100-year-old Wilcox County news highlights from May 1921

Baseball player Tom 'Sut" Jenkins

It’s that time of the month again, time to take a trip down memory lane and review some of the interesting things that took place in Wilcox County 100 years ago, way back in May 1921.

On the front page of the May 5, 1921 edition of The Wilcox Progressive Era, publisher Stanley Clifford Godbold reported that the “Spring term of Circuit Court will begin next Monday and probably will continue for two weeks. Judge Hobbs of Selma will preside. Sheriff McLean has put the courtroom and grounds in tip-top order. New benches for court visitors and after court for the convenience of the Loafer’s Club, and under the oaks, to accommodate our county people.”

Readers that week also learned that “Mr. Jim Watson and family attended the annual memorial assembly at Enon Cemetery in Fatama last Saturday. This memorial assembly is the annual gathering of the survivors of deceased relatives for the purpose of caring for the graves of their beloved dead and to clean the cemetery of brush, briars, etc. It is a very pretty custom and should be observed at every county cemetery.”

In the May 12, 1921 edition of The Progressive Era, readers learned that the “1861 battle flag of the Wilcox True Blues has been sent to the Department of Archives and History at Montgomery. Mrs. M.E. Curtis, who attended the State Convention, carried this priceless treasure to the Capitol.”

That week’s paper also reprinted a news item from The Selma Times-Journal, under the headline “Big Gray Wolf Is Killed,” which let readers know that Willis Stokes, “who lives on the Burnsville road, shot and killed a big gray wolf near Beech Creek, back of the slaughter pen, Wednesday evening. The wolf was one of the largest ever seen in this section, being larger than a good-size dog, and having long, ugly claws. The beast had been seen before, running away from the bone pile back of the slaughter house and was shot in a clump of bushes near there.”

On the front page of the May 19, 1921 edition of the newspaper, under the headline “CAMDEN DEFEATS MARION JUNCTION,” it was reported that “Camden defeated Marion Junction on the local mound Wednesday by a score of 18-1. Joe Jones pitched a nice game for Camden, allowing only three hits and sent 10 back to the bench via the strike out route. The entire Camden team played a nice game. Big Boy Steed, a newcomer, played left field for Camden and all of the fans seemed well pleased with his performance. Sut Jenkins got his usual three hits.”

Readers that week also learned that Pine Hill High School’s “commencement exercises were conducted on Thursday evening when diplomas were awarded to the following students: Misses Leone Miller, Amilee Jackson, Louise McConnell, Sudie Shontez and Lucille Foster, Messrs. W.J. Miller Jr. and Carl Pruitt. County Superintendent Weaver and Col. S.D. Bloch and Hon. John Miller made very inspiring talks which made the evening one of the most enjoyable of the commencement exercises.”

In the May 26, 1921 edition of the paper, readers learned that “reports from the oil well at Peach Tree indicate that drilling is proceeding very nicely. A flow of artesian water was encountered at a depth of about 300 feet which necessitates the placing in of casing.”

It was also reported that week that the “Boykin Bridge road has been completed by contractor J.M. Hicks and is now open to travel. This work has been done very satisfactorily and an easy outlet to Selma afforded.”

Well, I guess that’s all that space will allow for this month. On the first Wednesday of next month, I plan to take a look at the events of June 1921 in Wilcox County. Until then, if you get the urge to research the county’s past yourself, take advantage of the Alabama Department of Archives and History’s excellent selection of old newspapers on microfilm and other resources. Their friendly and courteous staff will be more than happy to get you started.