The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for Nov. 23, 2021

Alabama Gov. James E. Folsom

38 YEARS AGO
NOV. 24, 1983

Evergreen weather reporter Earl Windham reported .17 inches of rain on Nov. 14, .02 inches on Nov. 15 and .45 inches on Nov. 16. He also reported a high of 80 degrees on Nov. 15 and a low of 29 on Nov. 17.

Powell made permanent Police Chief: James Powell’s appointment as chief of police of Evergreen was made permanent by the Evergreen City Council at its meeting Monday night. Powell had been acting chief for a number of months.

Ala. League elects Smith as a delegate: Evergreen Mayor Lee F. Smith has been named one of 20 voting delegates to represent the Alabama League of Municipalities at the National League of Cities Congress of Cities meeting which will be held on Wed., Nov. 30, in the New Orleans Hilton Hotel.

The (Evergreen) Christmas parade date is almost here – Nov. 30 at 3 p.m. – and things are really looking good!
The National Guard Armory will be opened for float builders starting Mon., Nov. 21, through the 30th from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (closed Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 26-27).

Plans are now being made for Castleberry’s annual Christmas parade to be held Sat., Dec. 3, at 1:30 p.m. Floats from various churches and organizations will be featured as well as several bands and other entries.

45 YEARS AGO
NOV. 25, 1976

Evergreen weather reporter Earl Windham reported .25 inches of rain on Nov. 16, .12 inches on Nov. 17, .04 inches on Nov. 19, .43 inches on Nov. 20 and .05 inches on Nov. 21. He reported a high temperature of 68 degrees on No. 18 and a low of 30 on Nov. 19.

The Evergreen Rotary Club will hold its annual Charity Ball on Saturday evening, Dec. 11, at Ft. Dave Lewis National Guard Armory from 8:30 to 12:30. The Lucky Boreland Orchestra of Montgomery will play for the dance. Dress will be semi-formal.

A man has been arrested and charged for the attempted robbery of a service station in Castleberry and the shooting of the station owner.
Rochelle Walker Jr. was arrested by Conecuh County Sheriff’s Investigator Leroy Ferrell on Nov. 20. Walker is alleged to have attempted to rob Arthur Wilson’s Service Station. During the attempt, Wilson was shot twice, in the shoulder and elbow, but neither wound was serious.
Sheriff Edwin Booker said that Wilson identified Walker as the man who shot him and attempted the robbery. Walker was also charged with forgery.
The sheriff said that after a preliminary hearing Monday, bond was set at $9,000, pending action by the grand jury.

58 YEARS AGO
NOV. 28, 1963

Thousands jam city for Christmas parade: Queen Joy Margaret Hagood of Evergreen High School reigned over the 1963 Conecuh County Christmas Carnival here Wednesday. Already the Evergreen Chamber of Commerce production is being hailed as the biggest and best in history.
A tremendous crowd estimated to be several thousand strong thronged the downtown streets. The parade was long, beautiful and entertaining.
A brief program at the bandstand emceed by Chamber of Commerce President Blake Campbell featured the introduction of the queen, princess and honor court, presentation of the key to the city to Santa Claus by Mayor Pro Tem Henry Sessions and Santa’s proclamation that the holiday season was now open in Conecuh County to last through Jan. 1.
Immediately after the program, the city’s decorative lights were turned on to burn through the season.

From one truck to major industry: When Walter Poole drove off with his first flatbed trailer-load of cotton, hauling for Kendall & Kendall, in 1946 neither he nor anyone else even dreamed that one of Evergreen and Conecuh County’s major industries had been born.
Poole had just that trailer and just the truck pulling it, no money and a lot of courage and faith.
Today, he owns and operates Poole Truck Line, employer of 65 persons with an annual payroll of over $300,000.

74 YEARS AGO
NOV. 27, 1947

Hoomes Given 20 Years By Conecuh County Jury: After a comparatively short period of deliberation last Thursday evening, the Conecuh County petit jury which tried Elbert J. Hoomes on a first-degree murder charge found him guilty of murder in the second degree and sentenced him to the penitentiary for a term of 20 years.
The trial was moved to Evergreen from Brewton on a change of venue granted by Judge F.W. Hare when the defendant plead that he could not get a fair trial in Escambia County. It was begun about 10 o’clock Wednesday morning and was completed late Thursday afternoon.

Gov. James E. Folsom has issued a proclamation setting aside Nov. 27 as Thanksgiving Day in Alabama.
In issuing the proclamation, Gov. Folsom asked Alabamians to go to church on Thanksgiving Day “to humbly thank Almighty God for the many blessings so bountifully bestowed upon our state and nation.”
Folsom further called upon citizens of the state “to ask Divine guidance that they may more fully shoulder responsibilities of citizenship and preserve the peace that we have won at such a tragic cost.”

Lt. Albert Hugh Holman has arrived in Guam and will be stationed there until the first of May.

Mr. and Mrs. Byron Warren and children are spending today with relatives in Enterprise.

89 YEARS AGO
NOV. 24, 1932

Agricultural School Closed Indefinitely: Prof. W.Y. Fleming, principal of the Agricultural School, announced to his pupils Wednesday before dismissing them for Thanksgiving holidays that school would be closed until some arrangements had been made for its continuance.
A meeting of the patrons of the school was held Monday afternoon for the purposes of devising a means of keeping it open. It was decided that an effort would be made to raise $750, which Prof. Fleming estimated was necessary to keep going for the remainder of this semester which will end about Jan. 15.

Dr. J.M. Carr Buried At Ft. Deposit Friday: Funeral services were held for Dr. J. Mark Carr, age 55, well known citizen of Brooklyn, who died suddenly at his home Friday afternoon. Rev. O.C. Stewart, pastor of the Baptist Church at Brooklyn was in charge of the services.
Dr. Carr, who had been almost an invalid for many years, was found dead in his garden by his wife when she returned home for school Thursday afternoon.
Deceased was a native of Ft. Deposit, having moved with his family to Brooklyn seven years ago where he had made his home since. His wife has held a position as teacher in the Brooklyn School since they moved there.

Repton: Dr. W.R. Carter attended the Southern Medical Convention in Birmingham last week.

The Masonic Home benefit party of the past week was given at the home of Mrs. H.C. Thomas with Mrs. S.J. Brundage as joint hosts. Several progressions of bunco were played at eight tables, and light refreshments were served.