May 29 Backward Glances: Big Jim Folsom in Wedowee and the beginning of the end for some downtown Roanoke buildings

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120 years ago

Professor Leon M. Stevenson, of Dadeville, at present principal of the Dadeville High School, has been named as assistant editor of the Alabama Christian Advocate. Prof. Stevenson is a gentleman of extensive culture, is a scholar and a Christian, and a Methodist warp and wool. He comes of a pioneer Methodist family, all the older Stevensons, and some of the younger were Methodist preachers in pioneer days of Methodism, and he is ably equipped for the position he has been selected for.

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About three years have passed since the United States government became the owner of all the rights to the Panama Canal company. For the right, the government paid $40 million to the company and $10 million to the government of Panama. Yet the character of the canal, whether of the lock or sea level type has not yet been determined, and the amount of actual work or digging that has been done is insignificant compared with the time and money already consumed. One fact has been shown and that is a humiliating one, that is that the canal will never be finished if it is to be dug by the government, under present governmental control. If the canal is to be speedily and successfully completed, the work must be let to private contractors.

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County candidates continue to appear on the stage and make their bow, but they promise to keep comparatively quiet till the busy crop season is over. Plenty of time after that to see the voters. In the meantime, if there are any other patriotically inclined citizens let them come forward and put their friends on notice, and thus get an even start with their competitors.

100 years ago

The treasury today made public an executive order by President Coolidge which will increase the federal dry enforcement army by 10,000 men. It permits the treasury to enlist at a nominal salary state, county and municipal officers as special federal dry agents. This enables the government at small expense to honeycomb the nation with agents to check liquor traffic.

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The Leader office was favored with a call Monday afternoon from Gen. B.F. Weathers, who had just returned that day from attending the reunion in Birmingham. He had with him a home-made walking stick that he said had been used by his father-in-law, Uncle Billy Mickle, many years deceased. Mr. Weather thinks the cane must be at least 40 years old. He reports meeting at the reunion Judge Inzer, of Ashville, St. Clair County, who is 93 years of age and who has the distinction of being the only surviving member of Alabama’s secession convention. The Roanoke veteran thinks that Judge Inzer and he are the only living members of the constitutional convention of 1873. Gen. Weathers is 86 years and six months of age.

80 years ago

The courtroom was overflowing when Big Jim Folsom, candidate for governor, entered the Randolph County courthouse at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday. Exchanging a few hellos with people standing in the lobby, he hurriedly made his way through the thick mass of people in the court room. The Strawberry Pickers had been entertaining the audience with hill-billy music for the first 15 minutes of the program. The major portion of his speech covered: “I’m a big, bad booger;” plowing old Jenny; cooking turnip greens; use of the shuck mop and suds bucket; and the familiar first-primary jokes. He promised again to have all state highways paved by the end of the first 12 months of his term. Electric lights and telephones will be made available to all rural homes too, if Big Jim has his way. Mr. Folsom closed his speech by stating that he is not going to attempt to answer the accusations made my his opponents because his opponents are trying to turn the people against one another, in the manner of Hitler.

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Graduation exercises will be held at Jacksonville State Teachers College Friday, May 31, at 10 a.m. Graduates from Randolph County will be Nettie Mae Walker of Roanoke and Maye Cofield Strain and Tommie Terry Jones of Wedowee.

60 years ago

Talladega, Clay and Randolph Counties have received approval from the Regional Office of Economic Opportunity for their Neighborhood Youth Corp summer work program, announced Mayor James L. Hardwick. This summer program will involve 300 youths from low income families in the tri-county area. These boys and girls will work 10 weeks this summer to obtain necessary funds to enable them to remain in school next year. The purpose of the program is to try to keep students in schools who would otherwise drop out because of financial reasons. Each boy or girl will be allowed to work 20 hours per week from June 1 to August 24, and will receive $25 per week.

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Poppy Day will be observed in Roanoke Saturday, May 28. Members of the American Legion Junior and Senior Auxiliaries will be in downtown Roanoke to pin the poppies on those desiring them. The poppies, made by disabled veterans, are distributed on or around Memorial Day in May each year.

40 years ago

It’s a situation that could result in yet another invalidated Randolph County election, but local election officials have decided to go with what is rather than what might be, and will prohibit Roanoke voters from casting votes in the contest for place 2 on the Randolph County Board of Education. Roanoke residents have always voted in previous county school board elections, but a circuit judge ruled since the last election that Roanoke, with its separate school system, should not have input into the operation of the county system. Any change in voting patterns requires the approval of U.S. Department of Justice, however, and the Justice Department has not given its approval.

20 years ago

The congregation of the 161-year-old First Baptist Church on Main Street in Roanoke Sunday night approved the deacon board’s recommendation on its buildings, ultimately reshaping the face of downtown. Demolition of the buildings back to Church Street was discussed. While some said prior to voting the church should have more details on the demolition, removal of debris, backfilling, soil compaction and a proposed park, all seemed to agree that the deteriorated buildings need to come down. Roanoke mayor Spec Bonner, who is also chairman of the Deacon Board, presided over the meeting.

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The Roanoke City Board of Education settled the debate over school uniforms at Handley Middle School, at least for the next school year, at its meeting on Tuesday, May 23, at Handley High School. Superintendent Chuck Marcum said while the board was very impressed with Handley Middle School principal Greg Foster’s and guidance counselor Angie Johnson’s presentation at the last meeting, the board had not yet made a decision about uniforms. Since a final decision was needed at this meeting in order to make preparations in time for the beginning of the school year, students at the middle school will not be required to wear uniforms next year.