The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for Jan. 23, 2024

King Edward VIII

33 YEARS AGO
JAN. 22, 1981

Local weather reporter Earl Windham reported no rain between Jan. 12-18, 1981. He reported a high temperature of 65 degrees on Jan. 16 and a low of 11 degrees on Jan. 13.

Yes, Evergreen and Conecuh County were well represented at the inaugural of the United States 40th president. President Ronald Reagan’s ‘Presidential Inaugural Committee, 2nd and T Streets, S.W., Washington, D.C.’ ordered for the Inaugural Ball greenery from Conecuh County primarily Southern Smilax. Here you see Frank Merrill preparing ‘the largest shipment of ‘smilax’ I’ve ever handled, and I’ve been gathering and shipping it for over 28 years.’ Frank is a loyal and knowing, gatherer of smilax and other green ‘stuff’ for Salter’s Evergreen Supply, owned and operated by Mrs. J.V. (Elizabeth) Salter.

Bud Evers of Evergreen was one of six young speakers who delighted rural electric co-op leaders attending the Alabama Rural Electric Association (AREA) annual meeting in Montgomery Jan. 8. Bud is Alabama’s delegate to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Youth Board.

William James Barlow, 67, of Rt. 2, Castleberry died on Sat., Jan. 17. He was a member of a prominent, pioneer family and the father of Castleberry Mayor W.J. (Sonny) Barlow.

48 YEARS AGO
JAN. 27, 1966

Conecuh County’s Mrs. Mabel Amos made it official Saturday when she qualified to campaign for Secretary of State shortly after the State Democratic Executive Committee met in Birmingham. A native of Brooklyn, Mrs. Amos has served under eight governors since leaving the teaching profession to work in the governor’s office. She served as recording secretary in the governor’s office for over 20 years and was termed this past year ‘an assistant governor’ by Gov. George Wallace. Mrs. Amos is the first Conecuh Countian in many years to seek a state office subject to statewide vote. Mrs. Amos makes her home at Brooklyn, where her ancestors were pioneer settlers and she has been a mainstay in church and community activities.

Services held for former mayor Robert F. Croom: Robert Farnham Croom, 78, a former mayor of Evergreen died Jan. 21 in Gaithersburg, Maryland following a lengthy illness.
A member of a pioneer Conecuh County family, Mr. Croom was long prominent in business, civic, religious and political affairs of this area. He served as mayor of Evergreen and also as chairman of the Conecuh County Board of Education.

Frank Burt was named Conecuh County’s Outstanding Young Farmer of the Year by the Evergreen Jaycees at their meeting Tuesday night.

63 YEARS AGO
JAN. 25, 1951

Mr. and Mrs. Tal Stuart spent Sunday and Monday in New Orleans and attended the showing of the 1951 Chrysler.

A new substation costing a little over $22,000 has recently been installed here by Alabama Electric Cooperative. The substation is pictured above and is located on Cemetery Avenue at the Jordan Street corner. The station was erected by AEC, which furnishes the city-owned electrical system its current at wholesale, to meet increased demands by the city system.

Mid Many Tears And Fond Farewells Battery ‘C’ Leaves For Ft. Jackson: They remembered all over again just how heartbreaking it is to say goodbye to loved ones off to the wars. And so with tears and fond farewells they said goodbye, bon voyage to the men of Conecuh County’s Battery ‘C,’ 117th Field Artillery Battalion as they left by train Tuesday afternoon for Fort Jackson, S.C.
The move to Ft. Jackson came exactly one week from the day, Jan. 16, the local National Guard unit became part of Uncle Sam’s Army. ‘C’ was mobilized at the Evergreen Armory on the 16th, only a little over 10 years after it had been mobilized in November 1940 into federal service for World War II.
The leaving of this large number of local men brought the war even closer to home. And though this war isn’t as big, yet, as the last one, saying goodbye proved just as sad and tear-jerking a job as before.

78 YEARS AGO
JAN. 23, 1936

Bids On Overpass Are Sought By State Highway Department: Advertising calling for bids for the construction of an overhead bridge here, as a link in U.S. Highway 31, are carried in this issue of The Courant.
A total of $147,000 has been programmed for the construction of the Evergreen Overpass, which will route Highway 31 over the main line of the Louisville and Nashville railroad, eliminating the grade crossing at the north end of the city.
According to plans, the northern tip of the structure will merge with Perryman Street at a point directly in front of the D.H. McCreary residence, while the southern tip will emerge into West Front Street at the intersection of Rural Street.
A 15-foot driveway will be maintained through the present West Front Street extension, running along the boundary of the properties now fronting on the present street, probably dead-ending at the Gulf Filling Station at the present grade crossing.
A time limit of 190 working days has been set for the erection of the overpass.

King Edward VIII New Ruler of England: London, Jan. 21 – His face bearing the marks of grief for his dead father, Edward Albert, prince of Wales, was formally proclaimed King Edward VIII today by the Privy Council.
The age-old ceremony was held just 16 hours after King George V had died in a painless coma at Sandringham House at 11:55 p.m.

93 YEARS AGO
JAN. 26, 1921

Capt. Chas. R. Taliaferro has been chosen chairman for Conecuh County for the European Relief Council to secure Conecuh’s quota of money for the relief of starving and undernourished children in Central and Eastern Europe, of which there are now 3-1/2 million.

The Courant has reliable information that a party of Andalusia capitalists will erect a water power plant either in Conecuh or Sepulga river to develop electric current for lights and power.
The River Falls Water Power Co. has already been organized by C.A. Oneal and E.L. More and associates, which means that it is now a reasonable certainty.

Militiamen To Be Tried In Marion County: Jasper, Ala., Jan. 21 – Judge Sowell today granted a change of venue to Hamilton, Marion County, in the cases of nine members of Co. M, Alabama National Guard, indicted on charges of murder in connection with the lynching of William Baird, a miner, and fixed Mon., Jan. 31, as the date for the trials to begin.

LOST, somewhere’s on streets of Evergreen, or on road leading by Mineral Springs to Miller plantation, one automobile tire, size 34x4 on steel rim.