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

USS Wallace L. Lind

21 YEARS AGO
MAY 17, 2001

Body identified: Alabama and Mississippi law enforcement officials have discovered the identity of a body found May 2 in a beaver pond in a remote part of Monroe County near Franklin.
The man has been identified as Thomas Earl Beasley III, 36, of Helena, Miss., near Moss Point, Miss. Beasley, who was last seen April 26, worked as a construction worker. He was found with severe trauma to the back of his head and a concrete block tied around his body.

Excel bound for state: Excel High School’s softball team earned a spot in the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s 2A-3A state slowpitch softball tournament Tuesday when the Panthers defeated Elba High School in a sub-state series.
After falling 15-7 in the first game of the best two-of-three games series Tuesday, Excel rallied to beat Elba 5-1 and 4-2 in games two and three to win the sub-state series.
(Top players on Excel’s team that season included Brandi Boyington, Erika Burton, Jade Deese, Shondra Gross, Ginger Hollinger, Brandy House, Brittany House, Shelia Jordan, Amanda Patterson, Robyn Reid and Patricia Smith. Jim Gibbs was head coach.)

Patricia Powell McCullers in Teacher Hall of Fame: J.U. Blacksher High School teacher Patricia Powell McCullers of Uriah has been named to Jacksonville State University’s Teacher Hall of Fame.
After being named secondary teacher of the year for the Monroe County public school system last month, McCullers learned that she was nominated for the college’s Hall of Fame. McCullers learned Monday that she has been named a Hall of Fame teacher.

46 YEARS AGO
MAY 20, 1976

Mrs. Harper to fly in Angel Derby: Mrs. Alice Earle Harper of Monroeville will be one of 120 women flying in the 1976 Angel Derby, an international air race, May 27-31, between Quebec City Airport in Canada and Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport in Florida.
The derby is a special bicentennial event for the city of Fort Lauderdale and will follow a route with refueling sites located in cities important to the Bicentennial celebration.
Mrs. Harper will be flying with Juanita Halstead of Montgomery against other female pilots.

Athletic awards: Frisco City High School held its annual athletic banquet Friday night at the school, and five outstanding athletes were singled for trophies. They were Calvin Banks, most valuable basketball player; Bianchard Hunt, most improved basketball player; Johnny Ridgeway, most valuable offensive football player; Willie Lee, most valuable defensive football player; and Larry Walden, best hitter for the baseball team.

Workmen to blacktop five roads: County-contracted road construction crews should begin paving roads in five locations late this week or next, according to acting Monroe County engineer Allen Biggs.
The paving will total five miles and will involve two streets in Clausell, two roads near Rumbley Cemetery southeast of Peterman, and a portion of Enon Church Road in southeast Monroe.
Cost of the paving will be $44,523, according to a contract approved by the county commission Dec. 9.

71 YEARS AGO
MAY 17, 1951

Beatrice School Principal Resigns: John Harbour, principal of the Beatrice school, has submitted his resignation to the Monroe County Board of Education, to become effective June 30, H.G. Greer, county superintendent of education, announced this week. Mr. Harbour is resigning his present position, which he has held for the past four years, to become principal of the Kate Duncan High School of Grant, Ala. Mr. Harbour’s career as a Monroe County instructor began in 1940, when at the age of 18, he accepted a position on the faculty of J.U. Blacksher High School in Uriah, which he held for one year.

Deadlock With Grove Hill Winds Up Season For MCHS: The Monroe County High School Tigers finished their season Friday afternoon with a cleanly-played 13-inning tilt against Grove Hill, in which neither team came out the victor, the final score being 2-2. It was pitching battle all the way with both hurlers going the distance, Havard Jaye for the Tigers and Duke for Grove Hill.
(Other top MCHS players in that game included Bobby Moore and Russell Smith. The game ended in a tie upon agreement of the head coaches.)

Local Navy Man Serving On Destroyer: Alfred D. Hendrix, seaman, United States Navy, husband of Mrs. Lillie Ray Hendrix of South Mount Pleasant, Monroeville, is serving with United Nations forces in the Korean area as a crew member aboard the USS Lind. The Lind operated with Task Force 95 during a Naval siege on 250 miles of Korea’s northeast coast recently. In this operation, the force directed intensified bombardment into shore installations at Wonsan, Songjin and Chongjin, destroying communist shore emplacements and severing Red supply lines in those areas.

96 YEARS AGO
MAY 20, 1926

MCHS COMMENCEMENT: The 14^th annual commencement of the Monroe County High School will take place May 23 to May 25, inclusive. The commencement sermon will be delivered by the Rev. K.B. McCutchen, pastor of the Presbyterian church, this service to be held in the Methodist Church. The senior play will be given in the high school auditorium Wednesday evening and the graduating exercises will be held at the Methodist church on Tuesday evening, May 25, at 8 p.m. The 1926 class is the second largest in the history of the school, consisting of 31, viz: Madge Andress, Howard Harrison Biggs, Carmen Ersel Burns, Clydie Thelma Crocker, Lila Bruice Dees, Mary Ida Faulk, Ida Nelle Finklea, James John Finklea, Mary Palmer Gaillard, Martin Mandred Giles, Osborn Lee Green, Elizabeth Stallworth Harris, Myrtle Doris Hendrix, Verna June Holloway, Lewis Jackson, Albert Harrison Johnson, Ethel Lambert, Morton McDonald, Earl Marshall, Frieda Morrissette, A.P. Norwood, Elinor Pierce, James Walter Roberts, Barbara Eugenia Simmons, Ernestine McCreary Simmons, Isaac Rush Slaughter, Ruth Tatum, Ouida F. Thompson, Mary L. Urquhart, Clara B. Wiggins and Evelyn Williams.

The walls of the new two-story brick building being erected for Mr. S.H. Tucker are nearing completion. The first floor will be occupied by the Monroeville Bakery while the second will be divided into offices.

121 YEARS AGO
MAY 16, 1901

Last Friday night while sitting on the piazza at his home near Hixon, Calvin Wiggins, was shot by some party unknown, the whole charge of small shot bespatting his breast. The injury inflicted was slight. The sheriff went over Saturday but failed to discover the guilty party.

At a special meeting of the local camp of Confederate Veterans held on Monday afternoon, the following were elected delegates to the reunion at Memphis: T.J. Emmons, T.S. Wiggins, N.J. Stallworth, T.A. Nettles, J.W. Morris, J.I. Watson, J.T. Snow, W.S. Haddox; alternates, J.L. Smith, G.W. Salter Sr., B.L. Hibbard and W.H. Richardson. The camp will probably be represented by a full delegation and a number of visitors as well.

His many friends in Monroe learn with regret of the death of Mr. James H. Wiggins at the home of his son at Kauntz, Texas on May 9, 1901, aged about 77 years. Deceased was a native of this county and a brother of Capt. W.S. Wiggins Sr. of this place, and of Mrs. Lindsey of Buena Vista. Six children survive him.

On the rolls of distinguished pupils in the music, art and elocution departments of the Judson Institute for the month ending April 23, we note the name of Miss Janie Simmons, one of Monroeville’s most talented young ladies.

Marie, a little daughter of our friend I.J. Kearley of Franklin, died on last Friday night. We extend to the heart-broken parents our deepest sympathy in this sore trial.

MANISTEE: Rev. J.M. Hall of Mobile has sent an appointment to Pleasant Hill Baptist Church for the night of the 29^th, also next day at 11 o’clock a.m. He requests that he have a good congregation, which we hope he will get.