November 12, 2007

Out of our Past

Compiled by Bill Moose

Twenty-five years ago: Record & Landmark, Nov. 12-18, 1982.

Photo: “Members of Chapter 68, Disabled American Veterans were in charge of the memorial service held Thursday afternoon to Iredell County residents killed in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. The service was held at the Hall of Justice in recognition of Veterans Day.” (11/12/82)

“Marvin King may go to work for the postal service when his football career ends a few years down the road. Neither rain, nor mud nor doom of night can stop the blue-and-gray clad number 35. He rambled through the Crest defense for 147 yards and two touchdowns here Friday night in pacing the Greyhounds to a 26-2 verdict in the first round of the state 3-A playoffs.” (11/13/82)

“John B. (Red) Earle, retired youth athletic director with the Statesville Recreation Department received the coveted Book of Golden Dees during Exchange Club Charter Night on Saturday at the Holiday Inn. He secured the Little League charter for Statesville. He formed a boxing club building a ring in the old Coca-Cola bottling Co. building and coached some Golden Glove champions.” (11/15/82)

“Lowrance Hospital directors and members of the medical staff will meet Thursday night with representatives of American Medical International of Atlanta to hear a proposal on the possible purchase of the hospital.” (11/16/82)

“Beecher A. Grose, Sr. of Harmony was named Farmer of the Year during a Greater Statesville Chamber of Commerce awards ceremony, and Duke Williams, Jr. of Statesville was presented with the 1982 Outstanding Citizenship Award.” (11/17/82)

“Future Farmers of America member Neal Johnson has been named the 1982 Eastern Region Home and/or Farmland Improvement Award winner. Currently Johnson is a student at North Carolina State University majoring in dairy production.” (11/18/82)

Fifty years ago: Record & Landmark, Nov. 12-18, 1957.

Down In Iredell: “The film ‘No Down Payment,’ now being shown at the State theater, seems to have some unique local interest. Pat Hingle, the young star, has a host of relatives Down In Iredell. Among some of the actor’s relatives are Miss Margaret Patterson, Mrs. Charles Washington and Miss Nell Patterson.” (11/12/57)

“Statesville’s Greyhounds closed out their 1957 season in a brilliant display of defensive football in the final half to take a 14-6 nod over Children’s Home. The Greyhound victory gave the charges of Herb Hipps, Al Archibald and Richard Feimster a 6-4 record for the season and a 5-2 mark in North Piedmont action.” (11/13/57)

“The Statesville School Board last night approved preliminary plans for a new junior high school in East Statesville at a cost of about $177,000. It will be located at the corner of East Front and Clegg Streets. It is designed to relieve the overcrowding at the city’s only junior high school, D. Matt Thompson.” (11/14/57)

“The ‘silent gas war’ which has been waged throughout this area for more than two months ended yesterday. When service stations opened here Thursday morning they were still posting signs at 19.9 cents per gallon. But shortly after noon all the signs had been hauled away and the price was as much as 31.9.” (11/15/57)

Photo: “Work is progressing on the East Broad Street traffic interchange at the local US 21 by-pass. This picture shows a portion of the structure being erected to carry east-west traffic across the north-south federal route. US route 21 is being relocated from a point five miles north of Statesville to Charlotte.” (11/16/57)

“Five members of the local Ground Observer Corps post here were given awards of merit during open house and dedication ceremonies on Brevard Street. A.J. Wilson, post supervisor, was honored for having contributed 750 hours to the Ground Observer Corps. Others given awards were Larry Carpenter, 500 hours; Teddy Newton, David Gosnell and Mickey Munday, all 250 hours.” (11/118/57)

Seventy-five years ago: Statesville Daily, Nov. 15 and 18, 1932.

“At the regular meeting of the Statesville Kiwanis Club held last Friday evening the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: Flake Sherrill, president; George H. Emery, vice president; Don Cochran, secretary-treasurer; James Brady, district trustee; F.O. Bartel, Wade Hendricks, Carl Haner, Walter E. King, John L. Milholland and Gordon Wallace, directors. This being Armistice Day, the occasion was fittingly observed with short talks by Kiwanians Wade Hendricks and Carl Haner, the former speaking of his recollections of the day in France, and Mr. Haner describing the reaction of the Armistice in America fourteen years ago.” (11/15/32)

“The election of officers of the new student government organization at the Statesville High school was conducted yesterday. Frank Furches was elected president of the student body. Corelli Lazenby was named vice president. Harold Poovey was the successful nominee for secretary-treasurer.” (11/15/32)

“The third instalment of the $800,000 granted this state by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation for relief during October and November was sent by the State Relief organization at Raleigh, Thursday, to the state’s 100 counties. This installment totaled $187,250, and of that sum $1,750 was allotted to Iredell county.” (11/18/32).

“The annual old clothing drive sponsored by the Statesville Rotary club, was conducted Wednesday afternoon and the results were highly gratifying to Henry Allen, Rotary welfare chairman, and officials of the Associated Charities through which channel the garments will be distributed to the needy this winter.” (11/18/32)

“Continuing his custom of the past three years, Manager Fuller Sams will hold a special morning program at the Playhouse next Saturday morning at 10 o’clock, to which children will be admitted, by bringing either a dime or a package of something good to eat, all of which will be turned over the Salvation Army for distribution to the needy of the city.” (11/18/32)

One hundred years ago: Landmark, Nov. 12 and 15, 1907.

“At the recent meeting of the last quarterly conference for the year for the First Methodist congregation, to be known hereafter as Broad Street Methodist church, the following were elected stewards: T.E. Anderson, W.E. Anderson, F.J. Axley, G.W. Clegg, J.G. Colvert, J.C. Duke, E.G. Gaither, J.F. Harbin, L.C. Lawrence, Z.V. Long, Geo. B. Nicholson, J.W. Nicholson, J.L. Sloan, J.E. Stimpson, D. Matt Thompson, N.P. Watt, T. Foy White.” (11/12/1907)

“Mrs. Louisa Patterson (better known to the community as ‘Aunt Eliza Patterson’) died Sunday morning at 9 o’clock, at her home on Patterson street. Mrs. Patterson was born in Iredell 84 years ago last June and came with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kerr, to America when she was eight years old. Her husband, the late John Patterson, was also a native of Ireland. More than 50 years ago they settled in Statesville. The deceased was one of the oldest citizens of Statesville and had lived here longer, probably, than any one now living.” (11/12/1907)

“The Statesville Air Line railroad surveyors who started out from Statesville August 12th concluded their survey to Mt. Airy last Saturday, locating a line 65 miles long in three months. Civil Engineer R.L. Greenlee, who had charge of the survey, and his draftsman, Mr. J.W. Trumpy, have arrived in Statesville, and are busy getting up an estimate on the work and cost of building the proposed road. The proposed line runs through some rather rough country but Mr. Greenlee says the hardest proposition was getting out of Statesville and across the South Yadkin river.” (11/18/1907)

“Tuesday this locality had the first wintry weather of the season – a mixture of hail or sleet, or both, rain and snow. If all the snow that fell had remained on the ground it would have reached respectable proportions as a snow, but it melted as it fell. Last year on the 14th of November there was quite a snow in Statesville, about the largest of the winter.” (11/18/1907)

One hundred twenty-five years ago: Landmark, Nov. 17, 1882.

“Last Sunday evening as Mrs. A.W. Jamison left her house for church, she saw a light in the rear of the old frame tobacco warehouse, back of Sharpe and Flannigan block of business houses. Investigation showed that a lot of kindling had been put in a goods box which had been set partially under the building and the kindling fired. Tuesday evening after dark persons passing along Main street discovered fire on the house occupied by Mr. W.F. Madison, corner Main and Cypress streets, opposite the tanyard of Col. S.A. Sharpe. Some one had poured kerosene oil on one of the window sills and applied a match. These occurrences have given our citizens to understand that there are ‘fire bugs’ in our midst, and as a consequence the public mind is in a somewhat feverish condition.”

“Tuesday was the frostiest morning we have had this season. The air was sharp and bracing and people stepped high and walked fast. The sun was bright and the world looked beautiful, and even people with bad election news to wrestle with were brought, by atmospheric influences, to reflect how much worse it might have been.”