100-year-old news highlights from The Wilcox Progressive Era in Camden, Alabama

Today marks the first Wednesday 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 September 1924.

In the Sept. 4, 1924 edition of The Wilcox Progressive Era, editor Stanley Clifford Godbold reported that “Oak Hill defeated Camden last Thursday by a score of 10 to 3. Dunnam pitched the first five innings for Camden, allowing two runs in the first and eight in the fifth, the Camden infield made several errors in the fifth and this, combined with several hits, accounted for the eight runs. Joe Bonner pitched the last four innings and his fast ball was too much for the visitors, not allowing a safe hit.”

Elsewhere in that week’s paper, it was reported that the “Franklin K. Beck Camp of Confederate Veterans met at the courthouse in Camden Aug. 30, 1924. Col. John S. Hunter was elected commander of the camp and delegates named to attend the reunion in Mobile Oct. 22-23.”

In the Sept. 11, 1924 edition of The Progressive Era, it was reported that “the 15^th annual session of the Wilcox County High School, and the 75^th session of the school conducted in this historic building, opened Monday, Sept. 8, with interesting exercises attended by a large number of patrons and friends of the school. Talks were made by W.J. Jones, County Superintendent of Education, E.W. Berry, S.C. Godbold and Prof. W.V. Luckie, principal of the school. The devotional was led by Rev. J.O. Wilson of the Methodist church.”

Also that week, readers learned that “Prof. W.V. Luckie gave an instructive talk to the teachers of Wilcox County at the high school on Saturday. He explained the course of study as mapped out by the state board of education, explaining the work of the junior high school and other important educational matters.”

In the Sept. 18, 1924 edition of the newspaper, it was reported that “Mr. Hunter Farish will spend the winter at Harvard, taking a post-graduate course.”

Readers that week also learned that “Miss Armantine Pritchett, youngest daughter of Mr. D.S. Pritchett, and Mr. Wilbur Zinnaman Ellis will be married at the residence of her father on Sat., Sept. 27. The wedding will be very quiet, owing to the recent sad bereavement in the brides’ family, only relatives and a few close friends being present. Miss Armantine is a lovely young woman, of the blonde type and has endeared herself to a large circle of friends, who regret that her marriage will take her to Andalusia to live.”

In the Sept. 25, 1924 edition of the newspaper, under the headline, “PLACING OF 1812 MARKER,” that “Mrs. Wells Thompson, nee Carrie Tait, of Houston, Texas, a member of Capt. James Asbury Tait Chapter, National Society of Daughters of 1812, has requested Mrs. Samford C. McMurphy, a former state historian of all Daughters of 1812, to place a marker at the grave of her grandfather, Capt. James Asbury Tait. This interesting event will take place at the Tait family burying ground near Coy, Oct. 4, at 11 a.m. The relatives and public are cordially invited to attend.”

Well, I guess that’s all that space will allow for this month. On the first Wednesday of next month, I plan to take a look at the events of October 1924 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.