100-year-old news highlights from The Wilcox Progressive Era

Alabama Gov. Charles Henderson

What follows are 100-year-old news excerpts from the Jan. 31, 1918 edition of The Wilcox Progressive Era newspaper in Camden, Ala.

JUDGE J.N. STANFORD ANSWERS LAST ROLL CALL: Judge J.N. Stanford died suddenly Monday morning about 12 o’clock at his home in Camden. He had just returned home from downtown and was in his lot looking after his horse when stricken. He was discovered by Mrs. Stanford but died before assistance could reach him.

Funeral services were conducted from the Baptist Church by Rev. I.N. Kimbrough and H.N. Huckabee after which with Masonic honors he was laid to rest in the Camden cemetery.

The Wilcox County Board of Education will meet Thurs., Feb. 14, to consider such matters as may come before it. – J.C. Adams, President.

Lt. Emmet Kilpatrick of Oglethorpe, Ga. and Mr. Rufus Hall Kilpatrick of Mt. Olivet, Miss. were called to Camden the past week on account of the death of their sister, Miss Ella Mae.

Sheriff McDowell has received a cablegram from his brother, Lt. Sam McDowell, briefly stating his “safe arrival” over there. Sam has never been known to fail when duty called and when the order comes to “go over the top,” Sam will be there.

MISS EMMA LEWIS: Miss Emma Lewis was born in Clarke County, Ala. in June 1844. Her father and mother died when she was quite young and she was reared by her uncle and grandfather, who was Dr. Whitfield of the University of Alabama. She moved to Mobile and made her home with Mrs. M.J. Duggan, mother of Mrs. B.M. Miller, for 15 or 16 years, and for the last 25 years she has made her home with Judge and Mrs. B.M. Miller, where she died Jan. 23, 1918 at 10 o’clock p.m.

The funeral was conducted from the home Friday morning. Messrs. F.L. Moore, P.M. Dannelly, John Miller, W.J. Bonner, J.D. Caldwell and D.H. Turner were pallbearers.

Miss Lewis was a member of the Methodist church. The pastor of that church was absent and the funeral services were conducted by Rev. B.H. Grier of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian church.

Mrs. Mary Vaughn Powell, wife of Mr. P.E. Powell, died at her home near Camden on Jan. 24, 1918, having suffered the fourth stroke of paralysis since July 1916. She was born Jan. 23 1860 and had just passed her 58^th birthday.

She was an esteemed member of the Baptist church, having joined the old Gravel Creek Baptist church when a young girl. Rev. I.N. Kimbrough conducted the funeral services at the home and she was interred in the Nettles cemetery, about six miles from Camden, near where the old church stood.

Mr. C.B. Bryant of Canton Bend has been appointed member of the Equalization Board by Gov. Henderson to succeed Mr. W.T. Alford, resigned. Mr. Bryant is a substantial planter of Wilcox and is in every way qualified to serve in this important position.

Mr. Thomas Hood Simpson has been engaged by the Music Study Club of Selma to appear in a piano recital in that city on the evening of Feb. 6.

We bespeak for the music lovers of Selma a rare treat in hearing this gifted young pianist.

Mr. Simpson is a native of Wilcox County, having been born in Furman.