Backward Glances: Fighting alcohol sales in the 1940s, and news of a new Louina Street bridge in Roanoke
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120 years ago
News has just reached here of the killing of Buddie Morris by his brother, Dock Morris, just over the Randolph County line. It seems they had had a difficulty before during the day and about noon Buddie, while under the influence of whisky, went into Dock’s bedroom and began to destroy everything in sight and while thus engaged Dock shot him, the weapon being used a pistol. Death was instantaneous. Dock Morris is about 20 years old and married. Buddie was 30 or upward and unmarried. Two weeks ago Buddie used his knife on another brother and inflicted some very serious wounds.
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On May 1 the A&B Railroad ceased to exist. On that day the name Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic was given to the whole system, the completed part, the part under construction and the proposed part.
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We are now prepared to put rubber tires on your buggies. We will use the best material in this line, the same as in our other work. – Kirk & Ruggles
100 years ago
Late Monday afternoon as Otis O. Gay was driving in on Wedowee Street while the rain storm was approaching he dashed into a truck driven by two young men that was turning back into the road from the Woco-Pep station. It was badly damaged by the impact and Gay’s car slightly. One of his hands was cut. Another passenger, Dr. W.B. Ford, was uninjured, but Mr. H.E. Hester, an aged citizen of this place who was riding in the front seat with Gay, was cut on the face and one eye ball destroyed, necessitating its removal. Mr. Hester is resting well following his unfortunate experience.
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Commencement services were held at the Randolph County Training School Sunday, May 9. Joint Sunday school was held promptly at 9:30 and the commencement sermon was preached at 11:30 by Dr. G. Lake Imes, Dean of Phelps Hall Bible Training School, Tuskegee Institute. The sermon was a masterpiece. Thursday is community day at the County Training School. Graduating exercises will be held Thursday night. The public is invited. School closes Friday, May 14.
An ad from the Roanoke Leader this week in 1946
80 years ago
This is being written amid reports that the petition now circulating for a local option liquor vote in Randolph County is almost ripe for filing with the probate judge. If the petition is filed and is found to have the required number of signatures of qualified electors, a date will be announced shortly for an election to be held in the county to determine whether or not the sale of alcoholic beverages shall be legalized. It is the opinion of this newspaper that no good can possibly come from holding such and election, no matter what the outcome. It will divide our citizenship and cause senseless hard feelings among neighbors. In the end, if Randolph voters hold true to form, the county can be expected to remain dry by a decisive majority. The liquor question should be argued soundly on the basis of facts, but it seldom is. It seems that zealots on both sides always get to calling names and challenging the motives of everybody on the other side. It seems we shall be forced to waste our energies fighting one another and slandering one another
An advertisement touting new freezer-safe packaging for a loaf of bread in 1966.
60 years ago
In Roanoke curbing has been placed on Louina Street at Mitchum Hill and also on the driveway to be paved at Cedarwood Cemetery. The black-topping of both of these projects is expected to be completed this week. Wood and Mickle Streets have been graded in preparation for paving, and work is expected to begin soon on the Mulberry St. extension. The state has confirmed its participation in Roanoke’s 1966 street program to the tune of $30,000. It was also reported that the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad plans to build a new bridge over its tracks on Louina Street and wants the city to fix the approaches.
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Sheriff Charlie Will Thompson suggested that the county commissioners look into the matter of trading cars for him, the one he has being a 1964 model with 90,000 miles on it. The court decided to go slowly. The car is one of three operated by the sheriff’s office and is the only one owned by the county. It is also the first one ever bought by the county for a sheriff. Ordinarily, the court was told, a sheriff on a fee system provides his own transportation, though the county may, if it so wishes, legally supply it.
40 years ago
The drought that has had the south in its grips for the past four months prompted Gov. George C. Wallace to ask President Reagan Monday to declare Alabama a disaster area, thereby enabling farmers to receive low-cost loans to help them avoid economic ruin. Rainfall totals have been 20 inches below normal, bringing the worst drought of the century to the area. For the past three weeks Wadley residents have been prohibited from watering lawns and gardens and from washing cars in an attempt to conserve a dangerously low town water supply.
20 years ago
Roanoke City Schools is pleased to get former Randolph County High School basketball and football standout Clifton Drummonds as head basketball coach and physical education teacher, said superintendent Chuck Marcum. The past three years Drummonds, 31, has coached at Notasulga High School in Macon County.. This is an excellent time for the new coach to come into the system with a new gym and the program poised to take off, Marcum said. Drummonds is a 1992 graduate of Randolph County High School. He will also be an assistant football coach.
