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

A.C. Lee

35 YEARS AGO
NOV. 21, 1985

Ceremony set today for outlets: Groundbreaking ceremonies for Monroeville Outlet Center, a $10-million manufacturers’ retail outlet complex, are scheduled today (Thursday) at 2 p.m.
Eighty-three-year-old Fred Sheffield, original owner of the 20-acre site on Drewry Road where the complex will be built, is scheduled to turn the first shovel of dirt. The ceremony is planned for the Bud Lathram Little League ball field just off Drewry Road, but if rain predictions hold true, the speeches will be given at the Monroeville Community House in Vanity Fair Park.

Late gamble pays off for Repton: Senior Kevin Bradley scored a touchdown and added a two-point conversion with 1:44 left to propel Repton High School’s Bulldogs to an 8-7 football victory over Frisco City Friday in a jam-packed Repton stadium.
Frisco had defeated Repton earlier in the season, but Repton turned the tables in this second-round game of the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s 1A playoffs.
(Other top Repton players in that game included Keith Baggett, Tommy Dukes, Mitchell Rankins, Leon Rudolph and Mark Taylor. Top Frisco players in that game included Robert Byrd, Rodney Coleman, Harvey Gaston, Charlie Matthews, Paul Maye, Ben Smith, David Sullivan and Chris Tucker. Hugh Wilson was Repton’s head coach, and Vance McCrory was Frisco’s head coach.)

The Peterman Historical Society and the town of Peterman will host the second annual Peterman Station Arts & Crafts Festival Saturday featuring entertainment, crafts and children’s activities.

60 YEARS AGO
NOV. 24, 1960

Christmas Lights Will Go On Soon: Downtown Monroeville will take on the festive air of the holiday season around Dec. 1 when Christmas lights will be illuminated.
J.P. Williamson, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce merchants and trade committee, said the lighting program will be considerably more extensive than in past years.
A giant lighted Christmas tree will also be erected on the north side of Court House Square, Mr. Williamson reported, near the location used last year.

Beatrice Topples Coffeeville, 32-14: Ending the season with a 6-3-1 record and grabbing second-place notch in the Pine Belt Conference, the Beatrice High Eagles topped Coffeeville, 32-14, in their final game of the year.
Beatrice began the scoring parade in the first quarter when Dennis Stallworth reached pay dirt from two yards out.
(Other top Beatrice players in that game included Paul Luker, Franklin McLaurin and Mickey Tatum.)

Miss Alice Lee and her father, A.C. Lee, and Mr. and Mrs. W.S. Nash are visiting today in Atmore with Mrs. Alice McKinley and other relatives and friends.

Census Bureau Lists Figures For Monroe: Final population counts in advance reports of the 1960 census for Monroe County have been released by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census. The following figures were given for the county: Total population – 22,372; Beatrice division – 2,664; Beatrice town – 506; Frisco City division – 4,704; Frisco City town – 1,177; Excel town – 313; Monroeville division – 6,713; Monroeville city – 3,632; Uriah division – 2,115; Vredenburgh division – 3,648; Vredenburgh town (partial) – 533.

85 YEARS AGO
NOV. 28, 1935

Small Blaze On Roof of Hixon House: The fire truck answered a call about three o’clock Monday afternoon to the L.A. Hixon home. A small place was burned on the west side of the roof, the blaze evidently catching in some manner from the chimney on that side. The fire was extinguished before much damage had been done. A large amount of furniture had been removed from the inside of the house to prevent damage from smoke and water.

Championship Won By Beatrice Team: The Monroeville football team was downed 40 to 7 last Friday afternoon on the home field by a fast Beatrice outfit. With this victory over Monroeville, the Beatrice lads now lay claim to the county championship. They have victories over every team in the county except Frisco City, whom they have not played. However, Beatrice defeated Uriah after the J.U. Blacksher boys had defeated Frisco City by two touchdowns in one of the early games of the season.
The Beatrice team, which is undoubtedly the best which that school has put out in many years, has been directed this year by Tom Huckabee, who starred for Southwestern on the gridiron. This is his first year in Monroe County and he has made a splendid showing with his team.

Work Is Seen For 150 County Men Before Dec. 1: At least 150 and possibly 200 men will be put to work in Monroe County by Dec. 1, states I.B. McAdams, county director of work, when group two becomes employed. The work director states that these men will be employed principally on road projects, such as road construction, grading, building of bridges and the like.

110 YEARS AGO
NOV. 24, 1910

CORN IS KING IN MONROE – The above is a picture of a Prize Acre of Corn grown by Mr. Thos. P. Buffington at Excel, Monroe County, producing 90 bushels per acre. – Courtesy of The Montgomery Advertiser.

BRIDGE LETTING: I will attend at the following time and place for the purpose of letting the contract for the building of a bridge: On Saturday, the 26^th day of November, 10 a.m. on Gardner Road, near Gardner’s Mill. Specifications will be furnished on the ground. – W.R. Blackwell, Commissioner.

FOR SALE: One four-year-old Jersey Bull. Apply to M. Hatter, Wait, Ala.

For Sale – A few Thoroughbred S.C. Brown Leghorn and R.I. Red cockerels. Mrs. H.C. Fountain, Burnt Corn, Ala.

FRANK HIBARD – Painter – I paint houses, furniture, etc. I solicit the patronage of the people, Post Office Monroeville, Ala.

MONEY TO LOAN: On Improved Farm Property in Amounts of $300 and up, according to security. NO COMMISSIONS will be charged on these loans. See or write us if interested. – Barnett & Bugg, Monroeville, Ala.

135 YEARS AGO
NOV. 27, 1885

The alleged murderer of Stewart Charlie Tatum was arrested by Sheriff Burns Monday and safely lodged in jail.

A CARD: In response to what appears to me to be a very general and unanimous desire on the part of my many friends in different portions of the county for me to again permit the use of my name for the office of Probate Judge, I feel that it would be ungenerous to ignore the kindly feeling thus manifested, and that it would be wrong to myself and those who have honored me in the past, to deny them the right to use my name in this connection. I therefore yield to their wishes and consent to become a candidate for reelection. – W.C. Sowell.

The Entertainment given at the Monroeville Institute recently by the Perdue Hill Dramatic Club for the benefit of the Confederate soldiers’ monument, was one of the happiest and most pleasant events of the season, and the performance richly deserves all the kind things said of it by the audience who were profuse in their praises.
The house was crowded with an intelligent and appreciative audience, and the performance throughout reflected credit upon the histrionic talent of the several members of the Club, and more especially the ladies who understood and acted their parts almost perfectly.
Jno. M. Morton’s celebrated serio-comic drama, “A Husband to Order, with the following cast was presented: Baron DeBeaupre (a returned emigrant nobleman) – J.M. Agee; Pierre Marceau (an officer in the imperial army) – J.F. Gaillard; Anatole Latour (a young lawyer) – A.P. Agee; Phillipeau (a wealthy farmer, cousin to Pierre Marceau) – R.F. Lowery; Josephine (the baron’s niece) – Miss H. Gibbons; Elise (the baron’s ward) – Miss M.A. Savage; Madame Phillipeau, Miss L.G. Strode.