The Monroe Journal's News Flashback for May 20, 2024

USS Bataan

24 YEARS AGO
MAY 17, 2000

Timber mill to locate in Mexia area: Construction is expected to begin next month for a new timber processing facility in the Mexia community.
Rocky Creek Lumber Co. will employ 50 when fully operational. The new company will process large pine pulpwood into timbers and chips.

Excel girls reach sub-state round: Christmas came a few months early for Excel High School softball coach Jim Gibbs when the Lady Panthers finished runners-up in the 3A Section 1 tournament in Chatom.
In the first round of the tournament, Excel blasted Leroy, 13-3. The Panthers fell, 6-2, to UMS-Wright in the second game, then eliminated Leroy, 8-1, in the third game. In the championship round, UMS-Wright slipped by the Panthers, 8-6.
(Top Excel players in those games included Erica Burton, Shondra Gross, Sheila Jordan, Crystal Levins, Anna Kay Melton, Nicole Norris and Robyn Reed.)

New Hope Baptist Church added to heritage register: New Hope Baptist Church in Natchez has recently been added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage.
Believed to date from as early as 1855, the church remains as one of the few intact 19^th century religious buildings in the county and depicts a highly significant vernacular architectural form.
The adjacent cemetery contributes to the significance of the resource for its historic association with the congregation. The cemetery there is most widely known as the last resting place of a late-19^th century itinerant entertainer known as the Bear Man.

49 YEARS AGO
MAY 15, 1975

Flash flood makes train leave rails: A flash flood in the Hybart community washed out a portion of railroad track and caused six cars and two engines of a Frisco Railroad train to derail Wednesday morning of last week at 2:30. No injuries were reported. The northbound train reportedly was headed to a terminal in Amory, Miss.

MA girls state track champs: Monroe Academy’s girls track team easily won the Alabama Private School Athletic Association’s track meet, held Friday and Saturday in Greenville at Fort Dale Academy. Members of the squad are Missy Middleton, Janet Huggins, Mary Louise Smith, Angie Stokes, Jo Ann Wiggins, Jan Sales, Elizabeth Cauley, Kay Dees, Kay Williams, Martha Tucker, Sandra Watson, Janice Pugh, Miriam Williams, Lori Lane, Beverly Daniels, Angie Dean, Francine Hollinger and Coach Jerry Steele.

Repton fire badly damages Roberson’s store Tuesday: Fire heavily damaged the grocery and clothing parts of the Roberson Mercantile store in Repton early Tuesday, Repton Fire Chief Billy Mims reported.
The fire apparently started with an explosion in a stock room at the rear of the store, Mims said. But he said it was unknown Tuesday afternoon what had exploded or what had set off the blast.
He said Roger Terry, who lives near the store, heard the explosion and reported the fire about 2:05 a.m. Repton, Monroeville and Frisco City volunteer fire departments answered the alarm.
The store was unoccupied when the fire started, and no one was injured, Mims said. Located on the town’s main street, the store is owned and operated by Windel Roberson.

74 YEARS AGO
MAY 18, 1950

FOUND: Two bicycles (boys). One red and white, other blue and white. Blue and white found a month ago, red and white found two weeks ago. One of the bicycles was found on the courthouse square and the other near Millsap’s Stable. Owners can claim by identifying the bicycles and paying for this ad. Contact Alex Stevens, Police Chief.

Marlon Hendrix, radarman, third class, U.S. Navy, was recently graduated from the Combat Information Center Team Training School at Boston, Mass. The son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hendrix of Frisco City, and the husband of Mrs. Virginia Hendrix of 47-1/2 Wilson St., Brooklyn, N.Y., he attended Uriah High School before entering the naval service in March 1944. He is now serving aboard the light aircraft carrier, USS Bataan.

PERSONAL – Phil; Come home. All will be forgiven if you promise to carry your livestock to Farmers Cooperative Market in Frisco City next time. Love, Mary.

Manager LeVaughan Hanks nudged leftfielder “Hop” Stevens out of the top spot in hitting on the Monroeville club this week with a .445 average to .412 for Stevens.
Hanks, through Sunday’s game, had banged out 10 safe hits in 22 trips to the plate, while Stevens had seven safe hits in 17 attempts.

Frisco Resident Is Buried Tuesday: Funeral services for Robert Stacey, 80, of Frisco City, Rt. 2, were held from the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Tuesday afternoon with the Rev. A.E. Wells and the Rev. C.C. Pruette officiating. Interment was in the church cemetery. A native of this county, he had lived in Monroe County all his life. He was a member of the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.

99 YEARS AGO
MAY 21, 1925

Capt. J.L. Marshall left Saturday to attend the annual reunion of Confederate veterans in Dallas, Texas.

Judge Fountain requests any survivor of Co. H, 52^nd Alabama Regiment, CSA, to communicate with him at once.

Material is being placed on the ground for the erection of a new brick building on the vacant lot between the Monroeville Pharmacy and the European Café.

At the recent meeting of the County Board of Revenue, contract was awarded Mr. E.W. Williamson for the building of a new bridge spanning Limestone Creek on the Monroeville-Peterman road. The bridge has been in a shaky condition for some time.

A committee of citizens from Lower Peach Tree and vicinity, consisting of Dr. K.A. Mayer and Messrs. A.L. Slaughter and W.J. Adams, were in attendance at the last session of the Board of Revenue in behalf of a new bridge across Long Branch on the west side of the river. The request was granted and contract will be let at an early date.

Coley-Blacksher School, Vocation, is closing the most successful year of its history. Prospects for a permanent plant which will be of untold benefit to the boys and girls of this piney wood region are brighter than ever before.
An electric light system is being installed this week. The plant was a gift of Mr. J.C. Hecker of Michigan and some generous friends of Century, Fla.

124 YEARS AGO
MAY 17, 1900

The town election last week resulted as follows: Mayor, C.L. Hybart; Councilmen, J.I. Watson, S.W. Yarbrough, J.M. Wiggins, H.W. Jones and J.P. Stallworth. The officers elected promptly qualified and entered on their duties. Mr. Jno. B. Stallworth was appointed Marshal. Judging from the beginning, the administration promises to be vigorous.

Mr. Noah A. McNiel has been appointed County Surveyor by the Commissioners Corut to fill the unexpired term of Capt. W.T. Nettles, resigned.

Col. B.L. Hibbard has notified President Powers of the University of Alabama of another shipment of 350 volumes for the John Leslie Hibbard Memorial Library, making 600 of the 1,000 volumes that is to constitute the library. This collection has been selected with great care and will make a valuable addition to the University library which has been enriched to an unusual degree by the B.F. Meek collection and other donations.

The first week under the new administration of the town government has proved pretty lively. About a dozen arrests for various offenses were made during the first three or four days and several convictions and pleas of guilty have been entered on the Mayor’s docket. The town treasury is in better condition to the extent of $50 or more.

The Marshal is entitled to the thanks of the community for the diligent and faithful manner in which he is endeavoring to enforce the law and preserve order. The firmness of the Mayor in connection with efforts of the Marshal will do much toward the accomplishment of the purposes for which the corporation was established. Let all law-abiding citizens sustain them.