April 28, 2008

Out of our Past

Compiled by Bill Moose

Twenty-five years ago: record & Landmark, April 28-May 4, 1983.
“Mitchell Community College will be able to open a new instructional center in Mooresville next fall. The board authorized the purchase of the old gymnasium building used as a warehouse by the Mooresville schools. Renovation for use by the college will include a partitioning of the main floor for a learning lab with five classrooms, offices, a testing center and restrooms.” (4/28/83)

“Controlled burns of two fields, one at Barium Springs Home for Children and another near South Iredell High School, resulted in problems when wind speeds increased Thursday. The controlled burning spread to a forest service truck that was destroyed near the high school, despite efforts of Troutman volunteer firefighters and West Iredell firemen who were also called in to help contain the blaze.” (4/29/83)

“Coach Grayson Beane’s North Iredell High School girls track team used total domination of the distance running events Friday afternoon to capture the Western Piedmont Conference championship. The Raiderettes scored 25 points in the 1,600-meter run; 19 points in the 800-meter run; and 23 points in the 3,200-meter run.” (4/30/83)

“With customers coming in from as far away as Florida and Maryland and government officials from Raleigh and Iredell County the red carpet was out Friday and Saturday to officially welcome and open Merchant Metals, Inc.” (5/2/83)

“Amity Elementary School will remain open in 1983-84 while the Iredell County Schools administration works with the community to develop an in-depth study of potential gain or decline in enrollment. Many Amity residents do not believe the school will continue to decline in enrollment. Rev Thomas Weddington, pastor of Amity Lutheran Church said, ‘Give us five or six years and we’ll be asking for new classrooms.’” (5/3/83)

“After-school day care may be available next year at Iredell County Schools if parents show enough interest. At a meeting of a study committee, it was decided surveys would be sent to parents in each school district to determine whether the program will be supported.” (5/4/83)

Fifty years ago: Record & Landmark, April 28-May 3, 1958.
“‘Lord we thank Thee for the rain, but we have had enough.’ This prayer by a small boy a few days ago seems to sum up the feeling of a good many adults about the weather. It rained 1.89 inches from Sunday morning until 8 a.m. today and it has rained a total of 7.18 inches so far during this month. During April 1957, it rained 3.47 inches.” (4/28/58)

“North Carolina Furniture Company yesterday bid in the main plant of Turner Manufacturing Company, located on Wise Street, for $100,000. Eugene B. Halward, executive secretary of the furniture company, said they would use the building as a warehouse for the present and have it available for future expansion when needed.” (4/29/58)

“Two Charlotte engineers were called in today to investigate the mysterious explosion which occurred in the ticket booth at Playhouse Theater yesterday afternoon. Mrs. Frankie Ashe, who was in the booth, escaped serious injury. It was known that a sewer pipe ran directly under the booth and there was a strong odor of sewage gas in the booth.” (4/30/58)

“Roger Murdoch, former Iredell County agent, will join the Presbyterian Orphanage at Barium Springs as farm manager. Murdoch will succeed J.F. Stinson, who has been with the home more than 30 years and is retiring. He will have supervision of all farming, gardening and orchard operations. Barium Springs orphanage has more than 600 acres under cultivation, 40 acres in its orchard, which consists of 800 apple trees and 600 peach trees.” (5/1/58)

“Francoise Marie Mathilde Josselin will be exchange student at Senior High for the 1958-59 school year. The French student will live in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Maury Gaston for the entire school year and will have Becky Gaston as her American sister.” (5/2/58)

“Unity’s Green Hawks trounced Ridgeview High of Marion, 12-2, Thursday behind the two-hit pitching of righthander of Leroy Turner. Nathaniel Jackson led Unity’s heavy stick work with three for four, while Stanford Turner and Andrew Tabor pounded out doubles. Unity will play Logan High of Concord here on May 13th as their next game.” (5/3/58)

Seventy-five years ago: April 28 and May 2, 1933.
“City and county authorities have as yet issued no beer permits, awaiting ratification of the regulatory measure now in the General Assembly. It is likely that the county authorities will agree upon a plan whereby each applicant for a permit must have three good and prominent citizens from his community appear and testify to the individual’s character, and fitness to sell beer in that community. A further provision might require the sheriff to state whether or not the name of the applicant has in any way, by reputation or actual arrest or conviction, been linked with liquor dealings.” (4/28/33)

“The music department of Morningside high school presented the operetta ‘The Belle of Barcelona’ Monday night at the school auditorium. Those interpreting parts were: Ida Jones, Ruth French, Otis Smith, Oliver Sherrill, Genevie Rives, Onslow Reid, and Eugene Carson, with a supporting cast. It was under the direction of Miss Dorcas V. Croon who is a member of the High school faculty. The performance was one of the high spots of the school year.” (4/28/33)

“Ninety-one young men comprising Iredell county’s quota in the reforestation army, left Statesville Saturday and Monday for Charlotte where they will undergo a physical examination. The men will be provided with housing, food, medical attention, and with clothing to the value of $38 with an additional allowance of $9 for replacement. Each will receive $30 per month, of which amount he will be required to divert not less than $25, nor more than $27.50 to his parents or other dependents.” (5/2/33)

“On last Saturday there was a very interesting girl track meet at Barium, with Concord, Kannapolis and Barium teams competing. What can girls do in track? Well, they look a little awkward, but the high jump was 4 feet 4 inches. The board jump was about 14 feet and one of those girls threw a baseball like Babe Ruth. The relay race was a little awkward, compared with boy standards, but the dashes and other events showed class. Track meets among girls is a new idea. It will be interesting to watch the future developments along this line.” (5/2/33)

One hundred years ago: Landmark, April 28 and May 1, 1908.
A prohibition rally was held at Chapel Hill church, Chambersburg township, Sunday, and was largely attended. In the forenoon addresses were made by Messrs. Dorman Thompson, Geo. B. Nicholson, J.B. Connelly and T.J. Conger. In the afternoon Mr. L.C. Caldwell and Rev. W.A. Lutz spoke. Dinner was served on the grounds.” (4/28/1908)

“Lieut. W.S. Sinclair with Sergeant T.M. Hudson, who has charge of the local recruiting station of the United States army, took action on three applications for service. Two were turned down and one, Mr. William E. Hanchett, was accepted for the infantry branch. He is the first applicant accepted here for service since the recruiting station was established a few weeks ago. About 20 have been rejected.” (4/28/1908)

“The Mooresville and Statesville base ball teams played an interesting game at the Kincaid grounds Saturday afternoon which resulted in a victory for the Statesville boys by a score of 7 to 6. The principal features of the game were a pretty catch in centerfield by Jack Sharpe, of the Statesville team and the pitching of Proctor for Mooresville.” (4/28/1908)

“Messrs. F.F. Steele and H.L. MacCall, of Statesville, and Mr. W.B. Carlton, of Atlanta, had a close call Wednesday afternoon about 2 o’clock when Mr. Steele’s automobile dashed against a telephone pole and threw the three occupants to the ground with terrible force. Mr. Steele, who was driving, was the only victim of injuries of consequence, he being severely bruised and scratched about the face. A defect in the steering rod of the automobile was the cause of the accident. When the machine struck the post the occupants began going into the air. Mr. MacCall landed about 30 feet from the machine, Mr. Carlton about 20 feet away while Mr. Steele seemed to have fallen almost right under the wheels.” (5/1/1908)
“The Merchants and Farmers’ Bank, which has had temporary quarters in the office of the Statesville Realty and Investment Co. since its establishment in February, moved yesterday afternoon to its handsome new quarters in the Patterson and Anderson block.” (5/1/1908)

“The cool spell in May, also a light frost.” (5/1/1908)

One hundred twenty-five years ago: Landmark, May 4, 1883.
“Another meeting of the owners of the college property was held last Monday and they offered the citizens of Statesville and Iredell county another opportunity to secure the property for school purposes for all time. It was agreed that if a company of fifty would take, each, $200 stock, the college would be turned over to it and the new company might proceed at once to organize a school. Rev. P.P. Winn was given the matter in charge and will make an effort to have the stock taken. The public declining to take hold of the property its present owners will proceed to make money out of it. They will probably tear the building down and build residences, on the grounds, out of the brick in the college.”

“We had two frosts last week, but fortunately it was not heavy enough to do any damage except to beans. An old citizen says the latest frost ever seen in this county was Monday or Tuesday morning of the May court in 1827. The court met on the third Monday, so that this could not have been before the 15th of the month. That frost killed fruit, wheat, corn and everything.”