February 18, 2008
Out of our Past
Compiled by Bill Moose
Twenty-five years ago: record & Landmark, Feb. 18-24, 1983
Friday night schedule on WBTV: “7:00 CBS Evening News 7:30 PM Magazine 8:00 Dukes of Hazard 9:00 Dallas 10:00 Falconcrest 11:00 WBTV News” (2/18/83)
“In two emotion-packed, physical, foul-filled games here Friday night, the Statesville Greyhounds pulled off back-to-back upsets over the North Iredell Raiders in the final regular season Western Piedmont Conference basketball games for both schools. A total of 66 fouls were whistled in the marathon doubleheader and as to be expected when so many fouls are called, free throws proved to be the difference as the Lady Greyhounds took a 46-41 win and the Statesville boys snared an 85-77 decision.” (2/19/83)
“Lions Club members from across the state gathered at Camp Dogwood Sunday to recognize 43 years of service by Shaw Brown of Mooresville by naming a dormitory after him. Brown was fundraising chairman of the campaign within District 31-B to pay for the 22-bed dormitory built at the Lions’ camp for the blind in 1976.” (2/21/83)
“Frank Deaton, 86, died Sunday. He had been affiliated with Carolina Motor Co. and Ford Motor Co. from 1912 until the early 1970s when the Ford dealership here was sold. Carolina Motor Co. remained in operation after the sale, and he served as chairman of the board. He was previously president of the dealership for 50 years.” (2/22/83)
“Nearly $136,000 from Mitchell Community College’s state budget will have to be reverted. ‘Our worst fears have been realized,’ said MCC President Dr. Charles Poindexter. Mitchell, along with all other members of the state community college system, had previously been directed to hold the funds in reserve pending a change for the better in the state revenue collection picture.” (2/23/83)
“Renovation work began this week on the project to revamp the historic Lowenstein-Henkel House on Walnut St. Plans call for the structure to be divided into six luxury apartments. The building has 6,500 square feet and was built in 1893 by Dr. Julius Lowenstein.” (2/24/83)
Fifty years ago: Record & Landmark, Feb. 18-24, 1958
“Statesville weather has done it again. The official record here has made it the ice box of the Piedmont, with a low of seven degrees below zero. All winter the story has been the same. On very few days has the Statesville temperature been in line with that of Winston-Salem or any of the surrounding weather stations.” (2/18/58)
“Long’s Shoe Store, under the active management of Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Long, will open the latter part of next week in the location on West Broad Street formerly occupied by Mills Bootery. Mr. and Mrs. Long came to Statesville from Lumberton in 1950 and opened up the shoe department of Hines Shop where they remained until the present.” (2/19/58)
“Iredell County Draft Board has been notified that it must send 45 men to Charlotte in March for pre-induction physical examinations. Mrs. Faye Goforth of the Selective Service office, said one call was for 10 men and a second for 35 men.” (2/20/58)
Friday night schedule on WBTV: “7:00 Waterfront 7:30 Aladdin 9:00 Phil Silvers 9:30 Playhouse of Stars 10:00 The Lineup 10:30 Silent Service” (2/21/58)
“Union Grove’s Tigers officially wrapped up the Iredell District Athletic Association boys championship last night. Bob Rankin’s Tigers took a 55-44 victory over Harmony last night for their 15th win against two defeats to erase any mathematical possibilities concerning the IDAA championship. Forward Dean Baker and Guard Charlie Walker each hit 15 points for the Tigers. Jimmy Myers and Arliss Jolly dropped in 11 each for Harmony.” (2/22/58)
“The Statesville Ministerial Association this morning passed a resolution, which will be presented to City Council tonight, requesting that a committee be appointed to study the laws governing the observance of the Sabbath Day before any action is taken on the question of Sunday movies or other issues dealing with conduct on Sunday. Mayor J. Garner Bagnal said today that the resolution will be given every consideration by the council and he expressed the hope that a solution can be found that will not ‘tear the town apart.’” (2/24/58)
Seventy-five years ago: Statesville Record, Feb. 21 and 24, 1933
“Mr. and Mrs. John H. Gray, Sr., and Mrs. Henry Bennett, who have been spending some time in Florida were in Miami last Wednesday when Giuseppe Zangara attempted to assassinate President-elect Roosevelt, friends have been advised. Mr. Gray was standing less than 20 feet from the assassin when he fired the five shots in the direction of the president-elect.” [Zangara did hit Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, who died 19 days later. Zangara was executed.] (2/21/33)
“Membership in the Statesville Chitlin Club includes only regular he-men who can measure up to a high standard of efficiency and numbers now twenty-five, all visitors present Saturday evening having qualified for membership and enthusiastically applying for enrollment. These were Horton Doughton, Billie Gilliam, Herbert Gilliam, the entire bunch of Bunches and others. Invitations to Aunt Sally and John Bowles were withdrawn upon advice that each had made utterances unbecoming potential members of the organization.” (2/21/33)
‘”A party of Statesville young men returned yesterday from Daytona Beach, Fla., where they witnessed Sir Malcolm Campbell eclipse his previous automobile speed record by driving at the average rate of a little better than 272 miles an hour. They were delighted with the trip and are not yet recovered from the excitement of seeing the Englishman do his speed stuff. They say Campbell’s average speed would take him from Statesville to Troutman in less than a minute. He took a four mile start to enter the sand-beach racing course, and it required five miles for him to stop after the race against time was completed.” (2/24/33)
“While the basketball tournament games were in progress at Barium Springs Monday night, gasoline thieves undertook to get away with gasoline from the cars. They had siphoned two gallons of fuel into a 5-gallon can when Patrolman Nail got onto them. He recovered the siphon and the gasoline but the thieves got away.” (2/24/33)
“W.A. Sample has recently become associated with the Boulevard Drug Store, and has taken up his duties as druggist there. Mr. Sample has had about twenty-five years of experience as a pharmacist.” (2/24/33)
One hundred years ago: Landmark, Feb. 18 and 21, 1908.
“Mr. James A. Butler died this morning at his home in north Statesville at 10 minutes past 1 o’clock of pneumonia, after an illness of about three weeks. Two weeks ago Mrs. Butler died. Four small children are left orphans. One of these has also been ill with pneumonia but is now well. Mr. Butler was 45 years old and was a native of Davie county. He had lived in Iredell for many years and was for about ten years superintendent of education.” (2/18/1908)
“Miss Ethel Austin went to Mooresville Saturday where she expects to study telegraphy under the direction of Mr. J.M. Malcolm, who is teaching a class of young ladies. Quite a number of young ladies of Mooresville are taking the course with the intention of securing positions as operators. Many young women prefer telegraphing to typewriting.” (2/18/1908)
“The heavy rains Friday night, following a week of wet weather, caused all small streams to overflow and much damage resulted to the railroads from the high water.” (2/18/1908)
“Property owners in Park Place, on east Broad street, are much disturbed over the extension of Oakwood cemetery to Broad street, which will place the cemetery directly in front of their homes. Legal action may be taken to prevent the extension.” (2/21/1908)
“Mr. R.K. Gregory has resigned his position as transfer clerk at the depot. Mr. Gregory resigns his position with the Southern to open a café in cooperation with the pool rooms now being conducted by him and Mr. Rhoid Foster in the basement of the Hotel Iredell building. Messrs. Gregory and Foster have purchased the latest improved café equipment.” (2/21/1908)
“Weather report: More snow Tuesday night, followed by rain and colder. This is a post-weather report but we have something for the future. Mr. R.V. Tharpe, who has attained distinction by his accurate weather forecasts, says the worst of the ground hog period is yet to the fore of us and it will be here in a few days. The warning has been given and those who are caught short of fuel when the deluge comes will have themselves to blame.” (2/21/1908)
One hundred twenty-five years ago: Landmark, Feb. 23, 1883.
“A large crowd attended the masquerade at the skating rink last Friday night. Some of the costumes were very striking. The band played and the skaters and spectators had a merry evening. The rink closes to-night, for the season.”
“At a meeting of the congregation of Snow Creek church, held last Saturday, it was resolved to erect a new church building. It will be a frame house, about 38x50 feet, and will not occupy the exact site of the present church but be nearer to the grave-yard. This will be the third church building at Snow Creek. The first one was put up about 1806.”
“There has been much sickness this season in Concord township, mostly colds, pneumonia and influenza. Most of those who have been thus affected, however, have recovered.”
“One of the grand jurors for the Superior Court at this term was Mr. Ephraim Scroggs, of Fallstown township. Mr. Scroggs has now burning on his hearth the same fire which was started when he went to housekeeping, 50 years ago. From the day that fire was started, to this, it has never been permitted to go out.”
