Century-old news highlights from February 1923 editions of The Wilcox Progressive Era in Camden, Ala.

1923 Buick Touring Car.

Today marks the first Thursday of the month, so it’s time to take another trip back down memory lane for a look at some of the interesting things that happened in Wilcox County a century ago, way back in February 1923.

In the Feb. 1, 1923 edition of The Wilcox Progressive Era, publisher Stanley Clifford Godbold reported that “on Saturday, Jan. 27, Judge Dannelly held the preliminary trial of Zena Wright and Blue Wright and Joe Fisher, charged with shooting Ann Daniels to death last Saturday night near Marshes Landing in Canton Bend. The evidence was such that Blue Wright and Joe Fisher were discharged, Zena Wright held in jail without bond.”

Readers that week also learned that “Big Boy John Bridges, a member of the Camden baseball team during the season of 1920, was in Camden last Monday. He played during the past season with Tuscaloosa and was one of the leading pitchers in that section of the state.”

In the Feb. 8, 1923 edition of The Progressive Era, it was reported that “Mr. Walter Alford has sold the store house on the corner which was occupied by C.R. Duke to Hon. S.D. Bloch, who will move it to one of his vacant lots. The material is all ready for work on the two-story brick store for this corner and it will not be long before Camden can boast of another handsome business house.”

Readers that week also learned that “The Wilcox Motor Co. will receive a car load of Buicks this week. This is the first full car they have been able to secure in over a year.”

In the Feb. 15, 1923 edition of the newspaper, it was reported that the “girls basketball team of the Pine Hill High School will go to Montevallo for the tournament to be held there on Feb. 22-24. Miss Lillie Burkes, a popular teacher of said school, will have charge of the team.”

Readers that week also learned that “one of the handsome bay horses, owned by Miss Sallie Hall Neville, died Saturday from lock jaw, caused from a slight cut on his leg.”

In the Feb. 22, 1923 edition of the paper, under the headline “SHINN STILL CAPTURED,” that the “Sheriff got his big guns into action last Sunday and captured a large still and several gallons of fire water and destroyed about 50 gallons of mash. The still was located at Bridgeport, about four miles north of Camden, on the premises of Willie Patrick.”

Readers that week also learned that the “plumbers have been busy this week fixing up pipes where the house holders forgot to turn off the water, and thereby let the pipes freeze.”

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 March 1923 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.