1925 – 100 Years Ago
The Evolution Trial
John Thomas Scopes was arrested on a charge of violating the law in his capacity of science teacher of the Rhea County High School. The text of the indictment says, “That John Thomas Scopes on April 24, 1925, did unlawfully and willfully teach in the public school of Rhea County, Tennessee, which public school is supported in part in whole by the public school fund of the state, certain theory of the divine creation of man, as taught by the Bible, and did teach instead thereof that man descended from the lower order of animals.”
Skeeters Were Fierce
Two fellows came to the store of the J. M. Alderson clothing company at Alderson. One of them made a couple of purchases and said he guessed his money was wet when he dived into his pocketbook to pay for what he had purchased. He said he and his partner were camping about six miles down the river and the mosquitoes were so bad that they were compelled to arise several times during the night and plunge into the river with their clothes on to get rid of the pests.
Blue Sulphur News
The week was warm and sunshiny, only light rains in nearly all sections. The temperature on Wednesday and Thursday, however, as around 90 degrees.
1950 – 75 Years Ago
Judge Kramer’s First Year
Judge Nickell Kramer was honor guest at a dinner arranged by the bars of Greenbrier, Monroe, Pocahontas and Summers counties celebrating his first anniversary on the bench of the Eleventh Judicial district. The banquet was held at the Oak Terrace in Lewisburg.
Guernsey Cows Set Record
Two registered Guernsey cows, owned by E. M. Johnson, Lewisburg, have completed official advanced register records that were supervised by West Virginia University. On two times daily milking for a ten-month period, Guershaw Colonel’s Mabel produced 12,685 pounds of milk and 522 pounds of butterfat, starting her record as a 6-year-old. As a 5-year-old on two times daily milking for a ten-month period, Ghershaw Mary Lee produced 10,892 pounds of milk and 476 pounds of butterfat.
Alderson Building Sold
Purchase of the old Alderson college building on the outskirts of Alderson for conversion into a hospital was announced. One of the buyers, Lewis A. Fleshman, said the group had plans to convert the three -story, yellow brick structure into a hospital as soon as possible. The building, located on a sloping 58-acre tract, was erected in the early 1920s to house the Alderson Juior College and Academy established in 1901.
1975– 50 Years Ago
Dlr. McClung Welcomed To Office
Dr. Richard E. McClung was welcomes by Dr. Eugene McLaughlin at his office where Dr. McClung will become associated with Dr. McLaughlin. A 1968 Lewisburg High School graduate, Dr. McClung spent three years undergraduate study at West Virginia University and four years with the WVU School of Denistry. Married to the former Ann Wilson, the couple lives on Mathews Street in Lewisburg.
Plans Boycott
Actress Jane Fonda has drawn the wrath of the delegates to the 55th annual New York State American Legion. They have unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a nationwide boycott of her films. The Fonda resolution by 2,500 delegates called for the boycott because the actress “openly displayed her preference for a Viet Cong victor in Vietnam,” “attempted in broadcasts on Hanoi radio to demoralize American servicemen” and “attempted to cause a division between the younger and older citizens of our nation.”
Children Should Be Immunized
Clarence Hinkle Superintendent of Greenbrier County Schools announces that if you have children who will enter first grade or kindergarten this fall, now is the time to see they they are fully immunized. West Virginia state law requires that all children entering school for the first time be adequately immunized against measles, rubella, polio, diphtheria, whopping cough, tetanus, and have a tuberculin test. These required immunizations will protect your children from the crippling and sometimes fatal effects of childhood diseases, and will contribute to a more healthful community.
2000 – 25 Years Ago
Family Refuge Center Dedicates Residence To Anne Blair Alderson
Over 20 years ago a group of community women began discussing needs in the area. They found many battered women and children who needed shelter and other services, so they opened the first shelter in Sweet Springs, Monroe County, Finding the location to be too far from services, the staff moved into an old farm house in Lewisburg. Many former staff, board members, clients, and supporters celebrated the 20th anniversary at the shelter. Naming the residence after one of the founder, Anne Blair Alderson, was a highlight of the day. Burning the mortgage was a second highlight of the occasion and the delightful duty of Ann Benedict, Ann Shaver and Molly Stathers.
High Points of Episcopal School’s First Year
Several special highlights market the recent close of Greenbrier Episcopal School’s first year. Among them were the results of students’ standardized testing, which some parents termed “spectacular” School wide scores on nationally-normed tests taken this spring ranked in the 92nd percentile, while the K-1 class average above the 96th percentile for math and 2-3 claws averaged above the 92nd percentile for reading.
Educators Alarmed By Lowered Requirements For Home-School Teachers
A new state policy lowering the educational requirements for home school educators is raising concern among members of the Greenbrier Board of Education. Members urged teaching professionals to write their representatives in Charleston regarding the policy waiving the home-school instructor’s requirement of a formal education of at least four years higher than the most academically advanced child being home-schooled.
DISCLAIMER: The articles in Echoes of the Past are printed in their original form and may contain typos.
