100-year-old news highlights from Wilcox County, Alabama

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 August 1921.

In the Aug. 4, 1921 edition of The Wilcox Progressive Era, publisher Stanley Clifford Godbold reported, under the headline “CAMDEN LETS CONTRACT FOR POTATO HOUSE THIS WEEK,” that “in a whirlwind campaign that was characterized with complete success, the capital stock for a potato house was subscribed this week. Mr. R.N. McConnell of Pine Hill was awarded the contract for the erection of a 1,500-bushel capacity house. Mr. McConnell has just finished one at Pine Hill and will begin work at an early date here. The contract calls for completion within six weeks. The success of this enterprise is especially gratifying to our people.”

Also that week, Camden’s baseball team defeated Pine Apple, 2-0, in “one of the best exhibitions of baseball seen on the Camden diamond this season. Ardis and McGovin, former University of Alabama pitchers, engaged in a pretty pitcher’s battle, with honors about even, each team getting five hits and both pitchers forcing many to pop up.”

In the Aug. 11, 1921 edition of The Progressive Era, under the headline “ALABAMIAN HELD BY BOLSHEVISTS RELEASED TODAY,” it was reported that “Capt. Emmett Kilpatrick of Camden, Ala., who has been held prisoner by the Bolsheviks for the past several months, has been released and is expected to be clear of Russian territory sometime today, according to advices received in the United States yesterday from Riga. The Alabamian was released together with five other Americans, the dispatch stated.”

Also that week, it was reported that “unusual downpours of meteors upon the sun is given as a reason by scientists for the excessive summer heat. Up to this time, there have been 37 days when the thermometer reached 90 and above, which is five more days than the average for 51 years. Several days in Camden last week the thermometer ranged at 102 degrees. It was some heat, which has cooled off since the rains of last Friday and Saturday.”

On the front page of the Aug. 18, 1921 edition of the newspaper, under the headline “WILCOX FURNISHES THE FIRST BALE,” it was reported that “Mobile’s first bale of 1921 cotton was received on the market yesterday and sold for 30 cents a pound at public auction. The price commanded was higher than that received by any other first bale in the state this year. The cotton was grown on the farm of J.M. McLeod of Coy, Wilcox County. The cotton was classed as strict low middling, and the bale weighed 494 pounds.”

Readers that week also learned, under the headline “FERRYMAN DROWNED,” that “last Monday morning, while deputy sheriff Watson was preparing to cross the Alabama River at Lower Peach Tree ferry on the Camden side of the river, his car driver drove the car into the flat. The landing is pretty steep and the ferryman, Marion Foster, was on the far end of the flat, trying to hold it steady with a pole. The jar of the car as it entered the flat caused him to lose his foothold, and he fell into the river and was drowned. Every effort was made to rescue him, but when the body was recovered, the man was dead.”

In the Aug. 25, 1921 edition of the paper, under the headline “ELLIS CURRY LOSES LIFE,” it was reported that “Ellis Curry, sawyer at the Barrett-Summerville Lumber Co., was instantly killed Monday afternoon at about four o’clock when in some way he was caught in a belt which he had placed on the pulleys. His body was considerably mangled, and he lived only a few minutes after being thrown from his entanglement. Mr. Curry was about 25 years of age, and his strict attention to business and genial disposition made him many friends in Camden.”

On a lighter note that week, it was reported that a “fox hunt was participated in last Thursday night by J.C. Harper, B.F. Watts Jr., Cecil Skinner, Bonner Stewart, Carl Watts and others. They met at Dr. Warb Jones’ Pine Barren plantation and chased Sir Reynard all night. Another meet is to take place shortly at Mt. Progress.”

Well, I guess that’s all that space will allow for this month. On the first Thursday of next month, I plan to take a look at the events of September 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 staff will be more than happy to get you started.