Wilcox County, Alabama News Flashback for Oct. 26, 2022

81 YEARS AGO

Hank Williams and the Drifting Cowboys

OCT. 23, 1941

Hank Williams Cowboys: Hank Williams and his cowboys will present a program of cowboy hillbilly music and song at the Camden school auditorium Friday night, Oct. 31. The program is sponsored by the PTA. The public is invited to attend, enjoy a good program and help the PTA.

Cotton Ginning Report For Wilcox County: Census report shows that 4,994 bales of cotton were ginned in Wilcox County from the crop of 1941 prior to Oct. 1 as compared with 3,213 bales for the crop of 1940. – W.H. Spier, Special Agent.

Football News: Camden defeated Pine Hill Friday, Oct. 10, 46-0. The success of the game can be determined from the score.
Camden was defeated by Jackson, 56-7. From the standpoint of the score the game wasn’t so good, but the boys played magnificently. We must keep in mind that Jackson has a much larger school than we have so naturally they would have a stronger football team. Their men out-weighed ours from 15 to 25 pounds.

Halloween Party: There will be a Halloween party at McWilliams Schoolhouse Thursday night, Oct. 23. Time 7:30 o’clock. Everybody is invited to come and join the fun.

Byron B. Williamson Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. B.B. Williamson of Pine Apple, was selected by the Alabama chapter of Alpha Zeta to represent the chapter at the Youth section of American Country Life Association to be held in Nashville, Tenn. Oct. 22-25.

91 YEARS AGO
OCT. 22, 1931

Football: Camden ran into too much opposition last Friday and lost the football game with Evergreen by a score of 54-0. The Evergreen farmers were too much for Camden players especially in their aerial attack. Not a great deal of ground was gained on the Camden team by running players. Camden journeys to Hayneville next Friday to engage the Hayneville High School football team in a tussle. The Hayneville team has played four games this season without a defeat. Camden proposes to make their score in games four-one after next Friday. All supporters are urged to make the trip with the boys and carry players.

GINNERS REPORT: There were 5,517 bales of cotton, counting round as half bales, ginned in Wilcox County from the crop of 1931 prior to Oct. 1, 1931 as compared with 7,004 bales ginned to Oct. 1, 1930. – M.C. Jones, Agent.

Be sure to come to the American Legion Auxiliary Halloween party Friday. Where? Don’t you know? At the Masonic Hall.

Wilcox County Fair: The Wilcox County Fair, held Oct. 15-18, has just closed with success. Twenty-three club exhibits, five schools, two added features were eight pens of two breeds of hogs, and a “one horse farmers booth fighting the high cost of living.” There were 35 different agricultural products canned and grown on the farm, represented in this booth. There were eight breeds, 10 varieties of chickens represented and 48 pens, two breeds of turkeys and 16 pens.

100 YEARS AGO
OCT. 26, 1922

The County Board of Education at its session Tuesday appropriated the school funds for the current scholastic year to the various schools in the county.

A large number of the high school children are confined to their homes with Dengue fever this week.

Sheriff-elect J.M. Watson has moved to the Kilpatrick place on Bridgeport road.

Miss Lou Cochran killed a large owl in her chicken house on Wednesday morning. The bird measured more than three feet from tip to tip of its wings.

Effective November 1, the railway mail clerk on the Camden branch railroad will be taken off. This will be a great inconvenience and injury, and we can see no reason for this action, as it will not save the U.S. Government one cent. A clerk will take charge of the mail at Nadawah and run to Selma and back, stopping at Nadawah. Letters are being written to our congressman to see if he cannot prevent this injustice.

There will be a dedication service at the Carstarphen Memorial M.E. Church, South, at Coy, Alabama on next Sabbath, Oct. 29, to which the public is cordially invited and urged to attend. Rev. F.L. Aldridge of the Methodist Orphanage at Selma will deliver the sermon.

110 YEARS AGO
OCT. 24, 1912

Mr. W.B. Rogers, an aged Veteran of about 75 years, passed away Sunday night, Oct. 6, at seven o’clock, surrounded by a host of relatives and friends. He was one who was loved by all who knew him, always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone in distress in any way. So generous and kind, he won the hearts of all who knew him. His remains were interred at the Fatama Cemetery Monday at one o’clock, Rev. A.P. Majors conducting the funeral service.

The tax collector and tax assessor are now on their rounds in the county.

The Gypsy camp is now located in the Boltz pasture, across the town branch.

Last Friday was an all-day rain. Pursley and Pine Barren creeks were out and much damage was done to field crops, especially ungathered corn and cotton. The rainfall was about three and one-half inches.

Mr. Fred Savage received the sad news last Thursday that Hon. Lanty S. Beck, a former resident and ex-mayor of Camden, had died at Ocala, Fla. The deceased was about 60 years of age and was born and reared here.

Mr. Walter D. Boyd had the misfortune to lose by fire last Tuesday night his barn, together with all of his corn, hay and many other stable effects. The fire occurred while Mr. Boyd was in Selma and his loss is about $600. The cause of the fire is unknown.

It is with regret we learned of the death on Tuesday night, Oct. 22, of Clarence Edgar Primm, the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Primm of Asahel, Ala. He was in the prime of young manhood, being 30 years of age. By his kindheartedness and amiable disposition, he won many friends.

120 YEARS AGO
OCT. 30, 1902

Lawrence Caldwell, who was so foully murdered in Camden on the night of 25^th inst., was born and reared at (Allenton), and had lived here nearly all his life. It is to be hoped that the murderer or murderers will be caught and summary justice meted out to them.

Mr. S.L. Long, while loading timber at Pine Apple depot, got too hot for his coat and pulled it off, and hung it on a limb, and when he went to get it at night, it was gone. In the coat was a pistol, will and other papers of importance and value.

The citizens of (McWilliams) met last week and decided to extend the corporate limits to one mile each way. The council has elected Mr. Dave Youngblood as Marshall, and Mr. R.F. Chappell will soon assume the duties of Mayor. Although McWilliams is considered a growing town, there is not a church building nearer than three miles of us, and we have no preaching nor Sunday school in the place.

A much-needed thing in Camden is a street lamp. We believe we’ll have one or more than one in a year or two.

TOM GORDON CAUGHT: Sheriff Albritton received a telegram yesterday morning from Deputy Sheriff Sheldon of Mobile County, stating they had caught Tom Gordon, who is charged with the murder of Lawrence Caldwell, and he left immediately for his prisoner. – We understand Tom states the killing was done in self defense and that he will have little difficulty in proving it.