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

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley

18 YEARS AGO
JULY 28, 2005

Once again, Monroeville’s Mockingbird Players are stretching their wings and flying to Chicago to present their two-act play adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Leaving on Saturday, they will perform the play in Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art on Aug. 3-6.
Chicago already has a strong connection to the novel through its highly successful, “One Book, One Chicago” program. Presented in 2001, it brought the city together to read and discuss this powerful book.
At the invitation of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, the Mockingbird Players were to have been a part of that experience, but the tragedy of Sept. 11 postponed those plans.

MA hires two coaches: Monroe Academy has expanded its coaching staff, adding Johnnie Benavidez and Rick Raines to its staff.
“We’re very fortunate to get two coaches of their caliber,” said MA head football coach Joe Nettles.
Benavidez has a total of 29 years coaching experience, including 27 in the Alabama, Georgia and Florida public school system. Raines has a total of 28 years coaching experience in the Alabama Independent School Association.

First beer purchase: Monroeville businessman Jim Rowell leaves Darby’s Red & White grocery store last Thursday after making the first purchase of beer for off-premises consumption in Monroeville. Rowell said he is glad to purchase beer in Monroeville, knowing that the city will receive $1.10 from every 18-pack sold.

42 YEARS AGO
JULY 24, 1980

Cunningham makes tour of East Berlin: PFC Willie C. Cunningham, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Cunningham of Route 1, Peterman, recently entered East Berlin to observe conditions on the communist-controlled side of the Berlin Wall. Cunningham is a tank driver with the 11^th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Fulda.
The excursion was part of an orientation tour intended “to give American soldiers a first-hand look at the differences between a free and a controlled society, so they can see for themselves why they are stationed in Europe,” according to Army officials.

Patrick Henry athletes receive B.E. Lee Award for high grade averages: Dewayne Gregson and Joe Hall were the winners of the 1980 B.E. Lee Award as the student-athletes with the highest academic averages at Patrick Henry State Junior College.
This is the 10^th straight year the award has been presented to PHJC athletes. The award is named for B.E. Lee of Monroeville, former president of Patrick Henry and a big supporter of Patriot athletic events.

Seismographic work seeks oil in county: A Dallas, Texas firm is doing exploration work in Monroe County, searching for possible fuel oil or coal deposits.
George Toombs of Geophysical Services Inc. says his firm is doing seismographic surveys of land west of Monroeville for a large oil firm, which he declined to identify.
Toombs said his firm explodes dynamite, then charts the vibrations. Their data is sent off to another firm to be compiled. “We never know if we found anything,” he said.
Toombs said it was “unethical” to reveal the name of the firm paying for the seismographic work.

68 YEARS AGO
JULY 28, 1955

Ralph Rumbley Brings First Open Boll Cotton: Ralph Rumbley who lives two miles east of Monroeville brought in the first open boll of cotton to The Journal Saturday morning.
Mr. Rumbley, who lives on the Frisco City-Drewry road, has 14 acres of cotton planted. Mr. Rumbley stated he expected to start picking his cotton about the middle of August.

Lillo Walker Named County Cotton Maid At Farmers’ Meet: A vivacious brown-haired 19-year-old with brown eyes, Miss Lillo Walker of Frisco City, was named Monroe County’s “Maid of Cotton” at ceremonies which climaxed the annual meeting of the County Farm Bureau. The meeting was held in Monroeville Wednesday at the Community Park. Miss Walker is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence C. Walker of Frisco City.

Mr. A.C. Lee and daughter, Miss Alice Lee, attended the meeting of the Alabama State Bar Association in Mobile Saturday.

Mr. and Mrs. Seavon Faulk and three sons left Sunday for their home in Long Island, N.Y. after spending several days in Monroeville as guests of Miss Jenny Faulk and other relatives and friends.

The Conecuh County Masonic Conference held its annual meeting at Repton July 6. A delicious dinner was served at 12 o’clock to the large group by local members and guests from Conecuh and several adjoining counties.

L.C. Hendrix is spending this week at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, where he is attending the Bankers Course.

93 YEARS AGO
JULY 24, 1930

Crops Are Unusually Good: Crops in the Claiborne and Perdue Hill section are unusually good as evidenced by a stalk of cotton gathered at random from the field of Mr. W.E. Deer of Claiborne. The weed is of medium size and contained one hundred and three squares and well developed bolls.

BAKERY NAME IS CHANGED: The new management has changed the name of the bakery from the Monroeville Bakery to the Monroe County Elite Bakery. Every effort is being made to give the trade of the section the highest quality in breads, rolls, cakes, pies, etc.

Mr. and Mrs. Jennings Carter carried their small son, Jennings Faulk, to Troy the first of the week where he will undergo a minor operation.

Monroeville is very proud of any honor that comes to any of her boys and girls. The entire town rejoices in the good fortune of Ralph Kennedy Jr. He has completed a four-year course at the University of Louisville, and out of a thousand applicants for the Medical School, there were only 92 accepted. Ralph was among that number, and we predict for him a marked success.

Mr. and Mrs. Jennings Carter and Miss Callie Faulk spent Saturday in Mobile.

The Monroe County Masonic Conference held its annual session with Excel Lodge No. 665, Excel, Ala., on July 16-17, 1930. There were 130 brethren registered. Mr. J.W. Thurmond of Castleberry was lecturer.

118 YEARS AGO
JULY 27, 1905

Cases Tried: The adjourned term of Circuit Court has made a remarkable record so far, not so much for the rapidity with which business is being dispatched, but for the character of the verdicts returned by the juries.
The following cases have been tried:
The State v. Sonny Coker, rape, sentenced to hang Sept. 8.
The State v. Frank Coker, murder, sentenced to penitentiary for life.
The State v. John Sanders, rape, 10 years in penitentiary.
The State v. Wes. Rains, murder, five years in penitentiary.
The State v. Sam Mixon, arson, 10 years in penitentiary.

Rev. C.M. Hutton of Fort Worth, Texas, former chaplain of the 36th Alabama Regiment in the Confederate service, accompanied by Mr. J.L. Marshall of Perdue Hill, to who he was on a visit, paid our sanctum a pleasant visit Saturday. Mr. Hutton had the pleasure of meeting a number of his old comrades whom he had not seen for upward of 40 years. From here he goes to Scooba, Miss. to participate in a family reunion.

Col. Nick Stallworth of Evergreen was a pleasant visitor to The Journal office while in the city last week. Col. Stallworth spent some time in New Mexico this past winter and spring and his many friends are gratified to see him greatly improved in health.

Rev. C.H. Motley fill his regular appointment at the Methodist church last Sunday.