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

The old Beatrice High School in the 1920-1930s.

21 YEARS AGO
JUNE 1, 2000

Fourteen to compete for Junior Miss title: Fourteen high school juniors will compete for the title of Monroe County’s Junior Miss for 2000 Saturday at 7 p.m. in Nettles Auditorium on the campus of Alabama Southern Community College.
Ardis Garrett, a former Monroe County Junior Miss, will be the mistress of ceremonies. Lindsey Leys of Excel, 1999 Monroe County Junior Miss, will perform during the program.
(The 14 contestants included Abby Michelle Bailey, Chastity Nicole Blanton, Jessica Holly Dewitt, Caroline Hardy Downing, Amy Elizabeth Galemore, Sara Jane Griffin, Jana Leigh Huggins-Rogers, Rebecca Linda Johnson, Ali Delano Kimberl, Cassidy Brooke Lofton, Julie Elizabeth Moye, Emily Sara Richeson, Ashley Camille Roberson and Sarah Sawyer.)

Uriah dominates South Monroe in Frisco City: Uriah continued to dominate the South Monroe Babe Ruth Baseball League with recent victories over Excel Gold and Frisco City Red at Julius Lambert Field in Frisco City.
J.B. Wilkins struck out 10 to key a 2-0 shutout over previously undefeated Excel Gold Saturday. Buckie Dawson and Brandon Peavy combined to strike out 10 on Monday in Uriah’s 13-8 win over Frisco City Red.
(Other top players for Uriah included James Akins, Chad Smith, Dusty Smith and Kyle Wiggins.)

New squad building: The Monroe County Rescue Squad recently completed its new building in Frisco City. “We thank all the people in the county for supporting our projects to help raise funds for the facility,” said James McKinley, squad member.

46 YEARS AGO
JUNE 5, 1975

Former Monroeville Police Chief James E. Maples has taken office as police chief of the town of Gulf Shores in Baldwin County.
Maples, who worked for Monroeville Telephone Co. after leaving the Monroeville Police Department in May 1974, was sworn in as Gulf Shores chief May 16.
He served for about three years as Monroeville chief and was on the Monroeville police force for several years prior to that.

MA Vols’ Harold King plays in all-star game: Harold King, a junior pitcher and infielder for the Monroe Academy Volunteers baseball team this past season, played in the North-South Alabama Private School Athletic Association All-Star game Saturday at Selma’s Brock Field.
The North and South split a doubleheader, with the South winning the opener 4-3 and the North winning the second, 2-1.
One of the South coaches was Coach Melvin Middleton of Monroe Academy.

Alice Lee elected delegate: Miss Alice Lee, Monroeville attorney and member of Monroeville United Methodist Church, has been elected as a delegate to the 1976 General Conference of United Methodists to be held in Portland, Oregon next May.
She was the first person elected as a lay delegate in balloting in Montgomery last week as the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference of United Methodists met on the Huntingdon College campus.
She will also serve as a representative to the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference of the church meeting at Lake Junaluska, N.C. in July 1976.

71 YEARS AGO
JUNE 1, 1950

Monroe County’s newest weekly paper – The Frisco City Sun – will begin publication next Wednesday when some 1,000 copies of the initial issue will be distributed to the residents of Central and South sections of the county and others who indicate a desire to receive the paper.
Editor of the new paper, which will be published by The Monroe Journal and will be the county’s second active weekly, will be John Hill, now assistant editor of The Journal, while Tom Gardner, Journal advertising manager, will serve as business manager.
Offices of the publication will be located in the building at Frisco City owned by Dr. W.A. Stallworth.

Uriah-Booneville Nine Withdraws From League: The Uriah-Booneville entry in the Dixie Amateur League this week announced that it was withdrawing from the League.
The team was forced to forfeit two games to Bay Minette last Thursday – one the playoff of a 11-11 tie game, the other a regularly scheduled contest – because of insufficient men available to play.
League officials announced that the five teams remaining in the League would finish out the season, with the team scheduled to play Uriah-Booneville taking an off day or scheduling an exhibition.

Thirteen Monroe County scouts – 11 from Monroeville and two from Frisco City – will attend the national Boy Scout camporee at Valley Forge, Pa., in early July, it was announced this week.
(Scouts going on the trip included Joseph Blass, Karl Mims Lazenby, Joe Lee Nettles, Jerry Pierson, Dickie Williams, Blanchard Stallworth, Tommy Moore, Albert Nettles Jr., Billy Morgan, John Finklea Jr., Gene McPhaul, Wiley Long Jr. and Joe Smith.

96 YEARS AGO
JUNE 4, 1925

The following Masonic officers of Monroe Chapter No. 122, Royal Arch Masons, for the ensuing year were elected at the annual meeting Monday evening: E.M. Salter, High Priest; J.M. Sowell, King; W.R. Blackwell, Scribe; G.L. Galloway, Captain of the Host; Q. Salter, Principal Sojourner; I.F. Simmons, Royal Arch Captain; E.A. Thompson, Master of the 1^st Veil; J.M. Holloway, Master of the 2^nd Veil; J.J. Hestle, Master of the 3^rd Veil; J.A. Lazenby, Secretary-Treasurer; and L.L. Hendrix, Sentinel.

GRADUATES AT BEATRICE: Graduation exercises of the Beatrice High School were held in the high school auditorium Thursday night. Diplomas were issued to the following graduates: Sallie Harrington, Eva Maxwell, Nell Nettles, Elizabeth Robbins, Margaret Sims, Leia Terry, Joe Black, David Booker, James Dailey, Waldon Daugett, Joseph McMillan Dan McPherson, Leon Nettles, Junious Spearman and Eli Terry.

Mr. J.U. Blacksher of Mobile was here Tuesday attending the regular directors meeting of the Monroe County Bank. Mr. Blacksher recently made an extended motor trip through the peach growing section of Georgia.

The Monroeville Ice and Power Co. is installing a new three-cylinder oil burning engine to meet the demand for increased output. The new unit will bring the total development up to 300 horse power and double the capacity of the ice plant. With the storage facilities recently provided the plant will be able to take care of its rapidly expanding trade.

121 YEARS AGO
JUNE 7, 1900

Commissioners court was in session this week for the examination of the Tax Assessor’s book of assessments.

Capt. G.H. Gray, Tax Assessor, was here Wednesday attending Commissioners court.

Miss Hortense Deer, who has been attending a leading conservatory of music for some months, has returned home.

Miss Madie Skinner, who has been teaching a prosperous music school at Flomaton, is at home to spend a few months vacation.

Messrs. T.J. Emmons and J.W. Morris have returned from the Confederate reunion at Louisville, which they report a most enjoyable occasion. Mr. Morris was accompanied by Mrs. Morris.

Messrs. J.P. Stallworth and S.A. McDuffie, census enumerators for this precinct, began the work of enumeration on Fri., June 1. This work was commenced simultaneously in every precinct not only in the county but throughout the Union, and must be completed within four weeks.

Dr. J.W. Rutherford, medical examiner, was here this week attending the meeting of the board of pension examiners.

A card from Dr. Henry Green announces his removal from Bolling to Dothan, Ala., where he expects to reside and practice his profession in future. The mill business at Bolling, constituting the industrial life of the place, has been discontinued on account of exhausted timber supply.