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

Comedian Will Rogers in 1922.

14 YEARS AGO

MAY 18, 2006

The Monroe County Junior Miss Program will be held June 3 at 7 p.m. at Nettles Auditorium on the campus of Alabama Southern Community College. There are 15 Monroe County juniors participating in this year’s program. (Those juniors included Sara Allen, Anna Catherine Black, Tia Black, Stephanie Brewton, Stephanie Cunningham, Sara Darby, Jenilee Foukal, Caitlain Grimes, Cecilly Hornady, Dallas Jordan, Erin King, Natalie Newton, Brooke Reynolds, Sawyer Saliba and Hillary Saywer.)

J.F. Shields High School’s football team got a taste of sweet revenge Friday night, whipping Class 2A Keith High School 8-6 in a spring football game in Beatrice. Last spring, Keith beat Shields 38-8 in Orrville to cap off spring football drills for both schools.

Freshman fullback Cedric Williams scored the game-winning touchdown for Shields when he rumbled into the end zone after an 11-yard run up the middle just before the end of the first half. Bruce Lewis, an eighth-grade tailback, tacked on the two-point conversion.

(Other top Shields players in that game included Wendell Dortch, Jeffery Finklea, Rashad Howard, Nadderian Nettles, Jalan Stallworth and Mike Williams. Van Smith was head coach, and Herbert Blackmon was assistant coach.)

Excel UMC to celebrate 100 years: Celebrating 100 years of serving God. That’s what the pastor, Rev. Kathryn McKinley, and members of the Excel United Methodist Church will be doing this Sunday when they gather for services. The church was founded in June of 1906.

39 YEARS AGO

MAY 21, 1981

Chamber hires John Egolf as executive: In pursuit of a more effective organization, the Monroeville Area Chamber of Commerce last week hired an executive director, lengthened office hours and began planning special events.

Chamber president Anne Farish said the board of directors voted Tuesday night of last week to hire John Egolf of Monroeville as the group’s executive director.

Egolf is currently the executive secretary of the Downtown Merchants Association.

Tigers lose to Centre in 3A baseball finals: Cherokee County High School of Centre defeated Monroe County High School 8-4 and 9-4 Friday in Centre, giving the winners their second straight Alabama High School Athletic Association 3A state baseball championship.

Despite the losses, Monroe County finished with a sparkling 20-4 record and made their first trip to the state finals since the championship year of 1974.

(Top players for MCHS that season included Billy Bowen, Tony Feaster, Todd Hamilton, John McCarthy and Keith Nettles. Howard “Buzz” Busby was head coach.)

Andrews is new trooper for county: Charles E. Andrews of Monroeville began work Monday as a state trooper in Monroe County, bringing the number of troopers working the area to three.

A Monroe County native, Andrews graduated from Monroe County High School and attended Patrick Henry State Junior College before receiving a degree in criminal justice from the University of Alabama. He will be working with troopers Marion Craft and Randolph Lambert.

66 YEARS AGO

MAY 20, 1954

VFW Post Erects Fatality Crosses: A committee from the Norris-Ikner Post No. 5624 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars at Frisco City recently completed the erection of white wooden crosses along the highways of Monroe County where fatal accidents occurred in 1953, R.O. Wiggins, post commander, has stated. Their erection was completed on May 15.

Commander Wiggins said: “These crosses have been erected with the hope that they will aid in reducing the needless loss of human life and suffering as a result of misuse of motor vehicles.”

Season statistics for the J.U. Blacksher High nine were released this week by the coach at the Uriah school, Robert Riley. Leading pitcher for the Uriah club was Eugene Madison, with a total of five wins and one loss to his credit. Madison, with an average of .384, also paced batting for Blacksher High.

(Other top Blacksher players that season included Lawrence Brantley, Robert Brooks, Gordon Coley, Frank Hadley, John Roy House, Jack Madison, O’Neal Smith, William Weatherford and Jimmy Williams.)

Twenty-five members of Monroeville’s Boy Scout Troop No. 24 went to Montgomery last Saturday accompanied by Assistant Scoutmaster Tom Lemon to visit the open house at Maxwell Air Force Base, held in observance of Armed Forces Day.

During the event, they viewed demonstrations and displays of the nation’s “Power for Peace.”

They saw 18 different types of aircraft from the Army, Navy and Air Force, including fighters, cargo planes, trainers and a bomber.

89 YEARS AGO

MAY 21, 1931

Sheriff L.M. Sawyer with his deputies captured 25 gallons of contraband liquor in a car near Goodway last Friday night. One man was taken prisoner but was released later when he declared that he was not the owner of the car nor the whiskey. The car is being held as ownership has not been established.

MOOSE NEWS: At the meeting of Monroeville Lodge No. 1127 at Uriah Masonic Hall, Dictator Rufus Garrett called attention to the service rendered by Brother Will Rogers in connection with the Bristol Lodge in Virginia.

A class of six were obligated and an even larger number of applications were favorably voted on. It was voted to petition the Supreme Council to change the name to Vocation Lodge No. 1127 and thus tie up the work of the lodge more closely with the possibility of Vocation being chosen as the site of a Dixie Mooseheart.

METHODIST CHURCH TO BE COMPLETED SOON: The building committee of the local Methodist church have just closed a contract with Mr. Kimbro of Pine Hill, Ala. to complete the new building already well underway. The building thus far has been done by Mr. Kimbro under a different arrangement, but the last agreement constitutes a flat contract for its completion. We understand the work will be resumed at once, and it is estimated that it will be completed in something like two months. The Methodist congregation has been using the county courthouse since the destruction by fire of their former edifice.

114 YEARS AGO

MAY 17, 1906

The case of L. Untriner, convicted at a recent term of the Monroe circuit court for selling liquor in violation of the local prohibition law, has been affirmed by the supreme court.

Recital at Court House Thursday Evening: The ladies of the Monroeville Methodist church have been fortunate in securing Mrs. Bessie Miller Oton to deliver one of her justly celebrated recitals at the Court House on Thursday evening, May 17, for the benefit of church enterprises. Wherever she has appeared her audiences have been delighted and press and people accord unstinted praise. Mrs. Oton will be assisted by Miss Lucille Bizzelle, who also possesses marked talent as a reciter. An evening of rare enjoyment is assured to all who attend. Admission 50 cents, children 25 cents.

G.A. Fountain of Fork has been appointed Notary Public, ex officio Justice of the Peace for Beat 10.

Mr. H.L. Dees, a leading businessman of Repton, was a visitor to the capital city of Monroe Monday.

Dr. R.A. Smith was down from Nadawah last week on a professional visit.

JONES MILL: Dr. Busey and Miss Mary Shivers were married last Sunday afternoon at Manistee by Mr. Galloway, the Justice of the Peace, and the doctor’s many friends were quite surprised.

MANISTEE: Our town seems to be on a boom judging from the building that is being done.