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

Gov. James E. Folsom

40 YEARS AGO
APRIL 14, 1983

Library makes final payment on LaSalle: The Monroe County Library made its final payment Tuesday night on the former LaSalle Hotel and Restaurant building, which will become the new location of the library.
Rachel Hardee, chairman of the library board, gave a check of $6,000 to R.J. Robinson, representing the building’s former owner, Dwight Harrigan of Fulton, in a ceremony in the LaSalle. The building was bought for $125,000 in December 1981, but Harrigan allowed as much time as necessary to raise the money to pay for it.

MA spikes Sparta 12-1: The Monroe Academy Volunteers took their third District 3 win Tuesday of last week in Monroeville as they swamped Sparta Academy 12-1 in five innings. Jeff Brown was the Volunteer pitcher, giving up one run, three hits and two bases on balls. The righthander had four strikeouts. (Other top MA players in that game included Tim Carter, Pat Downs, Donald Foster, Steve Lambert, Keith Langham, Michael McCrory, Steven Simmons and Don Smith. Eddie Tyler was MA’s head coach.)

Rains hit county roads: A storm system that caused flooding in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama last week dumped more than seven inches of rain in the Monroeville area and caused damage to several Monroe County roads and bridges. Officials at Claiborne Lock and Dam expect the rain-swollen Alabama River to crest at Claiborne-Murphy Bridge by noon today (Thursday) at around 53 feet.

65 YEARS AGO
APRIL 10, 1958

MCHS Student Wins County Spelling Bee: Mack Lloyd, eighth-grader at Monroe County High School, was winner of the annual Monroe County “Spelling Bee” held Friday at the high school in Beatrice.
Alternate winner was Michael Kilpatrick, seventh-grader at Excel High School.
Third-place winner in the county match was Sue Lambert, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O.L. Lambert, Frisco City, and seventh-grader at the Frisco City school.

Pvt. Aubrey E. Grant, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl F. Grant, Uriah, is scheduled to depart Fort Benning, Ga. in mid-April for Europe under “Operation Gyroscope,” the Army’s unit rotation plan.
Grant is a member of the 3^rd Infantry Division, which is replacing the 10^th Infantry Division in Germany. Grant is a 1953 graduate of J.U. Blacksher High School.

Grayson Simmons, a student at the University of Alabama, spent the weekend in Monroeville with his parents.

Jimmy Faulkner, Southwest Alabama’s own candidate for governor, will bring his fast-moving campaign to Monroeville at 1 p.m. Monday, April 14. It will be one of more than 300 speeches Faulkner, who was runner-up to Gov. James E. Folsom in 1954, is making throughout the state. He will be in Uriah at 9:30 a.m. and Frisco City at 11 a.m.
The Bay Minette businessman and former state senator from Baldwin, Escambia and Monroe counties, will be accompanied by the world famous, Statesmen Quartet, which will sing gospel songs before and after Faulkner makes an important talk on matters concerning the gubernatorial race.

90 YEARS AGO
APRIL 13, 1933

Useful Citizen Is Called By Death: Mr. James E. Lazenby died at his home about 7:30 Tuesday evening at the age of 81.
He came to Monroeville about 25 years ago from Forest Home and engaged in a mercantile business until he retired about six years ago.
Interment was made in the Methodist cemetery Wednesday afternoon at four o’clock, following services at the Methodist Church.

SCHOOL TO PRESENT PLAY ON NEXT FRIDAY EVENING: “Just A Little Mistake” and “School Spirit,” two one-act plays, will be given at the high school auditorium Friday evening at 8 o’clock. Admission is five cents and 10 cents. Proceeds for benefit of the dramatic club to be organized at the beginning of the next school term.

MORRISSETTE-FARISH: Mr. and Mrs. Edward Robison Morrissette announce the marriage of their daughter, Helen Scott, to Miller Rufus Farish on April 11, 1933.

MONROEVILLE GIRL WINS COLLEGE DEBATE: Miss Alice Stallworth, who is a student at the Alabama College, Montevallo, recently represented the college in a debate with Mercer University. Miss Stallworth and Miss Azalia Painter, the debating team, upheld the affirmative side of the subject “That the United States Should Cancel the Inter Allied War Debts.” The decision of the judges was in favor of the affirmative side. The Alabama College team will go to Auburn on Fri., April 21, to meet the API team.

115 YEARS AGO
APRIL 9, 1908

Mr. J.W. Rook, representing the Pitner Gasoline Light Co. of Chicago, was here this week installing plants for the Baptist and Methodist churches, the Masonic Lodge and Messrs. Barnett & Bugg.

There will be an Easter Egg Hunt for the benefit of the children on the grounds of the Methodist church on Saturday afternoon, April 18. Each child participating in the hunt must pay a fee of 10 cents. On the same afternoon, the ladies will serve free chocolate and cake at some convenient places on Court Square and accept thank offerings which will be devoted to worthy enterprises of the church.

The circuit court is grinding away on the criminal division this week. Quite a number of cases have been disposed of, among them being that of the state against George Phillips for assault with intent to murder, resulting in a verdict of guilty and sentence to 20 years in the penitentiary.
In the case of Wiley Harris, charged with murder, the charge was reduced to manslaughter in the second degree and a fine of $250 imposed. There were also several convictions for violation of the revenue and prohibition laws and fines imposed ranging from $50 to $100. There are several cases of the same nature on the call for today.

DEATH OF GEORGE HOLMAN: Mr. George Holman died at his home at Repton on Saturday night, April 4, 1908, at the ripe old age of 97 years. The burial was at the Methodist cemetery in Monroeville on Sunday afternoon, the services being conducted by Rev. Mr. Strickland.
Mr. Holman was for many years a citizen of Monroe, being among the early settlers of the county. He was a prosperous farmer and stockman and an upright citizen.

140 YEARS AGO
APRIL 9, 1883

Hon. W.C. Sowell, our worthy probate judge, who was so seriously ill last week, of which mention was made in The Journal, is, we are happy to say, convalescent, and is rapidly recuperating. There are few better men than Judge Sowell, and Monroe could ill afford to lose him.

THE JONES HOTEL: I have leased the Old Monroeville Hotel and am having it repaired, devoted and improved and am preparing to accommodate the traveling public at very moderate prices. I solicit full share of the patronage of the traveling public and guarantee their satisfaction. – W.B. JONES

Wash Jones has planted the champion watermelon patch.

Charlie Yarbrough has established an art gallery in Monroeville.

All the gambling houses in Montgomery have been closed till after the municipal election.

T.W. RUSSELL – Breeder of Pit-Games – Genuine Kentucky Dominiques, Georgia Shawl Necks and Claibornes. Eggs for sale, $3 per 13 from crosses-Shawl and Claiborne, Kentucky Doms and Claiborne. Blue and White Pigeons for sale, 50 cents per pair. Address T.W. Russell, Monroeville, Monroe County, Ala.

M.C. Osborn has been removed as U.S. Marshall for the middle and southern districts of Alabama, and Paul Strobach has been appointed in his stead. The administration swapped the devil for the witch.