monday afternoon with Masonic honors.
Mr. Dailey was born at Belleville, Conecuh County, in March 1835, but the greater portion of his life had been spent in Monroe where he held at different times numerous positions of responsibility and trust. When the war between the states broke out, Mr. Dailey volunteered in Co. C, Fifth Alabama Regiment, commanded by Capt. T.M. Riley, in which company he held the rank of Sergeant, but returned home after a few months’ service to assume the office of sheriff of the county to which he had been elected during his absence at the front. After the expiration of his term as sheriff, he held the office of magistrate at various times and also taught in the common schools of the county as well as practicing the profession of dentistry.
He was made a Mason nearly or quite 50 years ago and was a zealous and loyal member of the Craft, serving Monroeville Lodge as Master for a number of years prior to the organization of the lodge at Tunnel Springs and served that lodge in a similar capacity.

135 YEARS AGO
FEB. 5, 1886

Money is almost as scarce as local news.

Col. Bertrand Hibbard, late consul general to Caracas, has returned to Alabama, and paid a visit to his old home at Monroeville last week. The Colonel is a genial and companionable gentleman, with whom you naturally love to be thrown in contact, because he is entertaining and instructive as well as agreeable. Col. Hibbard gave up his position because his continued stay at Caracas would have necessitated the removal of his family there which was not desirable on account of the unhealthy climate of that country. He will locate in Alabama.

Mr. Lindsey Downs says that large numbers of frogs were frozen in his field on Limestone during the late cold spell.

Several nice tombs have been erected at the Baptist and Methodist graveyards recently.

Mr. John I. Watson and Ernest Ricou will open a new family grocery store in town in a few weeks.

The Monroe County Medical Society met in Monroeville last Monday. There were only three physicians present at the meeting of the Medial Society last Monday: Drs. McMillan, Packer and Russell.

Editor Robbins of the Pineapple Enterprise was in town Wednesday and gave The Journal a call.

When completed, Mr. Sam Yarbrough will have the handsomest residence in or near town.

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