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

USS Sierra (AD-18)

21 YEARS AGO
MARCH 23, 2000

Ten students from the Monroe County area have been selected as candidates for the Southern Pine Electric Cooperative Rural Electric Youth Tour program.
(Students chosen to participate included J.U. Blacksher High School’s Katherine Johnson and Charles Smith, both of Goodway; Monroe County High School’s Sarah Sawyer of Frisco City and Michael Brooks of Monroeville; Excel High School’s Danielle Ledkins and Sean Fendley, both of Excel; Monroe Academy’s Sara Jane Griffin and Chris Caldwell, both of Monroeville; and Frisco City High School’s Pamela Holder and Brian Keith Adair Jr., both of Frisco City.)

Frisco City High School coach Richard Anderson announced his plans to resign his coaching and teaching duties at the school effective April 1. Since June 1998, Anderson has been an assistant football coach and head baseball coach at FCHS. This season he also coached girls basketball for the first time ever, filling in for his sister, Lisa Anderson, who is undergoing cancer treatment in Birmingham. Anderson will reunite with former Frisco City head coach Rodney Dollar at Houston Academy near Dothan. He will be an assistant football coach at Houston Academy in Dothan.

YMCA’s first senior director: Haden Tirey, YMCA board president, congratulates Rusty Hall, executive director, on becoming the Monroeville YMCA’s first senior director. To become a YMCA senior director, Hall had to earn a four-year degree and complete courses in principles and practices, supervision, facility management, program management and development, volunteering and the YMCA and YMCA group work.

46 YEARS AGO
MARCH 27, 1975

Uriah Café fire believed to have been set by arsonist: The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, a state fire marshal and a state investigator are investigating the possibility of arson in a fire which destroyed Uriah Café March 14.
Sheriff Lenwood Sager said arson was suspected when remains from the fire were searched. A money box was found on the floor and a juke box and cigarette machine had been pried open, Sager said.

Monroe Academy jamboree to be Mac Champion’s last appearance: The Monroe Academy Volunteers, Class A football champions of the Alabama Private School Athletic Association, will end their spring football drills Saturday night, meeting Sparta Academy in a jamboree.
The jamboree will be the last time Coach Mac Champion will direct the Vols. Champion has announced that he will move to Homewood High School this summer.

Local boys’ calves place in steer show: Calves raised by two Monroe County boys placed recently in the 53^rd annual Montgomery State Steer Show, held in Montgomery.
Brian Harris, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carey Harris of Uriah, won third place in the summer yearling class for Hereford steers with the same animal which was named grand champion and champion Hereford of both county and area calf shows, held in Monroeville March 3 and 4.
Scotty Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. O’Neal Smith of Uriah, placed fourth in the senior calf class for Angus steers.

71 YEARS AGO
MARCH 23, 1950

Plans for a $90,000 regional coliseum to be constructed in Monroeville were received from state architects this week, Probate Judge E.T. Millsap announced. Simultaneously, Judge Millsap announced that a special fundraising meeting has been called for Monday night to discuss means of raising additional revenue needed for construction of the coliseum. The meeting, set for the courthouse here, will get underway at 7:30.

MCHS baseball drills to begin today: The crack of horsehide against wood will echo across the local high school diamond this week as the Monroe County High School diamond hopefuls begin workouts today (Thursday). Back as a nucleus around which baseball coach Robert Riley expects to mold his squad will be 11 veterans from last year’s outfit.
(Returning players included Kenneth Hundley and Bobby Moore, first base; Havard Jaye and Karl Mims Lazenby, second base; Hurtis Tomlinson, third base; John Arthur Sirmon and John Arthur Morgan, catchers; and Bill Jaye, George Klepac and Woodrow Fowler, outfield.)

Bermuda Seaman Visits Sicily, Africa, Greece: Clifford W. Burt, metalsmith, second class, U.S. Navy, of Bermuda, visited two continents during February while serving as a crew member aboard the destroyer tender, USS Sierra.
All hands were afforded an opportunity for liberty and recreation when scheduled calls were made to Augusta, Sicily; Sfax, Tunisia, North Africa; and Athens, Greece.

J.B. Barnett and A.C. Lee attended the laying of the cornerstone of Vanity Fair Mills at Demopolis on Wed., March 15.

96 YEARS AGO
MARCH 26, 1925

OLD LANDMARK REMOVED: In the demolition of the old frame store building on the southwest corner of the public square, another landmark disappears from Monroeville. The building was erected before the Civil War and was occupied successively by the mercantile firms of S.H. Dailey & Co., Parker and Wiggins and W.S. Wiggins Sr. It originally occupied the site on which the Monroe County Bank is now located and was moved across the street when that building was erected some 15 years ago. A brick drive-in filling station for the Standard Oil company will replace the demolished building.

One murder case was disposed of in the circuit court this week. Liddell McIntosh was convicted of murder and sentenced to the penitentiary for life. Two misdemeanor cases were tried and convictions resulted in both cases. Court is still in session and the case of Jim Poe, charged with murder, is in progress.

SPECIAL NOTICE: The people of the County attending the Lafayette celebration at Claiborne April 9 are requested to bring baskets containing the following: cakes, pies, sandwiches, salads and pickles. The bread will be furnished and the meats will be barbecued on the grounds. The dinner will be served in cafeteria style and ladies from different communities have been appointed to help serve. On arrival, please deliver baskets to the committee in charge. Plates, cups, spoons and knives will be furnished, so do not bring anything in baskets that you wish returned.

121 YEARS AGO
MARCH 29, 1900

Let everybody turn out and hear Hon. W.J. Samford, candidate for governor, who will speak in the courthouse at 10 or 11 a.m. on Mon., April 2.

Rev. J.S. Frazer, Presiding Elder of the Pensacola District, will deliver a lecture at the Methodist church, Monroeville, next Sunday night on his recent visit to Cuba. An interesting and instructive lecture may be expected.

There was a small wreck on the Southern Alabama Railroad Monday, caused by a washout. The engine pulling a work train was ditched, but nobody hurt. Travel was delayed several hours, the north and southbound trains being forced to transfer passengers.

Lumber and material for remodeling the Methodist church is being placed on the ground. Work will begin shortly.

Mr. John J. Rutherford, a highly respected citizen of the county, died at his home near River Ridge on the 25^th inst., aged 76. A suitable tribute to his memory will appear in a future issue.

M.D. Wiggins has opened a stock of goods at Burnt Corn. The business is under the management of Mr. B.F. Wiggins.

Mr. J.S. Hines, formerly of Perdue Hill, but now of Jackson, was in Monroeville Tuesday. Mr. Hines is the traveling representative of McDonald, March & Co., Mobile.

Mr. Baker, a leading merchant of Pine Apple, was in Monroeville this week. Mr. Baker expressed himself as being much pleased with our town and surroundings.