News highlights from century-old editions of The Wilcox Progressive Era in Wilcox County, Alabama

St. Mary's Episcopal Church

Today marks the first Thursday of the month, so it’s time to take another trip back down memory lane for a look at some of the interesting things that happened in Wilcox County a century ago, way back in April 1922.

Readers of The Wilcox Progressive Era that month learned that “Kimbrough is a new town on the Southern Railway at its crossing of the Gulf, Florida and Alabama Railroad, and is a thriving new town, which is building up rapidly. A number of new homes have recently been built and there is here a nice, well-finished hotel, which is in charge of Mrs. Hitchcock.”

It was also reported that 63-year-old Adah Lydia Tait, the widow of Charles E. Tait, died at her residence at Rock West at 5:30 a.m. on April 10. She was survived by four sons, Goode King Tait, Charles E. Tait, Felix Tait and F.F. Tait; a daughter, Mrs. W.F. Dobbs; and nephews and nieces in New York, Birmingham and Mobile.

It was also announced that there would be an Easter Egg hunt, given by the ladies of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, at Mrs. C.V. Beck’s residence on Saturday afternoon, April 15. Admission was 15 cents, and ice cream cones were to be sold.

April means Spring, and Spring leads to baseball, and this was certainly true for Camden High School in 1922. On April 14, Camden High School played Selma High School in Selma and lost, 6-5. Leon Spurlin and J.M. Bonner attended that one-run athletic contest.

Also that month, Mayor Berry of Camden was having the town’s metal water tank and tower painted. The tank and tower had not been painted since they were erected six years before and “were greatly in need of the painting. Mayor Berry has attempted to prevent all the inconvenience possible by arranging with the ‘Steeple Jack,’ Mr. Cross, who is doing the work at night. In this way, the water users will be inconvenienced only one day, and water will be turned into the tank again Tuesday evening.”

The Montgomery Advertiser also reported that Miss Mary Stuart of Camden and McKerrell Osborn of Greensboro “were quietly married at the home of Prof. and Mrs. Ellis (on April 6 in Greensboro). So secretly were the plans for the wedding arranged that no one beside the immediate families knew that they contemplated such a step. The ceremony was performed by Dr. Hubbard, pastor of the Baptist Church, who used the ring ceremony. The bride was given away by her father, and Clark Osborn acted as his brother’s best man. Only a few relatives were present at the marriage.”

Well, I guess that’s all that space will allow for this month. On the first Thursday of next month, I plan to take a look at the events of May 1922 in Wilcox County. Until then, if you get the urge to research the county’s past yourself, take advantage of the Alabama Department of Archives and History’s excellent selection of old newspapers on microfilm and other resources. Their friendly staff will be more than happy to get you started.