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

What follows are 100-year-old news excerpts from the Sept. 19, 1918 edition of The Wilcox Progressive Era newspaper in Camden, Ala.

The town election was so quiet that the average citizen did not know it was election day. Not a vote was cast. What do you know about that?

The Wilcox Hotel, which has been under the management of Mrs. W.A. McLean, has been leased to Mr. Shanks of Montgomery, who now has charge of same.

GINNERS REPORT: There were 1,551 bales of cotton, counting round as half bales, ginned in Wilcox County from the crop of 1918, as compared with 485 bales ginned to Sept. 1, 1917. – C.S. Dale, Agent.

The Thomasville Echo suspended publication last week, owing to lack of support by local advertisers. The Echo was a well edited paper and we hope will resume publication.

We would like to get all the data relative to our boys who are at the front. Tell us all your boy is doing and some day these isolated facts will be material in the history of Wilcox in the Great War.

The cotton crop would soon be out of the fields if the farmers could get pickers. The staple is good price and if he has raised food and feed in plenty can sit back, cross his legs and enjoy looking at the bonds he should buy with his cotton money.

Mr. R.S. Capell has accepted a position with Duke Brothers.

Mr. H.N. Jones has accepted a position with Matthews Hardware Co.

The following schools opened in different parts of the county Monday: McWilliams, Furman, Capel, Oak Grove and Lamison.

Mr. John Duke of Mobile is visiting his home folks here. He is suffering from injuries resulting from a bicycle accident, but his many friends are glad to know that he is improving.

Supt. W.J. Edwards of Snow Hill Institute was in Camden the past week enlisting the endorsement of the white citizens in his efforts to have his school designated as a military training school. He hopes that the war department will permit the Wilcox colored draftees to secure their military training in Wilcox. He had quite a number of white signatures to his petition and we trust he will succeed.

Hon. N.D. Godbold left Tuesday for Washington, where he went to urge the government to designate the Snow Hill Institute as a military training center. If this is accomplished it means that over 500 colored draftees will be kept in Wilcox. The Snow Hill Institute is recognized as one of the leading Negro schools of the state and should easily secure the establishment of this training department.

John Milton Dannelly Jr., son of Rev J.M. Dannelly, pastor of St. Francis Street Methodist Church, has been commissioned a first lieutenant and is now on his way overseas, according to information contained in a letter to his father.

Lt. Dannelly has just reached his majority and was commissioned a second lieutenant at Camp Wadsworth. He then went to Harvard, where he took a French course, and later went to Camp Wadsworth, where he won a commission.