1923 – 100 Years Ago
Death of Racing Mare
Sonoma Watts, the valuable racing mare of Mrs. W.J. Barry of Ronceverte, died on Thursday of last week. At the same time, a young colt of the mare’s died. Sonoma Watts was of high-grade track stock; her dam was Sonoma May and a full sister to Sonoma Girl. Sonoma Girl was sold to Lottie Crabtree, the actress, for $26,000, and during her first year of ownership by the actress, she returned $25,000 in winnings.
Engineers Here
Last Monday a large corps of Chesapeake and Ohio railway engineers arrived in Ronceverte to mark the location for the new railroad to the Western Greenbrier coal fields. The engineers immediately began work on what is known as the Hankins survey for the Meadow River railroad which leaves the main line right of way of the C&O, just west of Ronceverte.
Trout Season Opens
Dr. L.W. Blake, Messrs. R.K. Ford, C.E. Boone and B.C. Johnson of Ronceverte went to Little Clear Creek in Western Greenbrier last Tuesday, opening up the trout fishing season. About 120 trout were caught by the party.
1948 – 75 Years Ago
Tearing Down
Landmark
Emory Seldomridge of Lewisburg has bought the old Dotson-Hughart house on Main Street in Lewisburg and is now dismantling it. He intends to use some of the lumber in building a home. Part of the structure is of log construction, and the house is one of the older Lewisburg homes. Leggett’s Department Store bought the property some time back, and they plan to erect a modern department store building on the site.
Crow Vs. Hoot Owl
One day last week, Mrs. C.S. Gabbert heard a commotion outside her home at Auto and went out to see what it was and discovered that several crows were fighting a hoot owl. The owl, upon seeing Mrs. Gabbert attacked her, and she had to kill it. The owl had a wing spread of 35 inches.
West Virginia Marbles
Chances are three to one that youngsters playing marbles today in India — where the game existed about 5,000 years ago — are using agates produced in West Virginia. An output of more than 1 million of the little glass balls is all in a day’s work at almost any one of the nine plants in the Mountain State.
1973 – 50 Years Ago
New Industry Set to Move to Ronceverte
A new industry was announced today by Governor Arch A. Moore Jr. for the city of Ronceverte and Greenbrier County. Gamble Brothers Inc., with headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, in a joint venture with the J.P. Hamer Lumber Company, will construct a facility for the manufacture of laminated maple dishwasher tops and oak kitchen cabinet doors.
McHale to Head
People’s Party Ticket
The People’s Party of the City of Lewisburg met Tuesday night at the courthouse in Lewisburg. Frank Jolliffe was elected permanent chairman of the party, and Bill Shaver was selected permanent secretary by the convention. The following slate of officers was nominated by the party to run in the municipal election to be held on June 5: mayor: Mike McHale; city council: Paul R. Cooley, James R. “Butch” Matheny, C.T. “Tom” Sydenstricker, Ann Tate Bell and Bill Shaver.
Post Wins Pulitzer
The Washington Post won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for public service for its investigation of the Watergate scandal. Howard Simons, managing editor of The Post, said the prizes brought “singular honor to this newspaper and especially to its young and hard-digging reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.”
1998 – 25 Years Ago
Coles Returns Home to Lead Basketball,
Cheerleading Camps
West Virginia native Vernell “Bimbo” Coles is returning to his hometown this summer to head a basketball and cheerleading camp at Greenbrier East High School and Eastern Greenbrier Junior High School. Coles led Greenbrier East to the state tournament in 1985 and a No. 1 ranking in 1986. He is currently the starting point guard for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.
Planners Conduct Preliminary Site Plan Review for New
Fire Station
The Lewisburg Planning Commission conducted a preliminary and unofficial site plan review for the Lewisburg’s Volunteer Fire Department’s new facility on U.S. Route 219 at the northern limits of the city. Fire Chief Wayne Pennington and architect Daniel Hart addressed the Commission and discussed plans that are being made for the approximately 4,000 square-foot building that will serve as a secondary facility to the fire station on Foster Street.
Ronceverte
Commissioners
Commend City Officer for Heroic Rescue
The Ronceverte Board of Commissioners commended Sgt. Brian Baker of the Ronceverte City Police Department for his heroic actions in the early morning hours of Monday, April 26. According to Commissioner Connie Young, Baker saw a man jump from the Route 219 bridge, and “didn’t hesitate to save the person.” As soon as he saw the person go over the edge, Baker said he ran down the bank, jumped into the river and pulled the man out of the water.
