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

NINE YEARS AGO

APRIL 16, 2009

Smith visits Monroeville: Former Florida Gator and Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith pauses while filming a scene April 1 in Monroeville. Smith, who declined an interview with The Journal, was said to be filming a documentary on his family history. Smith, who grew up in Escambia County, Fla., did take the time to autograph a football or two, according to Monroeville businessman Jim Rowell.

More than 200 cyclists fought through a 20-mph wind and the chance of rain to make the 100-mile trek from downtown Monroeville to Hank Aaron Stadium Friday as part of the annual Peddlin’ for a Cure bicycle ride. The event – billed as “From the Courthouse to Hank’s House” – raised $132,430 for Relay for Life of Monroe County, a total that organizers were amazed to see because of the county’s economic losses over the past year.

Rikard’s Mill opens: Rikard’s Mill, a historic grist mill north of Beatrice, held its annual spring opening Saturday. Visitors were treated to music provided by the Hicks Family of Franklin and smoked Monroe Sausage cooked by David Steele of Beatrice. The event also featured a number of arts and crafts booths and fresh grits and cornmeal at the grist mill.

Greg Albritton, R-Range, swept through the Republican Primary for the District 22 seat on the Alabama Senate Tuesday, receiving 67.8 percent of the votes in Monroe County and 57 percent of the votes across the district.

33 YEARS AGO

APRIL 18, 1985

Ten high school juniors will compete for the title of Monroe County Junior Miss for 1986 Saturday beginning at 7 p.m. in the Patrick Henry State Junior College auditorium.

(Contestants that year included Lucretia Elizabeth Bradley, Donna Alene Brooks, Charlotte Ann Skinner, Miriam Thames and eventually winner Sherrie Marie Vice, all of Monroe Academy; Kimberly Delane Brooks, Barbara Ellen McMillon and Lisa Annette Ward, all of Monroe County High School; and Charlene Marie Gulley and Pamela Roxanne Simpson, both of Excel High School.)

Volunteers and coach celebrate baseball victories and new baby: Monroe Academy baseball coach Jeff Myers celebrated over the Volunteers’ three baseball victories last week, and over the birth of Katie Marie Myers.

Coach Myers’ new daughter was born Friday at 7:23 a.m. in Baptist Hospital in Montgomery.

The three wins last week left Monroe with a 7-3 overall record and a 2-1 region accounting.

(Players on MA’s team that season included Patrick Brown, Rob Carter, Donald Foster, Steve Lambert, Mark Manning, Michael McCrory, Sean Sawyer, Shane Sawyer, Stephen Simmons.)

A Perdue Hill man who lost his left leg and sustained injuries to his right leg and a hand in a farm-combine accident was awarded more than $10.5 million Friday by a jury after a week-long trial in Mobile County Circuit Court.

The judgement, for James J. McMillian Jr. and against the designers and manufacturers of the equipment involved, is said to be one of the largest in Alabama history.

58 YEARS AGO

APRIL 21, 1960

Monroe County’s 1960 Spelling Bee winner is Jean Kilpatrick, 13, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Neil Kilpatrick of Frisco City.

An eighth-grader at the Frisco City school, she out-spelled 23 other contestants from five county schools. The match was an event on Friday morning in the Frisco City school auditorium.

Miss Kilpatrick will represent Monroe County in the statewide finals in Birmingham on Sat., April 23. The Spelling Bee is an annual event sponsored by the Birmingham Post-Herald in Alabama.

Miss Kilpatrick placed fourth in the county Spelling Bee last year.

Basketball is a favorite activity in the Goodway Junior High School, Goodway. The team competed with other junior teams in the area. (Members of the team included Billy Edward Ikner, Jimmy Dale Lambert, Harry Lowery, Levaughn Ikner, Johnny Johnson, Dennis Hill, Johnny Ikner, Keith Byrd, James Maughon and Lewis Johnson.)

Sgt. Nettles Qualifies As M-1 Rifle Expert: Fort Hood, Texas – Army Sgt. First Class James A. Nettles recently qualified as expert in firing the M-1 rifle while serving with the 2^nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas.

Sgt. Nettles, a squad leader in Co. A of the division’s 50^th Infantry, was last stationed at Fort Benning, Ga.

The 27-year-old soldier was graduated from Monroe County Training School in 1952.

GO TO GAME: Among those who attended the Cleveland-Chicago baseball game in Mobile Saturday were Wells Turner Jr., John Turner, Jimmy Lazenby and Bill Hardin.

83 YEARS AGO

APRIL 18, 1935

Miss Louise Lee, Alabama Polytechnic Institute student, spent the weekend with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Lee.

Fire Causes Slight Damage To Barnett Home: Slight damage was done to the roof of the G.B. Barnett home by fire last Friday night. The fire, discovered about 11 o’clock by passersby returning from the circus, is thought to have been started by burning soot. Several small holes were burned in the roof before the flames were extinguished.

Paving Will Begin Last Of Week: If the weather continues favorable for work on the north end of the paving project now underway, the pouring of the concrete will be started the latter part of the week. Work has progressed rapidly during the approximately 10 days since the construction began. Molds were laid the first of the week for the concrete.

Traffic toward Camden is now being detoured for a short distance. Travelers en route to points north should leave Monroeville via the Montgomery highway, turn left at the Methodist church, and reach the Camden highway at the Lovett home. Markers have been placed along the way for the convenience of out-of-county travelers.

Bids Received For Town Paving: Bids on the paving job which would include the north and east sides of the Monroeville square were opened last Friday morning in the office of the State Highway director in Montgomery. Low bidder on the job was the Sullivan Long & Hagerty Construction Co. of Bessemer, who submitted a price of $14,537 for the job. This company is now engaged in laying .319 miles of reinforced concrete paving on two streets.

133 YEARS AGO

APRIL 20, 1885

Gen. Grant is dying; probably before another issue of this paper will have reached its readers, the hero of Appomattox will be no more.

The people of this section are highly gratified at the selection of Col. John D. Burnett of Conecuh County for the District Attorneyship for the Southern District of Alabama, by the members of Congress from this State, who will recommend him to the President for his appointment. No better man could be found for the place in South Alabama, and we congratulate Col. Burnett on this good fortune.

The commissioners court adjourned last Tuesday.

Circuit Court convened here today; Judge Clarke presiding.

Dr. and Mrs. T.W. Russell returned home from the Exposition last Wednesday.

Mr. Samuel W. Yarbrough, a thorough-going young businessman, has charge of the Steam Saw and Grist Mill of Messrs. Russell & Hudson, and has an advertisement in this week’s Journal, to which we would call special attention. He sells lumber from 40 cents to $1 per hundred feet, and solicits orders for bills of lumber which he can fill on short notice.

James McCorvey Packer: Our hearts have been made sad indeed by the death of James McCorvey Packer, son of Dr. James T. Packer of Monroeville, Ala., which occurred on the 27^th of March 1885 (at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa).