The Monroe Journal's News Flashback for May 18, 2026

Wilbert Pickens, left, and Frank Lee in 1979.

22 YEARS AGO
MAY 20, 2004

Bailey seeks to make town better as Repton councilman: The Repton Town Council filled a vacant council seat Tuesday of last week by swearing in new councilman James “Linn” Bailey during a meeting at Repton Town Hall.
Bailey has lived in Repton for three years, he said. Bailey was born in Montgomery and graduated from Sidney Lanier High School in 1954. He later moved to Atmore, then to Mobile, then to Pensacola, where he lived for 40 years before moving to Repton.

Shields players, coaches dominate all-star team: J.F. Shields High School dominated The Journal’s annual all-star boys and girls basketball teams this year, placing four players on each team.
In addition, Shields coach Jerome Sanders, who led the boys to the 1A state championship, and Herbert Blackmon, who led the girls to the Final Four tournament, were named Coaches of the Year.
Wesley Jones, a senior 6-8 forward at Shields, and April Hollinger, a senior guard at Shields, are The Journal’s Players of the Year.

Cotton Patch Festival ‘most successful’ one of all: One of the most successful Cotton Patch arts and crafts festivals at Uriah was held Saturday, according to Patricia McCullers, publicity chairperson for the annual event.
Uriah’s annual event is sponsored each May by the Uriah Arts Council. The 11^th annual event was held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Uriah. The festival included booths featuring oil and watercolor paintings, mesquite wood walking canes and oil lamps, monogrammed purses, woodwork, clothing and more.

47 YEARS AGO
MAY 17, 1979

Honorary fire chief: Frank Lee accepts a plaque from Monroeville Fire Chief Wilbert Pickens which designated him honorary fire chief of Monroeville last week. Lee, the 10-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lee Sr. of Monroeville, was recognized for rushing into a burning home at Destin, Fla. March 30 and awaking Mrs. Dave Katz of Monroeville, possibly saving her life. The Monroeville Volunteer Fire Department presented Lee with the plaque and made him fire chief for a week and Mayor B.C. Hornady signed a proclamation because of his heroic act.

Nine men from area to play on East team: Nine area players will participate in the Jackson Lions Club East-West Baseball divisional game Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on Jackson’s Legion Field.
Clarence McCarthy, Carl Langlois and Richard Anderson will represent 3A area champ Monroe County High School. From 1A champion J.U. Blacksher will come Ricky Smith, Harry Akins and Kevin Barnes.
Gary Seales and Tracy Baggett, both of Excel High, and Dennis Curry of Frisco City High are the three other area players.

John Barnett III elected chairman of bankers group: John B. Barnett III of Monroeville has been elected group chairman for the area 1979-80 Alabama Young Bankers Economic Education Program. Barnett is assistant vice president of Monroe County Bank and is married to Rebecca Lewis Barnett. Barnett will work directly with school coordinators appointed by area banks, school boards and principals.

72 YEARS AGO
MAY 20, 1954

Postal Theft In Hybart Reported By Inspector: Post Office Inspector J.C. Engel in Mobile reported recently that a large quantity of mail was stolen from the Frisco railway depot at Hybart, Monroe County, Sunday night, May 9.
Engel said the theft was discovered Monday morning and that some of the mail and wrappings from parcel post packages were discovered under a railway trestle about 200 yards from the depot.
The incoming mail was stored in a strong box at the depot awaiting opening of the Hybart post office.

Honor students of the 1954 senior class at Excel High School are Miss Beverly Gardner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Gardner, valedictorian, and James Fleming, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Fleming, salutatorian.
Guest speaker for graduation exercises for the Excel seniors on Monday night, May 24, in the school auditorium will be Dr. David Mullins, executive vice-president of Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn.

Pamphlets On Polio Now Being Distributed To All Monroe Students: Around 7,000 pamphlets containing tips on polio precaution are now being distributed to students in all Monroe County schools, H.G. Greer of Monroeville, county education superintendent, reported recently.
Around 600 of these pamphlets were left over from the county distribution, Mr. Greer declared, and all interested persons may obtain one of them by calling in person at his offices in the City Hall in Monroeville.
He urged parents in the county to read and abide by the pamphlets when they are brought home by students.

97 YEARS AGO
MAY 16, 1929

NEW POST OFFICE COMPLETED: The new post office building has been completed with the exception of laying the sidewalk in front of the building. New furniture and equipment is being installed which will materially facilitate the handling of mail matter.

Prof. H.G. Greer, principal of the Frisco City High School, is leaving this week with his family to spend time with relatives in Brookhaven, Miss. Prof. Greer with his entire faculty has been reelected for the next session of the school.

Rev. L.B. Green, pastor, and Messrs. A.C. Lee, J.A. Lazenby and J.F. Lathram and Mrs. I.J. Foster, delegates from the Monroeville charge, attended the Andalusia District Conference at Dozier on Thursday of last week.

Local Marine Returns From Service In China: After some interesting experiences in China, where he was on duty with the Sixth Regiment of Marines, Paul McKenzie of Uriah arrived in New York recently on the transport Somme, which brought back several Marines who had completed periods of service abroad.
McKenzie went to China early in 1927 when the detachment of Marines were hurriedly dispatched to that country to protect American citizens. He remained in the Orient nearly two years and came back to California by way of Guam, the Philippines and Honolulu.
McKenzie is a native of Alabama and formerly made his home with his mother, Mrs. Lora McKenzie, Rural Route 1, Uriah. He has been with the Marines for five or six years and has had many travels and adventures.

122 YEARS AGO
MAY 19, 1904

Ice Cream Supper: To be given at Quigley Institute, Beatrice, Thursday night, May 26, for the benefit of buying desks for school. Everybody invited.

LONG NEEDED RAIN: The long wished for and greatly needed rain drenched the thirsty earth throughout this section last Monday afternoon and night, breaking a drought of about five weeks duration. Although no gauge was taken, we are of the opinion that the precipitation would have measured one a half to two inches. The downpour was steady for a considerable time and unaccompanied by electrical display or damaging winds.

F.H. Smith Dead: Mr. F.H. Smith, bookkeeper for the Holmes Lumber Co., Finchburg, died at that place on Friday evening, May 13, after a short sickness. His remains were interred at the Baptist cemetery here Saturday afternoon. Two bright little boys survive him. His former home was in Michigan.

ELOCUTIONIST ENTERTAINMENT: A rare treat is in store for all who appreciate grace and talent in the art of elocution. Miss Georgia Ray MacMillan, whose gifts and accomplishments as an elocutionist are highly commended by press and people where ever she has given recital, has been induced to give an entertainment in the courthouse at Monroeville on Tuesday evening, May 25, for the benefit of the Presbyterian church. A full house should be accorded. Admission 25 cents, children 15 cents. Tickets on sale at the Drug Store.

Fear and Loathing in Claiborne: Part Four

Dozens of questions ran through my mind as I examined the old flyleaf inscribed with the coded message. Why would someone slide it under my office door in the dead of night? Why would someone write the message in a cipher composed of letters in an almost-forgotten occult language?

Claire ran a white-gloved index finger over a line of the ghostly text, and I observed that none of the ink came off the page. "Are you familiar with runes?" she asked as she brought the tip of her finger to her nose and sniffed. "In addition to being a means of communication, the Norse thought they were imbued with magic."

Claire passed the magnifying glass to me, and I bent over the light table for a closer look. "The ink looks unusual," I said. The hellbent letters were written in an almost blackish green of backwards horseshoes and loops.

"It's what the Piachi called bee's blood," Claire said. "Some of the almost incomprehensible works of Saint John, Karl Ruprecht Kroenen and John Keel were written in the same thing. Exact recipe unknown. I've read about it, but never seen it in person. Careful not to touch it without gloves.

"No matter how complex or obscure the message, I think your next step is clear," she said. "I'm sure the June 5, 1863 edition of The Herald can be found at the Claiborne State University library."

I'd visited the CSU library hundreds of times, and I'd had many misadventures there that I would prefer to forget. While not widely known, the library's Archive of Special Literature contains Alabama's finest collection of ancient parchments, old palimpsests, clay tablets and Pnakotic manuscripts. Those works attract scholars from around the world and not always for harmless, academic reasons.

Claire pulled off her gloves and tossed them onto the light table. "To keep questions down, go now." From her breast pocket, she produced an old iron key topped with a stylized skeleton with crossed arms.

I parked in a vacant lot a hundred yards from the library and kept to the shadows as much as possible on my approach. The campus is riddled with surveillance cameras, and I was sure that the fact that I was entering the building was being caught on camera. I skirted the wide stone steps leading up to the main entrance and made my way to a lesser-known side door that served as an entrance for the building's custodial staff.

This was the only entrance that didn't require an electronic key card. I pulled Claire's skeleton key from my hip pocket and slid it into the old door's keyhole. I turned the key and tried the knob, but nothing happened.

Suddenly and without warning, the door opened inward with such speed that I was left holding the key in my shaking right hand. A man's face, unshaven and perfumed with cheap whiskey, appeared a few inches from my nose. I instinctively reached for my Beretta.

"What the hell took you so long?" the man said. The stitched patch over his breast pocket said "Patrick." "Claire said you were on your way, but I didn't sign up to wait on you all night." In response to my stunned, puzzled look, he said, "She's my niece," ushering me in roughly without another word.

I followed close behind as Patrick led me deeper into the dark building. I followed him around a corner and down a flight of stairs that ended in a padlocked iron door. He produced a large ring of keys and began to search for the one that fit the lock. Over his stooped shoulders, I saw that the placard on the door: Hard Copy Newspaper Morgue.

Patrick eventually found the correct key and inserted it in the rusty lock. It opened with a loud "snick," and he pushed the door open, groping around in the darkness until he found a long, thin string of butcher's twine overhead. He pulled it and a single, naked bulb flickered on with a click.

My eyes fell upon shelf after shelf of dusty bound volumes that extended into the darkness beyond the reach of the dim bulb overhead. "She's all yours," Patrick said. Without another word, he about-faced and departed, hanging the open padlock in its hasp on his way out the door.

I grabbed one of the large bound volumes from the nearest shelf and propped it against the door to make sure it didn't accidentally close behind me. The book's spine said it contained newspapers from 1935. I then lifted the open padlock from its hasp and dropped it in my hip pocket. I had no plans to get locked inside.

From my other hip pocket I produced a small flashlight and shined its narrow beam along the shelves as I searched for the volume containing papers from 1863. It was a small miracle that these papers even existed. Printed during the War Between the States on sub-quality paper, they should have been transferred to microfilm years ago. Question was, why hadn't they been put into a form where they would have been more accessible to the public?

I searched the dusty shelves for the better part of half an hour before my eye fell on the 1863 volume. It had been pushed behind another stack of bound volumes and was shrouded in ancient cobwebs. The covers of the large book were also secured together with an old brass lock that I was able to knock off with several well-placed strokes from the butt of my flashlight. 

I set the large volume on the floor and began carefully turning the yellowed pages until I reached the papers published in June of that year. Front page news the first week of that month included stories on a rampaging yellow-fever epidemic. Unexpectedly, my eyes also fell on more than a few notes scribbled in the ciphered runes that had covered the old flyleaf I'd shown Claire.

These cryptic notes centered around a story regarding a pair of unusual twins. The story said that they'd been smuggled up river in a locked chest to avoid the yellow fever quarantine. When the parents opened the rune-inscribed chest they found one gangrenous twin dead, while his sister was perfectly healthy, despite the five-day trip without food or water from Mobile to Claiborne.

The story noted that the black-haired girl was named Lilith. When the authorities opened the chest, she was found sucking her thumb. Her unfortunate brother's body was inexplicably bloodless as if his lifeblood had been drained from his body.

Suddenly and without warning, the sound of a closing door caused me to jump to my feet. A second later, the weak overhead bulb went out and my handheld flashlight flickered off. In the next moment, my ears were met by the sound of ponderous steps in the darkness.

(All rights reserved. This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.)

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for April 1, 2025

24 YEARS AGO
MARCH 29, 2001

Work is underway to repair buildings that were damaged by a recent storm. Local construction crews have more than their fair share of work and are trying to get everyone ‘dry’ before the next big rains. Covin Roofing and Construction is shown in the above photo replacing the roof on the Village Plaza building and in the photo at right Skipper’s General Contractors are shown hanging steel to replace the wall that had to be torn down at The Evergreen Courant.

Stanley Guy Busby, 75, of Repton died Tues., March 27, 2001 in a Monroeville hospital. Mr. Busby ran a dairy for many years. He was a driver for Poole Truck Line and retired CDL instructor from Reid State Technical College. He was a member of the Annunciation Catholic Church of Monroeville. He was a veteran and served in the Marines during World War II and the Korean War.

The Conecuh County Children’s Foundation, Thurgood Marshall Middle School, Lyeffion Junior High School and the Evergreen-Conecuh Chamber of Commerce invites everyone out to the airport at Middleton Field for the annual children’s carnival. Carnival rides will provide fun and excitement for the whole family. Also on Saturday, the Collard Green Festival, Extension Petting Zoo, Firemen’s Contest and Chili Cookoff will be featured as well as vendors, country music and many other interesting activities. Citizens are encouraged to attend and support the Conecuh County Children’s Foundation. Pictured at the recent ribbon cutting on Mon., March 28, are Eric Basinger, Nell Stuart, Kim George, Geneva Lyons, Joey Varner, Homer Lyons and Emily Brogden.

39 YEARS AGO
MARCH 27, 1986

Ole Earl Windham reports .10 of an inch of rain on March 16, 2.41 inches on March 19 and .46 on March 20.

Johnny Grace of Lyeffion High School exhibited the Grand Champion of the 41st Annual Conecuh County 4-H and FFA Steer Show held Monday at the Evergreen Livestock Arena. The 1,250-pound steer brought 95 cents per pound with Southern Pine Electric Cooperative, represented by Manager Tom Perry, paying the premium price.

John Shepherd Salter, 89, of 318 Perryman St., Evergreen, died Sat., March 22, in the Veterans Administration Hospital, Montgomery, after a long illness. He was a member of a pioneer county family and a veteran of World War I and a retired employee of the City of Evergreen.

415 marijuana plants were confiscated near Travis Bridge on March 14 by Deputy Sheriff Jimmy Lambert. Plants were found by alert citizens who immediately called the Conecuh County Sheriff’s Office.

State Representative J.E. (Jimmy) Warren of Castleberry has qualified to seek re-election to the Alabama House of Representatives. The veteran legislator, first elected in 1970, is asking for a fifth term of office. He represented District 64, composed of Conecuh and Monroe counties.

54 YEARS AGO
MARCH 25, 1971

Ewing Baxter McRady, 80, of Evergreen died Sat., March 20, in Montgomery hospital after a long illness. He was a retired hardwareman who was well known throughout this area.
A native of Tennessee, Mr. McRady was associated with Luttrell Hardware in Brewton for a short time before becoming associated with Wild Bros. Hardware Co. here some 55 years ago. He worked with Wild Bros. for 40 years until retiring 15 years ago and was generally recognized as one of the most knowledgeable men in his field in this area.

A Civitan Club may be organized in Evergreen. A breakfast meeting is set for 6:30 o’clock Tuesday morning at Jimmie’s Restaurant to put organizational procedures in motion.
Civitan International is a service club for men and has been in existence for 51 years. They are ‘Builders of Good Citizenship.
Any man interested is invited to attend the breakfast Tuesday morning as a guest of the Andalusia Civitan Club which is sponsoring the new club here.

Dean Masonic Lodge No. 112 will sponsor a special program on Drug Abuse at the Brooklyn Baptist Church March 27 at 7 p.m.
Rev. H.C. Botts from Milton, Fla. will be guest speaker. Films from Whiting Field on Drug Abuse will be shown.
The public is invited to attend this special program.

59 YEARS AGO
MARCH 29, 1956

Tuesday morning, the U.S. Navy began using Middleton Field, Evergreen’s airport, as a training field again.

James Richard Merritt, 23, Cincinnati, Ohio, who was a prisoner in the Conecuh County Jail made a unique escape here last Thursday night. It was the first escape made from the Conecuh County Jail in about six years and one of the few in its history.
According to Sheriff James Brock, Merritt gained his escape by tearing apart a small radio and obtaining a magnet from inside. He attached the magnet to a long strip of molding torn from the window and reached a file which was laying a short distance from the window. The file had been used to clean some stove parts on the outside of the building. Merritt filed out one bar on the window and made his way out through the small opening, approximately six inches in width. Merritt is of a very small build being about five-foot, six-inches tall and weighing only about 120 pounds.
Three other prisoners who were in the cell with Merritt refused to attempt to escape along with him. The escape was made sometime between 12 midnight and early Friday morning. Merritt was being held in jail on charges of robbing the London Store, Castleberry, Rte. 2 on Jan. 2 of this year. The robbery netted approximately $200 for him and three companions. Two others are still in the Conecuh County Jail for the crime and one other has not yet been apprehended.

84 YEARS AGO
MARCH 27, 1941

An advance trainer, piloted by J.D. Eiland Jr., Flying Cadet of Maxwell Field, was damaged to such an extent about 10:30 Wednesday night in a forced landing at the local airport it was found necessary to send a maintenance crew from Maxwell Field to dismantle the plane and truck it to Montgomery for repairs. The left wheel was broken off, propeller bent and the left wing slightly damaged. As soon as the employee on duty at the station saw what had happened, he summoned an ambulance but the pilot was found to be uninjured.
According to the information given The Courant, Cadet Eiland had made only one cross-country night flight before his flight Wednesday, and had become lost some time before reaching Evergreen. Upon discovering he was over Evergreen, it is said he found that his gas was low and headed for the airport to land.
It is not known how the accident occurred but it is surmised the pilot misjudged his altitude, being lower than he thought and sat the ship down hard enough to break off the left wheel. Due to the fact the ship finally came to rest several yards from where the wheel was found it is believed he then gunned the motor to right the ship and then made a perfect three-point landing – right wheel, left wing and tail skid – which, according to those who know how to fly, is quite an achievement for a cadet.

Robert James McCreary, prominent lumberman of Montgomery, died at his home on Lexington Road early Saturday morning after a brief illness. A native of Evergreen, Mr. McCreary had engaged in the wholesale lumber business for many years. He had made his home in Montgomery since 1927, operating the R.J. McCreary Lumber Co.

The Monroe Journal's News Flashback for Nov. 18, 2024

SEVEN YEARS AGO
NOV. 16, 2017

Veterans Day: The 2017 Veterans Day program held at Veterans Memorial Park in Monroeville Saturday featured a patriotic medley sung by Terry Galbraith and the Coastal Alabama Expose, the laying of the wreath by Boy Scout Troop 24, the playing of Taps and a rifle salute from members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion Honor Guard and remarks from event organizer Bob Steward, United States Marine Corps adjutant.

Vols to play for title: Monroe Academy pounded Morgan Academy 34-7 Friday night to secure a spot in the AISA’s Class 3A state championship game for a third consecutive year against a very familiar foe – defending state champion Bessemer Academy of Bessemer.
Once again, the offensive key for the Vols (against Morgan) was a double dose of the McKenzies, as in twins Dalton and Griffin McKenzie. Between the pair, they accounted for 342 yards and five touchdowns. Dalton rushed seven times for 137 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown. Griffin followed with 108 yards passing and a touchdown, completing nine of 11 passes, and 10 rushes for 52 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Dalton McKenzie had one of his better games at cornerback, collecting two solos and six assists with 1.5 tackles for loss.
(Other top MA players in that game included Corey Barnes, Max Carter, Colt Daniels, Noah Goodman, John Walker Horton, J.T. Lolley, Seth Simecak, Christopher Stacey and Grayson Stacey. Mitchell Turberville was head coach.)

32 YEARS AGO
NOV. 19, 1992

Murder story scheduled on ’60 Minutes’ Sunday: A story about the Ronda Morrison murder case will be aired on national television this Sunday night.
The CBS network’s news-magazine show “60 Minutes” will start at 6 p.m. local time (or a few minutes later if delayed by sports) on Channel 5 of Mobile.
CBS producer David Gelber said yesterday from New York that the second and longest of the three main segments on Sunday’s program will be “Johnny D.” – an examination of the 1986 murder case in which Walter “Johnny D” McMillian was sentenced to death after being convicted of killing Ronda Morrison, 18.

Frisco City High School upended Millry High School 20-7 Friday in Frisco City to advance to the second round of the 1A state football playoffs.
Shannon Richardson posted one of his better performances Friday, piling up 94 yards on nine rushes. He also led the defense with 14 tackles.
(Other FCHS players in that game included Roy Bonner, Adrian Bullard, Chris Davison, Tony Gibbs, Derrick Harris, Jermaine Hetherington, Bryne Malone, Artis McGinnis, Clayton Minchew, William Sheets, Shannon Smith, Carlin Snell, A.J. White and Eric Williams. Scott Fountain was FCHS’s head coach.)

The Masons of Alabama Lodge No. 3 in Monroeville honored 25-year members in a ceremony Nov. 7. Dayton Russell was honored as a 50-year member. Those honored included John Turberville, John Kennedy, Woodrow Ikner, Robert Miller, Glen Gladwell, Algee Brown, Charlie Deer, Claude Green Sr., Kenneth Green, Samuel Aiken, Little Andress, John Mackie (worshipful master), Marion Craft, Floyd Harper, Louis Green, Charles Jernigan and Thomas Lemons.

57 YEARS AGO
NOV. 16, 1967

School Observes Veterans Day: George Thomas Jones, speaking in a Veterans Day assembly Friday at Monroe County High School in Monroeville, urged students to appreciate their American heritage and “see that our flag continues to fly high.”
The Monroeville businessman, who related his talk to experiences in World War II, was the featured speaker on the program. It was planned and directed by the school social studies teachers and was attended by all members of the student body.
Mr. Jones said that American troops in Europe during the second World War had home uppermost in their minds: “We knew, regardless of anything, that America was the greatest country in all the world. I wouldn’t have traded all six of the foreign countries where I served for America.”

The J.U. Blacksher Bulldogs ended the ’67 season with a victory and a 6-4 record. The Bulldogs closed out with a 33-0 victory over the Black Cats of Century last Friday night at Uriah.
Senior fullback Keith Cardwell led the Blacksher offense with 87 yards. Senior guard Gary Hilburn made his debut at end and chalked up 63 yards. Danny McGee added 56 yards.
The Blacksher defense was at the peak of perfection, limiting the Black Cats to two first downs and 71 yards total offense.
(Other top Blacksher players in that game included James Bohannon, Jessie Bohannon, Larry Brooks, Robert Colbert, Flo Cole, Joe Harris, Mitchell Harrison, Joe Mims, James Porterfield and Carl “Old Faithful” Williams.)

82 YEARS AGO
NOV. 19, 1942

Samuel D. Jackson Injured In Action: Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Jackson of Tunnel Springs received a telegram Monday conveying the information that their son, Samuel Dubose Jackson, Aviation Metalsmith, U.S. Navy, had been wounded in action in the performance of his duty and in the service of his country. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson were assured that further information regarding the condition of their son would be forthcoming as soon as received.

FRISCO CITY PLAYS McCULLOUGH THURSDAY: The Frisco City Whippets will match their speed and skill against a supposedly stronger McCullough team at Frisco City, Thursday afternoon, Nov. 19, at 3 o’clock.
The Frisco City team, although very light and inexperienced, is expected to rely mostly on a strong defense. At any rate, this will probably be the attraction of the week. It will be Frisco City’s first game of the season, and the first game in the county. There will be no admission to the game.

Fat Hog Show On Dec. 7: The Fat Hog Show to be held in Monroeville on Mon., Dec. 7, will be a close second to the Hog Festival which attracted the largest crowd ever seen in this town.
4-H Club boys from six adjoining counties of Baldwin, Butler, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia and Wilcox will display their hogs with the Club boys of Monroe County at the Stockyard here, and it is estimated that about 150 fine hogs will be in the show.
Sears Roebuck & Co. will give valuable prizes to the winners and each prize is well worth working for.

108 YEARS AGO
NOV. 16, 1916

Capt. T.M. Riley of Riley was here yesterday.

Mr. Riley Kelly of Excel was at the county capital Monday.

Dr. and Mrs. D.D. Cole of Eliska were visitors to the city this week.

Dr. J.W. Rutherford of Franklin was in attendance on the circuit court the first of the week.

Capt. J.H. McCreary of Turnbull was transacting business at the county capital the first of the week.

Hon. Oscar L. Gray, representative in Congress from this district, was a visitor to the city this week. His many friends were delighted to see him in the enjoyment of robust health.
Congressman Oscar L. Gray took advantage of the opportunity to deliver a brief address to his friends and constituents just before the convening of the circuit court on Monday. Mr. Gray brought a message of good cheer, reviewing the record of constructive legislation enacted by the last congress and predicting great prosperity to the country and individual benefits that will result from its operation.

Mr. T.T. Ivey of Beatrice was in town transacting business Tuesday.

Our Heavenly Father Knows Best: Mr. A.P. Norwood was born Nov. 1, 1860; died Oct. 24, 1916. A wife, three children, five sisters and four brothers mourn his death. Bro. I.S. Ridgeway paid a beautiful tribute to his memory in his talk at Red Hill cemetery.

The Monroe Journal's News Flashback for Oct. 28, 2024

Richard Mansfield

TWO YEARS AGO
OCT. 27, 2022

Museum honors Jones: The Monroe County Heritage Museum’s board of directors officially dedicated the research room at the Old Monroe County Courthouse as the “George Thomas Jones Research Room” Wednesday of last week during a special birthday celebration for Jones, who celebrated his 100^th birthday on Oct. 19. Museum Executive Director Wanda Green said that Jones has been an invaluable asset to the museum ever since its establishment in 1992.

Excel region champ: Excel High School’s varsity football team, led by head coach Jason Phillips, captured its first region championship since 1997 by defeating 3A Region 1 opponent, W.S. Neal High School, 27-14, Friday night at Panther Stadium in Excel.
Ashton McPhaul, a senior linebacker, led Excel’s defense with five tackles, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. Kaleb Browning followed closely with five tackles, including two tackles for a loss, a blocked punt and a fumble recovery.
Browning, a force to be reckoned with on offense and defense, had a “tremendous night” against Neal, carrying the ball 22 times for 118 yards, Phillips said.
(Other top Excel players in that game included Braden Anderson, Trayvon Anderson, Cade Barnett, Eli Bayles, Logan Holder, Hampton King, Gauge Lowery, Michael Maye, Gedric McCants, Admiryan McMillian, Zaylon McMillian, Jon McPherson, Allister Millender, Kolby Peavy, Jaxson Smith, Myles Taite, Will Thomas and Koleman Wiggins.)

27 YEARS AGO
OCT. 23, 1997

Winning calves: Rose Johnson, president of the Monroeville Kiwanis Club, presented trophies to winners of the calf show at the Kiwanis/Monroe County Fair. Showing the winning calves were Clint Case, who won grand champion, and Monica Stuart, reserve champion.

Blacksher Dogs defeat Red Level: J.U. Blacksher High School rushed past Red Level High School Friday in Uriah, recording a 20-0 victory.
Senior fullback Anthony Tucker led an offensive charge that piled up 235 yards on 56 rushes. Tucker hammered his way through the Tigers’ defensive line most of the night, hitting the line like a 220-pound wrecking ball. He finished the evening with 170 yards on 33 rushes. On defense, the Bulldogs were led by Tony Dean’s 14 tackles.
(Other top Blacksher players in that game included Anthony Adams, Brandon Bailey, Travis Boykin, Sherman Dean, Jesse Hadley, Larry Nichols, Justin Redditt, Israel Summers and Jacarro Tucker. John Williamson was Blacksher’s head coach.)

Excel crowns queen: Excel homecoming queen Amanda Wiggins, escorted by her father Darrell Wiggins, was crowned by principal John Ross during pre-game festivities Saturday at Excel High School.

Chamber to produce map: The Monroeville Area Chamber of Commerce has contracted with a map maker to produce a map of Monroe County and the City of Monroeville. Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sandi Smith said business owners may get a call from Wendell Harville of Southern Engineering GPP, Inc. Harville is selling advertising on the map.

52 YEARS AGO
OCT. 26, 1972

Old landmark going down: The stained glass windows have been removed from the old First Baptist Church building on Courthouse Square as the first step in dismantling the landmark. The building was recently sold by owner Allen Hall of Excel to Jack R. Bates and W.C. Owens of Monroeville, who have announced tentative plans to locate a business building on the site. The old church building was constructed in 1920 and housed the First Baptist congregation until 1959, when it moved to the present location on Pineville Road.

Shields High downs ‘Big Vikings’: The Shields High Panthers defeated the Eutaw Vikings 14-6 Friday night, Oct. 13, in Beatrice.
Shields came from behind in the second quarter with Richard Lett’s 55-yard touchdown run. The score at halftime was 6-6.
It seemed to be just a defensive battle until Richard Lett went off tackle for an 85-yard run, scoring the second touchdown for the Panthers. The extra point was made when Curtis Tucker found Robert Booker open in the end zone.
(Other top Shields players in that game included H. Bonner, M. Finklea, Joe Lyons, James Stallworth, F. Wiggins and F. Williams.)

Ronnie Bailey is named Frisco City alumni president: Frisco City High School alumni returned to their alma mater Oct. 7 to elect Ronnie Bailey of Frisco City their new president. Also elected at the annual meeting of the alumni association were Penny Baker, vice-president; Mrs. Connie Norris Griggers, secretary; George Burns, treasurer; and Mrs. Alberta Murphy Jones, historian.

76 YEARS AGO
OCT. 28, 1948

City Host To Crowds Here For Hog Fete: Monroeville and Monroe County are staging their first hog festival in 10 years today and, admittedly, its major purpose is to impress upon farms of this area the opportunities for profit to be found in the raising of hogs for the market.
Off to a gala start last night with a banquet at Williams Café attended by approximately 125 persons, at which Probate Judge Coma Garrett of Clarke County, was the principal speaker, the affair gets into full swing this morning with a pure-bred hog show at Monroe County Stockyards and will be concluded at the American Legion Clubhouse.

Monroe County High School’s football Tigers balanced up their won-lost columns last Friday night by dropping a hotly disputed contest to Thomaston, 27-6, on the latter’s home grounds.
Sparked by what numerous Monroeville fans termed questionable decisions of the officials, the game saw Thomaston score three touchdowns before the Monroe County team became sufficiently aroused to push across its lone tally of the night.
Significant during the entire contest were the numerous arguments among players of both teams and also between players and officials.
(Standout MCHS players in that game included George Klepic, Bodie Thompson and Hurtis Tomlinson, who scored Monroe’s only touchdown on a one-yard run.)

115 YEARS AGO
OCT. 28, 1909

Monroeville’s ball team and Ollie played last Saturday. The score was 17 to 5 in favor of Monroeville.

Hon. Kyle B. Price delivered an able address in favor of the constitutional amendment at Jones Mill on Saturday evening. The audience was not large on account of short notice but the impression made was apparently favorable.

W.G. McCorvey, Esq., and Dr. W.J. Mason met in joint debate on the constitutional amendment at Excel Tuesday evening, the former opposing and the latter favoring the proposition. A good crowd was present and a patient hearing accorded both speaker.

Dr. W.G. Hairston and wife expect to leave (Burnt Corn) Tuesday for Ft. Deposit in their automobile.

Mr. Tileson Bryce, a talented impersonator, formerly with the Fredrick Warde and Robert B. Mantell companies, presented a highly entertaining program at the court house on Wednesday evening. His repertoire embraced scenes from Shakespeare’s plays, “The Old Homestead,” the climax of Act I of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as rendered by the late Richard Mansfield, pathetic ballads and the one-act play “The Curse of Drink.” The role was varied and difficult throughout but performed with ease and skill.

The Monroe Journal's News Flashback for Oct. 14, 2024

SIX YEARS AGO
OCT. 11, 2018

Local family plays The Price is Right: Margaret and husband Joe Watson of Monroeville celebrated her birthday by visiting her son and attending the popular TV game show The Price is Right on Aug. 6 in Los Angeles, Calif.
While visiting her son, Kenneth Rankins Jr., who grew up in Monroeville, Margaret said they decided to attend a taping of The Price is Right at CBS Studios.
She said they spent the day touring the property and enjoyed the “full experience of television and the game show.”

Panthers win 42-2: Excel’s Panthers improved to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the Class 3A, Region 1 standings last Thursday when they defeated St. Michael Catholic High School 42-2 in Fairhope.
Drew Bradley and Josh Gandy had a big night for the Panthers, rushing 20 times for 283 yards and four touchdowns. Defensively, Tristian McBride and Jayden Jenkins had eight solo tackles each.
(Other top Excel players in that game included Cole Chandler, Nate Davis, Devin Hixon, Justin Manuel, Keon McMillian, Zeb Nettles, Race Salter and Deon’te Tunstall.)

Kiwanis officers and board installed: At its weekly meeting Oct. 2, Kiwanis Club of Monroeville installed officers for the 2018-19 membership year and new members of the board for 2018-20. The are Deborah Jinright, board; Jeanie Smith, immediate past president; Alisha Linam, vice president; Margaret Murphy, board; Sam Schjott, President; Ricky Powell, Division 12 Lt. Governor; Pete Black, president-elect; Paul England, board; Kelsie Becton, board; Phillip Allen, secretary; Toni McKelvey, treasurer; and Morgan Hutcherson, board.

31 YEARS AGO
OCT. 14, 1993

Board of Education approves lease to Perdue Hill group: A $1-per-year lease on about six acres of land at Perdue Hill where a school once was located was approved by the Monroe County Board of Education at its regular meeting Friday.
Earlman Davis, preside of the Perdue Hill Industrial Academy Alumni Association, requested the lease, saying the group wants to spearhead the construction of a youth recreation facility on the site. He also said the proposed center would be a monument to the late P.J. Carmichael, a long-time Monroe County educator who was principal of Perdue Hill Industrial Academy, where Davis attended.

Blacksher ‘Dogs get the best of Panthers: Emotions ran high at John Sawyer Memorial Field Saturday evening at Uriah when J.U. Blacksher High School squared off against Excel High School in a football game that saw the Bulldogs post a 12-7 win.
It has been said that sooner or later every dog has its day, and for J.U. Blacksher High School’s Bulldogs, it came Saturday in the form of a homecoming victory – a win that ended a streak of seven straight losses to the Panthers.
(Top Blacksher players in that game included Benny Alanis, Jimmy Beavers, Jackie Ray Brown, Mikal Cooper, Tedro English, Josh Johnson, Morgan Middleton, Wontwyn Montgomery and Eric Wallace. Top Excel players included Lee Browning, David Lowery, Matt Melton, Clifton Nettles, Dennis Parker, Steven Pharr, Durrand Watson and Jason Watson. Skip Bell was Blacksher’s head coach, and Bo Bishop was Excel’s head coach.)

56 YEARS AGO
OCT. 10, 1968

New Monroeville Mayor and Council: The new city administration for Monroeville was officially inducted Mon., Oct. 7, and met for their first business session Tuesday night. They are M.M. Kennedy Jr., Place 5; Windell C. Owens, mayor; A.L. Clenner, Place 4; B.C. Hornady, Place 1; Robbins Williams, Place 3; and J.R. Johnson, Place. 2.

Frisco Defeats Uriah, 13-7, in Close Game: The Frisco City High School Whippets edged past the J.U. Blacksher High School, 13-7, in a football game in Uriah last Friday night.
Uriah controlled the ball most of the last half, but couldn’t quite bring home the bacon. The Whippets have won five straight games and were rated number one on the Alabama High School Athletic Association list last week for single-A high schools.
(Top FCHS players in that game included James Bailey, David Bixler, Eddie Cotten, Bill Grant, Rob Kelly, Mike Lancaster, Larry Norris, Ronald Ray, Eddie Sawyer, Steve Sinquefield, Kenneth Till and Jimmy Tucker. Top Blacksher players included Robbie Colbert, Dale Gulsby, Joe Harrison, Danny McGee, Howard Metts, Joe Frank Mims and Carl Williams.)

New Store Manager: John Egolf, who will manage the new T.G.&.Y. store in Monroeville, arrived here Sept. 16 and is making preparations for a grand opening of the store Oct. 17. Located in the Monroe Shopping Center, approximately 20 people will assist in getting ready for the opening. Mr. Egolf was formerly employed with another chain in Florida.

81 YEARS AGO
OCT. 14, 1943

Goodway Man Has Well Drilling Record: Mr. C.H. Booker of Goodway holds a pretty good record for making water available around farm homes in Monroe and adjoining counties. He started drilling wells in 1925 and to date he has completed 675 wells in four counties.

Pfc. Aubrey L. Norris, who was wounded July 12 and died July 16 while serving his country in the Southwest Pacific Area, was awarded the Purple Heart medal for gallantry and devotion. The medal is being sent to his mother, Mrs. Mary E. Norris, according to a letter recently received from Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson.

A group of representative business men were guests of the five banks of the county at a dinner at the LaSalle Hotel last Thursday evening.
Mr. J. Finley McRae, president of the Merchants National Bank of Mobile, was the speaker for the occasion and discussed some of the economic problems which confront the people of the county.
Mr. Tom Taul, Mrs. George Hass and Mr. D’Olive of Mobile accompanied Mr. McRae to Monroeville.

The Fall term of the Circuit Court convened Monday. On account of the light docket and difficulty in locating witnesses, civil cases were continued and after selecting grand jurors, other jurors and witnesses were discharged. The grand jury is in session this week and is composed of: K.J. Lazenby, foreman, Melton Lynam, Heck Rumbley, J. Barto Lloyd, Earl L. Harper, Eddie E. English, A. Frank Session, J. Lomax Lewis, Henry T. Fountain, Mitchell J. Byrd, Herbert H. Hendrix, J. Benette Robinson, George E. Scott, Steve W. Strock, Levi A. Green, Lonnie J. Wiggins, Oscar McNeil Sr., I.D. Byrd.

108 YEARS AGO
OCT. 12, 1893

Little Henry, son of Mr. H.E. Hudson, had the misfortune to be thrown from a wagon Monday evening and one of the wheels passed over him breaking his left leg above the knee. Dr. Russell was called and set the broken limb. The little fellow bore the pain with great fortitude and is resting as easily as could be expected under the circumstances.

JONES MILL: The Bear Creek Mill Co. has completed the ditch to Little Bear Creek.

Died – Mr. Watson McWilliams, one of the oldest and most highly esteemed citizens of the county, died at his home near Axle, Tuesday, 10^th inst., aged 86 years.

SINGING CONVENTION: Ed. Journal: We wish to remind singers that the next Session of Shiloh Singing convention will convene at Grimes Schoolhouse on the third Sunday and Saturday before in this month. All cordially invited to attend. B.E. Jones, Secretary.

Captain and Mrs. W.S. Wiggins returned to Sulphur Springs last week to spend several days. The Captain thinks the mineral waters are proving beneficial to his health. On his previous visit, he gained several pounds in weight.

Mr. B.F. Wiggins left last week for Arkansas on the most important mission of his life. He is expected to return in a few weeks accompanied by his blushing bride.

The Monroe Journal's News Flashback for Sept. 23, 2024

Congressman Jack Edwards

17 YEARS AGO
SEPT. 27, 2007

Firefighters honored: The Monroe County Fire Association held their annual banquet last Thursday night at the Frisco City United Methodist Church. President Eddie James presented the awards to Excel Chief Tim Casey, Chief of the Year; Monroeville firefighter Jerry Knight, Firefighter of the Year; Rathan Owens, EMT of the Year; J.J. Burgess, Rookie of the Year; and Sue Starr, Female Firefighter of the Year.

Excel rolls over Tigers 44-0: Excel rolled over Red Level Friday night with a 44-0 romp to move to 3-1 on the year and 2-1 in the region.
Marcus Anderson was 9-for-12 for 161 yards on the night and ran five times for 12 yards. Defensively Johnny Flores had six stops and six assists, and Brett Harris had three tackles and five assists.
(Other top Excel players in that game included Kiara Betts, Nick Booker, Britt Bowen, Steven Brown, Korey Hall, Greg Hollinger, Nathan Hooks, Shelby Jordan, Josh Mack, Drew Pierce and Michael Watson. Andy Lambert was Excel’s head coach.)

Crowds of well-wishers, local dignitaries, customers and friends shared in celebrating the 100^th birthday of People Exchange Bank of Monroe County. Amid an atmosphere of jubilation, they feasted on lunch prepared by Cherry Street BBQ, and were entertained by Crossroads Band.
Headed by S.D. Andress, Peoples Exchange Bank opened its doors for business in Beatrice on Sept. 18, 1907 and on that opening day, it recorded deposits of $77 and a 10-percent profit. The bank’s total capital was $15,077, and on the second week of business, the bank’s first loan was for $183.

42 YEARS AGO
SEPT. 30, 1982

Replacement of Claiborne-Murphy Bridge is one of five projects given priority in an $11.2-billion transportation appropriations bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Congressman Jack Edwards said the bill, passed by the House last week, designates the bridge on U.S. Highway 84 over the Alabama River as a priority project.
The cost of a new bridge was once estimated to be $21 million, but that figure has been readjusted to $14 million.

FC Whippets defeat Blacksher 20-10: A patient Frisco City High School football team took advantage of three errors by J.U. Blacksher Friday night in Uriah to take a 20-10 win.
Blacksher fumbled a punt and a pitchout and failed to cover a Whippet pass receiver to set up the Whippets’ three touchdown.
(Top Frisco City players in that game included Foster Agee, Kenneth Agee, Walter Banks, Al Bowen, Kenny Cross, Frank Files, Russell Gulley, Rusty Hultz, Chris King, Sterling Lee and Jesse Stanley. Top Blacksher players included Terry Dailey, Alan Gunn, Craig Gregson, Richard Morris, David Peavy, Clifton Shoemo, Nick Tatum, Curtis Williams and Jimmy Woods. Vance McCrory was Frisco City’s head coach, and Keith Cardwell was Blacksher’s head coach.)

An open house for Frisco City First Baptist Church’s new recreation center will be held Saturday starting at 6:30 p.m. The dedication service for the new facility will be held on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. with Jim Bethea, consultant to the state Brotherhood Department of the Alabama Baptist Association, speaking.

67 YEARS AGO
SEPT. 26, 1957

Personnel Needed By Monroe Mills: To support an expanded program, Monroe Mills in Monroeville is in need of 50 or more women sewing machine operators.
Lee R. Duvall, personnel manager, said operations at the local mill have almost doubled in size during the last three years.
The new operators are needed between now and the end of the year, Mr. Duvall stated, and they need not have had any previous sewing experience.

Flu Cases Cancel Uriah Football Game: The Uriah-Walnut Hill, Fla. football game, originally scheduled for tonight (Thursday) in Walnut Hill, has been definitely postponed because of illness. Coach Jack Akins said the Uriah squad would be unable to play since nine of his players are out of school with the flu. He stated the future date for the game has not yet been decided.

Kiwanians To Hear Forest Ranger Speak: John Adams of Vredenburgh, forest ranger, will be guest speaker at the Friday luncheon meeting of the Monroeville Kiwanis Club at the Hi-Ho Restaurant.
Mr. Adams is scheduled to present a program on the progress of forest fire prevention in Monroe County and discuss the outstanding accomplishments of the “Keep Monroe County Green” program.
C.H. Harper, county Soil Conservation agent, is in charge of the program.

Miss Barbara Binion, 19, of Monroeville, Monroe County’s attractive “Maid of Cotton,” will be among representatives from over the state competing for the state “Maid of Cotton” title in Birmingham next week.

92 YEARS AGO
SEPT. 29, 1932

The M. Katz Dry Goods Store will be closed all day Sat., Oct. 1, on account of Jewish holiday. The store will be open for business on the following Monday morning.

Monroeville Team Defeats Uriah 12-0: The Monroe County High School opened its football season Friday afternoon by defeating Uriah High on the local athletic field by a score of 12 to 0. The first score came early in the game as a result of a high pass from the Uriah center which went over the head of the man attempting to punt and rolled behind the goal line where Monroeville recovered for a touchdown. Monroeville scored again in the last half on line plays. Both teams showed lack of teamwork due to the short period of training before the first game, but each team showed good material and promised plenty of opposition for their opponents before the season closes.

COTTON GINNINGS SHOW BIG DECREASE: According to the report of the census directors, there were 4,769 bales of cotton ginned in Monroe County from the crop of 1932, prior to Sept. 16, 1932, as compared with 5,914 bales to the same date last year.

Misses Mary Urquhart and Elon Kendall and Messrs. W.H. Simmons and Merrill Barrineau went to Pensacola to see the Ringling Circus Tuesday night.

Miss Etta Murphy of Peterman has accepted a position as elementary supervisor in Clarke County. – Clarke County Democrat.

117 YEARS AGO
SEPT. 26, 1907

Elsewhere in this issue appears the announcement of the Peoples Exchange Bank of Beatrice, which institution opened its doors for business on the 18^th inst., with a strong board of local directors and a corps of officers composed of some of the best and most substantial businessmen in that section of the county. The bank is capitalized at $25,000 and is situated in one of the richest and most prosperous agricultural sections of North Monroe. There is no good reason why the new bank should not meet every requirement of the commercial and business community. The Journal wishes the new enterprise a prosperous and useful career.

In two hotly contested games of amateur baseball, the Scotland-Franklin boys defeated the strong Nellie team (in Franklin) today. The feature of the game was the magnificent work of Capell Smith, Scotland-Franklin’s star player, who had the heavy Nellie batters at his mercy. Also the catching and batting of Simmons Kearley, who led the team in hitting the ball. Reeves, the mighty Nellie pitcher, was hit regular and hard especially at the important time.

Miss Ida McNiel returned to her home at Axle last Sunday after spending some time with Monroeville friends, the guest of Misses Jennie and Callie Faulk.

The Fall term of the Monroe Circuit Court will convene in Monroeville on Mon., Oct. 7. The dockets are, we learn, about the average size.

E.R. Green, the photographer, of Peterman, will be in Monroeville during court prepared to do all kinds of photographic work, especially postcard photos, which are now so popular. He invites all desiring work of this character to call on him.

The Monroe Journal's News Flashback for July 15, 2024

A.C. Lee

19 YEARS AGO
JULY 21, 2005

Jail nears completion: Work on the new Monroe County Jail on Winston Street in Monroeville is coming to an end with a projected opening date set for mid-August.
Monroe County Chief Deputy Randal Jernigan said yesterday (Wednesday) that the project superintendent said it would probably be around mid-August before the construction is completed.
The county’s $8.2-million jail will replace the present jail that was constructed around 1950.

Excel senior named all-star: Josh House, a rising senior at Excel School, was one of just 50 Alabama high school baseball players to be selected for a statewide all-star team during the Underclassmen Showcase held June 30 through July 2 at Troy University in Troy. The Underclassmen Showcase, sponsored by the Alabama High School Coaches Association, featured the top 150 high school baseball prospects from across the state. Players for the showcase were selected during six regional tryouts held throughout the state.

Cave is new head of ICU: Registered Nurse Kathy Cave has been named clinical coordinator for Monroe County Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, according to hospital CEO Chris Johns.
Cave is a 1980 graduate of Frisco City High School and a 1981 LPN graduate of Ed Reid Technical College. It was also in 1981 that she began her nursing career at Monroe County Hospital.
Cave continued her education and received her RN degree from Alabama Southern Community College in 2003.

44 YEARS AGO
JULY 17, 1980

Carters note 105^th birthday: A Monroeville woman celebrating her 105^th birthday has received congratulations from President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter.
Masialonia Randall, formerly of Belleville, was born in Buena Vista and taught school in Belleville. She now lives in Monroeville.

Dixie Youth all-stars: Members of the Monroeville Dixie Youth League’s all-star team, which will compete July 25 in the district tournament here, are Joel Nettles, Wayne Cahall, Allen Tippy, Tim Waters, J.P. Sawyer, Keith Greene, Jim Campbell, Lee Ackerman, Chris Smith, Patrick Brown, Jeff Murphy, Jody Brannon, Troy Wilson, Shaine Powell, Andy Booker and Matthew Ackerman. Frank Peavey is the all-stars’ manager. Coaches are Leroy Ackerman, Ronnie Trotter and Dick Sawyer.

Bucket burns: Monroeville volunteer firemen battled a blaze at Bill’s Bait Bucket on Highway 84 Monday morning for about two hours. Fire Chief Wilbert Pickens said he had no idea how much damage was caused or how the fire began, but it could have been an electrical fire started near the switchbox. Pickens said the department took two pumpers and 11 men to the fire, which was fully involved when they arrived about 6:30 a.m.

Receives medal: John J. Kearley, a native of Monroeville recently received a Navy Commendation Medal based on leadership, managerial ability and resourcefulness. The 33-year-old lieutenant is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James E. Kearley of Monroeville. He and his wife, June, have two daughters, Emily and Leslie. Kearley is stationed in Norfolk, Va.

69 YEARS AGO
JULY 21, 1955

Lambert Elected Post Commander: Oscar C. Lambert was named post commander at a meeting of the Monroe County Post 61 of the American Legion Wednesday evening.
Other officers elected were John L. Wiggins, first vice-commander; Jack Smith, second vice-commander; Alfred M. Thompson, adjutant; Lucian Jones, historian; T. Glenn Stacey, post chaplain; and Buck Marshall, sergeant at arms. Officers will be installed at a session in August.

Monroeville Scouts Receive Eagle Badges At Court Of Honor: Dave Katz and Bill Owens were awarded the Eagle Scout badges at a Court of Honor conducted in the Presbyterian Church Sunday evening.
Albert Nettles served as moderator at the court of honor, and A.B. Blass Sr. presented the badges to the Scouts. The awards were pinned by mothers of the honored Scouts.

Observer Training Starts Thursday: Vernon Burns, Post Superintendent of the Monroeville Ground Observation Post, issued a reminder this week that the first training meeting will be held Thursday evening, July 21.
Army representatives from Mobile will be present and will show a film on the Civil Defense program.
More volunteers were being sought for the Monroeville unit, Mr. Burns stated. The post was organized for the purpose of “spotting” and reporting aircraft to the U.S. Air Force.

Mr. and Mrs. Seabon Faulk and sons, Seabon Jr., Joseph, Arthur and John Raymond, of Long Island, N.Y. are guests this week of Miss Jennie Faulk, Mrs. Lucille Ingram and Mr. and Mrs. Jennings Carter in Monroeville.

94 YEARS AGO
JULY 17, 1930

Judge F.W. Hare spent last week in Mobile.

Mrs. Dovie Watson has been called to Camden to nurse her sister, Mrs. L.P. Stuart. She expects to be gone about two weeks.

David Katz has returned after spending a month at Fort Barrancas.

Mr. and Mrs. G.L. Hall, Mrs. Lucian Jones and George Thomas Jones have returned after spending a few days on the coast.

Mr. L.B. Green left the first of the week for the Epworth League Assembly in Montgomery. Mr. Green will teach one of the classes there.

Miss Kitty Williams spent last week in Finchburg.

Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Fleming and Nancy spent the weekend on the coast.

Mr. and Mrs. J.E. Fleming and Miss Nancy Fleming motored to Mobile last week to attend the wedding of Mrs. Fleming’s sister. Mrs. Fleming served as matron of honor.

Miss Mabel Claire Sheffield of Pine Hill is the guest of her sister, Mrs. George Lee Nettles.

Miss Kathleen Watson has returned after a visit to friends and relatives in Beatrice.

Miss Cornelia Morrissette is visiting her sister, Mrs. T.M. McMillan at Thomasville, Ga.

119 YEARS AGO
JULY 20, 1905

To The Public: The Steamer Ouachita is now being thoroughly repaired from keel to roof and will resume her place in Alabama trade when finished. The Ouachita only stopped running to repair. She is still the only independent packet on the Alabama River. – Alabama Packet Co., Pr. P.R. Tunstall, V.P.

Dr. G.H. Harper and Mr. A.C. Lee were up from Manistee last week attending the Masonic lodge.

Tax Assessor J.D. Rawls will begin work on his new dwelling in the southern part of town in a few days.

J.W. Urquhart is having material placed on the ground for the erection of a new dwelling on the lot just south of Mr. J.I. Watson’s place.

STRAYED FROM MY PLACE AT Claiborne, Ala. on Wed., July 12, one long legged slim black mare, about seven years old, indistinct brand on left hind leg about middle of thigh. All feet black. Will be thankful for any information as to whereabouts and will also pay liberal reward for return of same to me. – KING COLE, Claiborne, Ala.

New Hack Line: I am now operating a hack line from Monroeville to Monroe Station, meeting all trains daily. A liberal share of public patronage respectfully solicited. – W.B. Jones.

Open Cotton: The first open bolls of cotton reported this season were left at The Journal office on Monday by Messrs. E. Talbert and Russell Broughton of Monroeville, and J.M. Dees of Peterman. The bolls were pulled in each instance on Saturday, the 15^th inst. This is several days earlier than the first reported last season and indicates that conditions have been more favorable for growth and maturity than last year.

The Monroe Journal's News Flashback for July 1, 2024

34 YEARS AGO
JULY 5, 1990

Alabama River Newsprint mill is cranking up: Alabama River Newsprint Co. is expected to start producing paper this week. Next week, The Monroe Journal will print a special edition on some of that first paper.
ARN’s 150 employees have been working 12-hour days almost seven days a week for the last four to six week, Charles “Russ” Sirmon, ARN’s employee-relations manager, said.

South Monroe all-stars: South Monroe’s Babe Ruth all-star team for 14- and 15-year-olds will begin play in the District 1 tournament Tuesday in Bay Minette. Members of the 1990 team are Wontwyn Montgomery, Shane Qualls, Jackie Ray Brown, Patrick Redditt, John Jay, Jason Sanders, Eric Williams, Gene Ryals, Tony Gibbs, Rusty Lilley, David Jones, Marcus Kemp, Bart McCrory, Brian Johnson, Adrian Bullard, Derrick Crayton, LaDerek Odom and coaches Paul Akins, George Gibbs and Mike Qualls.

Hollingsworth takes over: Sam B. Hollingsworth was sworn in as Monroe County’s Superintendent of Education at 10 a.m. Monday and immediately went to work with school board members.
Hollingsworth was principal of Monroe County High School until a year ago, when he was selected to replace Bobby Grissette on his retirement as superintendent June 30. Hollingsworth served as Grissette’s assistant during the past year.
About 40 people lined the commissioner’s room and hallway to watch as Probate Judge Otha Lee Biggs administered the oath of office in the Monroe County Courthouse Monday at a special meeting of the Board of Education.

59 YEARS AGO
JULY 1, 1965

Chipper Hare Tours Spain; Studies Spanish At Santander: Nicholas S. “Chipper” Hare Jr. will study at the Universidad Internacional Menendez Pelayo. Santander is the famous summer academic and cultural center on the Costa Verde. Mr. Hare is the son of N.S. Hare Sr., Monroeville and Mobile, and the grandson of Mrs. F.W. Hare.

William Finkley Goes To Germany: Army Specialist Four William C. Finkley Jr., whose wife, Ann, lives in Franklin, was assigned to the 3^rd Infantry Division in Germany, June 19. Specialist Finkley, whose parents live in Monroeville, entered the Army in January 1964, received basic training at Fort Polk, La. and was last stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. Finkley attended Monroe County High School before entering the Army.

Frisco City Masons Name Officers: New officers of the Frisco City Masonic Lodge were elected at a meeting recently.
Names to serve for the coming year are: M.F. Carpenter, worshipful master; John Youngblood, senior warden; W. Brooks, junior warden; C.P. Wilkerson, treasurer; Elliott Hendrix, secretary; C. Barnes, senior deacon; Sam Brooks, junior deacon; Bill Cobb, tyler; G. Barnes, chaplain; W.C. Majors, senior steward; Buddy Matchett, junior steward; Charles Ikner, marshal; John Sigler and W.C. Majors, auditing committee; M. Carpenter and Clayton Barnes, refreshment committee.
The members also voted to change the meeting date to the third Saturday of each month.

84 YEARS AGO
JULY 4, 1940

V.J. Elmore Store To Open Here Soon: Preparations are being made this week for the opening of the V.J. Elmore 5-cent, 10-cent and $1 Store in Monroeville. Several carpenters are employed in the assembling of counters and cases and as soon as this work is completed, arrangement of the stock will begin. Mr. C.J. Boothe, formerly of Atmore, is manager of the Monroeville store.

While at work in the swamps northwest of Fountain Wednesday of last week, Mr. T.A. Rumbley killed a rattlesnake with 17 rattles and the usual button. Mr. Rumbley states that rattlers are numerous this year.

Miss Alice Lee of Birmingham is spending her vacation with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Lee.

New School Trustees Are Appointed: At the last meeting of the Monroe County Board of Education, the following trustees were appointed: Weatherford, J.M. Williams; Perdue Hill, A.A. Jernigan; Eliska, J.R. Cole; and Mexia, Carvin Snider and Gillaird Jaye.

Mrs. H.R. Orchard has returned from New York, where she spent three weeks with her daughter and seeing the sights of the World’s Fair.

Messrs. Bowan, Spears and Scarborough were painfully injured Saturday when a pick-up truck in which they were riding overturned near Limestone Bridge on the Peterman-Monroeville highway. The cause of the wreck is unknown.

109 YEARS AGO
JULY 1, 1915

Monroe County Masonic Conference: The Monroe County Masonic Conference will be held with Blacksher Lodge No. 593 on July 19, 1915 at 10 a.m. Let every lodge in the county be represented. The above date was fixed by Grand Master Miller. – W.S. Nash, Secretary.

Local physicians report numerous cases of typhoid fever in the vicinity of Monroeville. No cases have developed within the corporate limits but many of our citizens are taking the inoculation treatment as a preventive.

The new Methodist church at Burnt Corn will be formally dedicated on the second Sunday in July. Bishop McCoy will deliver the dedicatory sermon and officiate in the ceremonies. A cordial invitation is extended to every one to attend this service.

LOST – In the grove in front of Judge McCorvey’s residence, a gold ring set with two opals, surrounded by chipped diamonds. Finder will be suitably rewarded by leaving same at The Journal office.

JEDDO: The many friends of Mr. J.C. Kyle were indeed sorry to learn that while at a ball game here last Saturday afternoon, he had the misfortune to be hit on the side of the face by a pitched ball, resulting in a fractured jawbone. He was hurriedly conveyed to Uriah where Dr. G.H. Harper deftly bound up the fracture.

Prof. E.B. Kay of Tuscaloosa was a visitor to Monroeville this week. Prof. Kay is a well known civil engineer who has been connected with some of the largest water power enterprises in the state. While here, he took occasion to inspect some of the fine streams in the vicinity of Monroeville.

135 YEARS AGO
JULY 5, 1889

Mrs. M.C. McLean, Monroeville’s new postmistress, entered upon the discharge of her official duties last Monday, July 1. Her first week’s administration has proven her to be a model postmistress. Mr. Seymour retires with the best wishes of our people, whom he has served faithfully in that capacity for nearly seven years, for his success in whatever business he may in the future engage.

Caterpillars have made their appearance in some portions of the county. Messrs. McCreary & Co. at Turnbull sent us a genuine specimen last week with the timely suggestion that the judicious use of a little Paris Green by the farmers would not be amiss.

Miss Joe Tucker opened a school near town last Monday with several pupils in attendance.

Mr. Hiram Smith died at his home a few miles west of Monroeville last Saturday, June 29, after a protracted and painful illness. He was about 70 years old.

BEUNA VISTA: Mr. J.J. Finklea, our enterprising merchant, is building a new store house, which will add greatly to his already attractive business location.

BURNT CORN: Capt. W.B. Amos and his charming daughter, Miss Mollie, who are temporarily residing in our town, attended the commencement exercises of the Buena Vista Academy and returned last Friday. They report a most enjoyable occasion.

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for April 5, 2024

18 YEARS AGO
MARCH 29, 2001

Work is underway to repair buildings that were damaged by a recent storm. Local construction crews have more than their fair share of work and are trying to get everyone ‘dry’ before the next big rains. Covin Roofing and Construction is shown in the above photo replacing the roof on the Village Plaza building and in the photo at right Skipper’s General Contractors are shown hanging steel to replace the wall that had to be torn down at The Evergreen Courant.

Stanley Guy Busby, 75, of Repton died Tues., March 27, 2001 in a Monroeville hospital. Mr. Busby ran a dairy for many years. He was a driver for Poole Truck Line and retired CDL instructor from Reid State Technical College. He was a member of the Annunciation Catholic Church of Monroeville. He was a veteran and served in the Marines during World War II and the Korean War.

The Conecuh County Children’s Foundation, Thurgood Marshall Middle School, Lyeffion Junior High School and the Evergreen-Conecuh Chamber of Commerce invites everyone out to the airport at Middleton Field for the annual children’s carnival. Carnival rides will provide fun and excitement for the whole family. Also on Saturday, the Collard Green Festival, Extension Petting Zoo, Firemen’s Contest and Chili Cookoff will be featured as well as vendors, country music and many other interesting activities. Citizens are encouraged to attend and support the Conecuh County Children’s Foundation. Pictured at the recent ribbon cutting on Mon., March 28, are Eric Basinger, Nell Stuart, Kim George, Geneva Lyons, Joey Varner, Homer Lyons and Emily Brogden.

33 YEARS AGO
MARCH 27, 1986

Ole Earl Windham reports .10 of an inch of rain on March 16, 2.41 inches on March 19 and .46 on March 20.

Johnny Grace of Lyeffion High School exhibited the Grand Champion of the 41st Annual Conecuh County 4-H and FFA Steer Show held Monday at the Evergreen Livestock Arena. The 1,250-pound steer brought 95 cents per pound with Southern Pine Electric Cooperative, represented by Manager Tom Perry, paying the premium price.

John Shepherd Salter, 89, of 318 Perryman St., Evergreen, died Sat., March 22, in the Veterans Administration Hospital, Montgomery, after a long illness. He was a member of a pioneer county family and a veteran of World War I and a retired employee of the City of Evergreen.

415 marijuana plants were confiscated near Travis Bridge on March 14 by Deputy Sheriff Jimmy Lambert. Plants were found by alert citizens who immediately called the Conecuh County Sheriff’s Office.

State Representative J.E. (Jimmy) Warren of Castleberry has qualified to seek re-election to the Alabama House of Representatives. The veteran legislator, first elected in 1970, is asking for a fifth term of office. He represented District 64, composed of Conecuh and Monroe counties.

48 YEARS AGO
MARCH 25, 1971

Ewing Baxter McRady, 80, of Evergreen died Sat., March 20, in Montgomery hospital after a long illness. He was a retired hardwareman who was well known throughout this area.
A native of Tennessee, Mr. McRady was associated with Luttrell Hardware in Brewton for a short time before becoming associated with Wild Bros. Hardware Co. here some 55 years ago. He worked with Wild Bros. for 40 years until retiring 15 years ago and was generally recognized as one of the most knowledgeable men in his field in this area.

A Civitan Club may be organized in Evergreen. A breakfast meeting is set for 6:30 o’clock Tuesday morning at Jimmie’s Restaurant to put organizational procedures in motion.
Civitan International is a service club for men and has been in existence for 51 years. They are “Builders of Good Citizenship.”
Any man interested is invited to attend the breakfast Tuesday morning as a guest of the Andalusia Civitan Club which is sponsoring the new club here.

Dean Masonic Lodge No. 112 will sponsor a special program on Drug Abuse at the Brooklyn Baptist Church March 27 at 7 p.m.
Rev. H.C. Botts from Milton, Fla. will be guest speaker. Films from Whiting Field on Drug Abuse will be shown.
The public is invited to attend this special program.

63 YEARS AGO
MARCH 29, 1956

Tuesday morning, the U.S. Navy began using Middleton Field, Evergreen’s airport, as a training field again.

James Richard Merritt, 23, Cincinnati, Ohio, who was a prisoner in the Conecuh County Jail made a unique escape here last Thursday night. It was the first escape made from the Conecuh County Jail in about six years and one of the few in its history.
According to Sheriff James Brock, Merritt gained his escape by tearing apart a small radio and obtaining a magnet from inside. He attached the magnet to a long strip of molding torn from the window and reached a file which was laying a short distance from the window. The file had been used to clean some stove parts on the outside of the building. Merritt filed out one bar on the window and made his way out through the small opening, approximately six inches in width. Merritt is of a very small build being about five-foot, six-inches tall and weighing only about 120 pounds.
Three other prisoners who were in the cell with Merritt refused to attempt to escape along with him. The escape was made sometime between 12 midnight and early Friday morning. Merritt was being held in jail on charges of robbing the London Store, Castleberry, Rte. 2 on Jan. 2 of this year. The robbery netted approximately $200 for him and three companions. Two others are still in the Conecuh County Jail for the crime and one other has not yet been apprehended.

78 YEARS AGO
MARCH 27, 1941

An advance trainer, piloted by J.D. Eiland Jr., Flying Cadet of Maxwell Field, was damaged to such an extent about 10:30 Wednesday night in a forced landing at the local airport it was found necessary to send a maintenance crew from Maxwell Field to dismantle the plane and truck it to Montgomery for repairs. The left wheel was broken off, propeller bent and the left wing slightly damaged. As soon as the employee on duty at the station saw what had happened, he summoned an ambulance but the pilot was found to be uninjured.
According to the information given The Courant, Cadet Eiland had made only one cross-country night flight before his flight Wednesday, and had become lost some time before reaching Evergreen. Upon discovering he was over Evergreen, it is said he found that his gas was low and headed for the airport to land.
It is not known how the accident occurred but it is surmised the pilot misjudged his altitude, being lower than he thought and sat the ship down hard enough to break off the left wheel. Due to the fact the ship finally came to rest several yards from where the wheel was found it is believed he then gunned the motor to right the ship and then made a perfect three-point landing – right wheel, left wing and tail skid – which, according to those who know how to fly, is quite an achievement for a cadet.

Robert James McCreary, prominent lumberman of Montgomery, died at his home on Lexington Road early Saturday morning after a brief illness. A native of Evergreen, Mr. McCreary had engaged in the wholesale lumber business for many years. He had made his home in Montgomery since 1927, operating the R.J. McCreary Lumber Co.

Wilcox County currently has eight 'Champion Trees' within its borders

There are 907 square miles of land within the boundaries of Wilcox County, and much of that acreage is covered by lush woodlands. These forests contain hundreds of thousands of trees, and of all those trees, there are eight in Wilcox County that are truly noteworthy.

Fifty-three years ago, in 1970, the Alabama Forestry Commission started its Champion Tree program, and eight remarkable trees in Wilcox County are currently designated as Champion Trees. A Champion Tree is the largest of its species recorded in Alabama as determined by a formula used by the forestry commission. A tree’s total size is determined by its height, circumference and average crown spread.

One the most remarkable trees in Wilcox County is a Durand Oak that’s on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land. This giant oak is 111 feet tall, 184 inches in circumference and has a crown spread of 68 feet. At one time, this tree was a National Champion Tree, that is, it was the largest of its species in the entire United States.

Another truly remarkable Wilcox County tree is a Cherrybark Oak owned by W.R. Phillippi. This massive oak is the tallest documented tree in the county. It’s 156 feet tall, 240 inches around and has a spread of 131 feet.

Tommy and Jeanell Lawler own three Champion Trees, including a huge Pyramid Magnolia, a large Chalk Maple and a big Two-winged Silverbell. Their Pyramid Magnolia is 103 feet tall, 49 inches around and has a crown spread of 30 feet. Their Chalk Maple is 43 feet tall, 43 inches around and has a spread of 43 feet. Their Two-winged Silverbell is 48 feet tall, 45 inches around and has a crown spread of 25 feet.

Other Champion Trees in Wilcox County include a Green Ash owned by the Allyrae Wallace Educational Trust, a Winged Elm owned by Kinley Bell and an Eastern Red Cedar owned by John and Lou Harmon.

The Green Ash belonging to the Educational Trust is 88 feet tall, 177 inches around and has a spread of 84 feet. Bell’s Winged Elm is 85 feet tall, 142 inches around and has a spread of 74 feet. The Eastern Red Cedar belonging to the Harmons is 52 feet tall, is 179 inches around and has a spread of 27 feet.

I think it’s also worth noting that Wilcox County has more Champion Trees than any other county in Alabama except for Baldwin, Cleburne and Madison counties. Madison County has 13 Champion Trees. Baldwin County, said to be the largest county geographically east of the Mississippi River, has 11 Champion Trees. Cleburne County has 21 Champion Trees.

In the end, if you’re interested in learning more about the Alabama Forestry Commission’s Champion Tree Program, visit the commission’s Web site at www.forestry.alabama.gov. Anyone can nominate a tree for Champion Tree status, so if you think you know of a tree that might be in the running for this honor, fill out the online nomination form on the commission’s Web site. Once you’ve completed the form, the commission will dispatch a forester to the tree’s location, where he’ll take the tree’s official measurements.

The Monroe Journal's News Flashback for Dec. 26, 2023

EIGHT YEARS AGO
DEC. 24, 2015

Evergreen weather observer Betty Ellis reported .23 inches of rain on Dec. 14, 1.30 inches on Dec. 16 and .11 inches on Dec. 17. She reported highs of 72 degrees on Dec. 14 and Dec. 15 and lows of 28 on Dec. 18 and Dec. 19.

The Evergreen-Conecuh County Chamber of Commerce presented Burger King with the Business of the Month Award for the month of December Monday morning at the restaurant in Evergreen. Pictured at the award presentation are Burger King employees Dontek Perry, Kenjarvis Parrish, Cammie McKenzie, Lisa Parrish, manager Lee Stallworth and Chamber president Jeremy Wolff, Chamber board member Jeremy Anderson and Chamber staff members Mercedes Harper and Ava Samuel.

Castleberry Police Sgt. Michael Bishop recently completed Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Public Agency Training Council’s Hostage-Crisis Negotiator Course at the Gwinnett County Police Department in Lawrenceville, Ga.

Truck hits I-65 bridge Tuesday: An 18-wheeler accident Tuesday afternoon on Interstate Highway 65 led to the partial closure of the busy highway after the truck involved in the crash lost the load of poles it was carrying.
According to Evergreen Fire Chief Ricky Nobles, 14 Evergreen firefighters responded to the one-vehicle accident Tuesday at 4:01 p.m. near the 94-mile marker on I-65.

23 YEARS AGO
DEC. 28, 2000

Evergreen weather observer Harry Ellis reported .33 inches of rain on Dec. 18 and .45 inches on Dec. 21. He reported a high of 58 degrees on Dec. 24 and lows of 15 degrees on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20.

E’green Chamber Banquet to be held Jan. 25: The 2001 annual Evergreen-Conecuh Chamber of Commerce Banquet will be held Thurs., Jan. 25, at 6 p.m. in the Hillcrest High School cafetorium.
The guest speaker for this year’s event is Dr. David Himelrick, an engaging entertainer, who presents a dynamic and captivating show with tasteful humor and charm. Dr. Himelrick is a scientist, an author, a speaker, consultant and international traveler, who has lectured from China to Brazil.

Over 20 Conecuh County kids received gifts from the Toys for Tots program sponsored by the Conecuh County FOP Lodge No. 16. All funds were raised within the county by the FOP Lodge. Detective Sean Klaetsch reminds citizens that, if they receive any calls from other FOP Lodges, donations made to those lodges do not benefit local children. The FOP Lodge also delivered 50 meals to elderly residents on Dec. 23. The meals were donated by Famous Floyd’s Restaurant.

The Conecuh Women’s League recently presented a check and gifts to clients of the Conecuh Activity Center. Accepting the donation on behalf of the activity center was Activity Center Director Leonard Millender. Shown with Millender are Angie Hendrix and Jennifer Cook, Women’s League members.

38 YEARS AGO
DEC. 26, 1985

Kelley Searcy of Sparta Academy has been selected State Finalist to represent this area in the State Homecoming Queen Pageant, sponsored by America’s Homecoming Queen of Memphis, Tenn.

Leon Webb Randolph, 71, retired educator of Evergreen, died Mon., Dec. 16. He was a member of a well-known Evergreen family, born here on Oct. 6, 1914 to the late Mr. and Mrs. Henry Randolph Sr. He received his education in the public schools of Conecuh County and his B.S. degree from Alabama State University, Montgomery.
He taught in the schools of this county for 45 years and retired from his teaching position at Southside Elementary School.

Weather observer Earl Windham reported no rain between Dec. 15 and Dec. 21. He reported highs of 55 degrees on Dec. 18 and Dec. 21 and a low of 18 degrees on Dec. 15.

Sgt. Randy R. Hildreth, son of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Hildreth of Rt. C, Evergreen, has been awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal. He was presented his medal by Capt. John F. Bartsch, 4450^th Tactical Group Headquarter Squadron Commander, on Oct. 25.
Sgt. Hildreth distinguished himself by meritorious service as Assistant Noncommissioned Officer in Charge, Logistics Administration Section, Logistics Division, 3800^th Air Base Wing, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., from May 21, 1981 to May 30, 1985.

53 YEARS AGO
DEC. 24, 1970

Miss Elizabeth Riley was honored with an autograph party held at The Nannette Shop on Friday night, Dec. 18, from 5 to 8 to celebrate her book, recently published. This book, “The Old Evergreen Historical Cemetery,” is composed of interesting and authentic facts about the people who rest in this old cemetery. Miss Riley’s style of writing revives fond memories of those who are resting in this hallowed ground.

Labe Turk Johnston, age 76, of Rt. D, Evergreen, died Fri., Dec. 18, 1970 at his home.
Mr. Johnston was a semi-retired farmer and lifelong resident of Conecuh County. He was a member of the Brooklyn Baptist Church, a World War I veteran, member of the American Legion, chairman of the County Board of Equalization and a member of the Democratic Executive Committee.

David T. Hyde Jr. will serve his second term as campaign chairman of the March of Dimes. Hyde states that Conecuh County residents have been sent mailers requesting contributions and asks for a generous response. Plans for the Mother March in January will be announced later.

Postmaster Bill Salter announces that there will be no window service and no rural or city mail delivery on Dec. 25 and Dec. 26.

73 YEARS AGO

DEC. 28, 1950

Prominent Attorney Dies Here Early Sunday Morning: Following a lingering illness of many months, Ernest Edward Newton, age 83, well known and prominent local attorney, died at his home on Main Street at an early hour Sun., Dec. 24.
Mr. Newton was a native of this county, the son of the late Charles Adelbert Newton and Lucy (Ballard) Newton. He was born at Belleville and received his early education in the schools of this county, later receiving the LLB degree from the University of Alabama. Upon being admitted to the bar, he came to Evergreen to practice his profession. He continued his practice until failing health forced him to retire early this year.

The Evergreen Police Department has recently acquired a new chief and a new patrol car. R.A. Emmons of Brewton is the new chief of police here. The new patrol car is a black Plymouth especially designed and equipped for this type use.
Policeman W.H. Williamson has resigned from the city force effective Dec. 15. Policeman Sidney K. Smith of Bay Minette has been hired in his place. Policeman H.L. Riley will continue on the force, giving the city a three-man force.

Desplous Street has recently been widened by some 10 feet. Desplous is the street on which the Methodist Church is located. The curb of this street was moved 10 feet in order that the heavy flow of traffic may be handled. Before this widening if a car was parked on either side it meant one-way traffic. The additional 10 feet is to be black-topped at an early date.