November 26, 2007

Out of our Past

Compiled by Bill Moose

Twenty-five years ago: Record & Landmark, Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 1982.

“Thirty excited children are presently learning to interact with a computer at Mt. Mourne Elementary School. Michael Fox, a fourth-grade teacher at the school, recently purchased an Apple computer for classroom use. ‘I’ve seen children eager to stay after school to partake of activities such as gymnastics. However, since the computer came to class, I’ve practically had to run students off,’ said Fox.” (11/26/82)

“A committee has selected Peggy Warlick, an English teacher at Statesville High School, Teacher of the Year for the city school system. Warlick has taught at SHS since 1963.” (11/27/82)

“MacDowell Music Club met Tuesday at St. John’s Lutheran Church for a program by the Fordsters of South Iredell under the direction of Miss Susie Ford. The group was organized in 1969 to give talented students the opportunity to receive training going beyond what is received in regular school chorus.” (11/29/82)

“Members of the board of county commissioners met informally last night at the home of former Mayor Thomas Fanjoy to discuss possible next steps for the two publicly-owned hospitals following the defeat of the $22.7 million bond issue. Fanjoy explained that he had called the group together on his own initiative and did not speak for officials of either hospital.” (11/30/82)

“North Iredell successfully opened its 1982-83 varsity basketball season Tuesday night winning two games against the Hibriten Panthers. Coach Danny Davis’ Raiderettes rolled to a lop-sided 75-32 win in the opener and Coach Chip Weddington’s boys were 66-50 victors in the nightcap.” (12/1/82)

“Day Two of a test of emergency preparedness in Iredell County for a nuclear disaster at Duke Power Co.’s McGuire Nuclear Station began at 7:50 a.m. today when a simulated evacuation shelter was set up at Shepherd Elementary School.” (12/2/82)

Fifty years ago: Record & Landmark, Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 1957.

“H.S. Kennedy, ASC manager, announced today that there will be no reduction in Iredell County flue-cured tobacco allotment this year. Iredell County has an allotment of 1,211.09 acres. Last year farmers in this county received over one million dollars from their tobacco crop.” (11/26/57)

“North Iredell business and civic leaders met last night at the home of Dr. J.M. Robertson in Harmony and unanimously passed a resolution urging the state highway commission to locate the Canton-to-Charlotte federal expressway ‘along the general route of US 21.’ J.P. Huskins, secretary of the Western Piedmont Great Lakes-to-Florida Highway committee, met with the group to explain the work of the committee and to outline the reasons for favoring the present US 21 route.” (11/27/57)

“Miss Clyde Templeton, of route 1, Olin, today was named winner of the national 4-H leadership award. A 4-H’er for eight years, Miss Templeton has excelled in almost every phase of club work. The national leadership award is particularly coveted because it is given annually to only two 4-H’ers in the nation – one boy and one girl. Miss Templeton climaxes a brilliant 4-H career by becoming a two-time national winner. In 1956 she was national 4-H safety winner.” (11/29/57)

“November 1957 is going down in history as the wettest November Iredell County has ever had as far as can be determined by official weather records. It rained 11 days this month and the total rainfall was 7.92 inches. The most it had rained previously during any November was recorded during 1948 when it rained 7.48 inches.” (11/30/57)

“‘Judaism is a way of life as well as a religion,’ Congregation Emanuel was told yesterday as local Jewry gathered with rejoicing to reconsecrate their synagogue after 35 years of disuse. Approximately 150 Jews and gentiles gathered at the synagogue for the occasion which also included dedication of a new education building.” (12/2/57)

Seventy-five years ago: Statesville Daily, Nov. 29 and Dec. 2, 1932.

“Work was begun yesterday in arranging the Christmas lighting decorations throughout the business area of Statesville and last night a portion of the lamps were illuminated to reveal the brightness and beauty that they are designed to create. Along with the lighting of the first Christmas street lights, the beautiful electrical decorations that annually adorn the Bunch Furniture Company’s tall building were switched on last night. The brightly colored bulbs which are suspended over the front of the building can be seen from considerable distance.” (11/29/32)

“The Statesville High School football team will play the Reidsville high school eleven Saturday afternoon for the State High school Class B Championship. The Greyhounds found themselves back in the football ‘swim’ after Mount Airy High, western conference leaders, were ruled out of the championship series for playing an ineligible player in the elimination games.” (11/29/32)

“A group of Iredell citizens met at a Welfare Conference, at the court house last night, to discuss a welfare program which will carried out in every community in the county during the Christmas season. Miss Beatrice Butler, county welfare superintendent, discussed the details of the Christmas welfare program, whereby every family will enjoy some measure of Christmas happiness. Parent-Teacher Associations will carry out this program in communities where such organizations exist, and committees will be named to care for the needs where there is no organization.” (12/232)

“From now until Christmas The Record will be glad to receive letters to Santa Claus from the little tots. In each issue of The Record we will publish as many of these letters as space will permit. But best of all each Friday afternoon at the Playhouse, Santa Claus in person will read others that are not published. The letters should be short. Mustn’t want too many things this year, because Santa’s been having a hard time of it, and if too long the letter may get lost in the shuffle.” (12/2/32)

One hundred years ago: Landmark, Nov. 26 and 29, 1907.

“The completion of the work for turning on the electric power in Statesville has been much delayed on account of delay in the shipments of material. It is now thought that about all the necessary material is in hand and unless something unforeseen occurs it is expected that the power will be turned on in about two weeks.” (11/26/1907)

“Mr. Wade H. Coffey returned yesterday from Salisbury, where he went to meet Northern parties who will hunt at the Van Allen and Coffey hunting club in north Iredell this season. Quite a number of Northern hunters will arrive at the club early next month. The shooting season opens December 1st.” (11/26/1907)

“After a week or rain and gloom the weather Sunday and yesterday gave promise of a bright Thanksgiving. But the mud is something awful and unless there are some weeks of sunshine good roads will be but a memory till next summer.” (11/26/1907)

“Monday morning a covered wagon from the mountains, drawn by two steers, a saddle horse hitched behind the wagon, took a stand on the square and stood there all day, the driver dispensing cabbage and apples to all who would buy. Tuesday the same team occupied the square again. Inasmuch as the appearance of the outfit gave the square somewhat the resemblance of a barnyard it was not considered exactly ornamental, but Statesville is hospitable to visitors and the mountain man and his steers were unmolested. Wednesday morning the same wagon drove to same stand on the square and this was the limit. Chief of Police Conner found that the itinerant vendor had shipped a lot of stuff to Statesville by rail and was hauling it from the depot to the square with his team of steers. Thereupon the mountain was advised that he was perfectly welcome to do business on the streets of Statesville but must have some regard for appearance and would therefore confer a favor by moving a little to one side.” (11/29/1907)

“Statesville generally observed yesterday – Thanksgiving Day – as a holiday.” (11/29/1907)

One hundred twenty-five years ago: Landmark, Dec. 1, 1882.

“Dr. E.O. Elliott, the owner of the St. Charles Hotel property, divulged his plans for the improvement of the property. He proposes to take off the roof next spring, raise the building another story, thus adding 15 to 20 rooms, and put on a mansard roof. He will build a new dining room in what is now the hollow of the square in the rear of the building proper.”

“Old Uncle Andy Rickert, of blessed memory, used to have a rule that within 100 days of a big fog there would a storm. In the month of August last one of our citizens noticed the heavy fog. The 100th day from that time was the 28th of November. The storm, consisting of rain, sleet and snow, came promptly to hand on schedule time. Uncle Andy was famous in his day as a weather seer, and thus was his weather wisdom again vindicated.”

“Christmas is only three weeks off, and the sound of the inevitable horn is already heard in the land.”