1926– 100 Years Ago
Zero Weather
During the bitter winter weather of last week the thermometer registered 13 degrees below zero at Elkins, while in the rural sections near there the temperature ran from 18 to 22 degrees below zero. At Marlinton 16 below was recorded. In Ronceverte the zero mark was just about touched.
Campaign For
Modification
A campaign for modification of the Volstead Act to legalize the use of beer and light wines in order to save the young people of the nation was announced as the new policy of the Church Temperance Society. The Rev. Dr. James Empringham, national superintendent of the society, said a personal survey had convinced him “it was impossible to legislate morals into the people,” but that a campaign of education would eventually bring about the result.
Know But To God
Although the number of unknown graves in France has been greatly reduced there are still 1,6523 graves not identified. For those who are never identified the American Battle Monument Commission has selected the following inscription to be placed over their last resting place: “Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.”
1951 – 75 Years Ago
Radio Communication System Installed At Greenbrier Airport Improvements which will put Greenbrier Airport at White Sulphur Springs in better position to handle the corporation and executive planes, as well as military aircraft, have been made recently, Charles O. Take, Jr., operator of the airport reported. Two-way radio of a type to provide communications to incoming and outgoing planes, as well as planes passing by White Sulphur Springs, has been installed.
Teacher Pay Increase
West Virginia educators filled in the big details of their 1951 legislative program last week by introducing a $9,200,000 pay increase bill and a proposal to extend the school employment term to 10 months. The first would increase the base pay from $1,800 to $2,400 for a teacher with four years of college training.
West Virginia
Turnpike
Final surveys have been authorized for a super toll highway, the West Virginia Turnpike Commission has announced. A tentative route proposed covers a 120-mile course from Fairplane in Jackson County southward to Princeton in Mercer County This would be the first section of a super highway connecting the Northern Panhandle with the extreme southern portion of the state.
1976– 50 Years Ago
Local Girl Wins
State Title
Miss Kay Shirey of Lewisburg was chosen West Virginia’s Junior Miss last night in ceremonies held in Princeton. As West Virginia’s Junior Miss, Miss Shirey was awarded a $750 cash scholarship to the college of her choice, a Kodak Tele-Instamatic camera, her trip to Mobile, Alabama (America’s Junior Miss contest), a trophy, tiara, portrait, and scholarships to Columbia College in Missouri or Huntington College in Alabama.
Sprouse Wants
Scenic New River
James Sprouse stood in Thurmond and pledged his allegiance to scenic New River. In the first of several position papers, the Democratic gubernatorial hopeful lined up with environmentalists who are waging war with the power firm to keep it from putting up a huge dam project. Fearing that such
development would harm it, Sprouse told reporters he preferred to see the New River left undisturbed.
Concorde Plane
Get Go-Ahead
The controversial Concorde supersonic transport plane has won a go-ahead to fly daily to Washington from France and Great Britain, but it may be denied entry into New York. Transportation Secretary William Coleman granted permission to land the 1,300 mile-an-hour plane at Washington’s Dulles Airport and gave federal approval for landing at New York’s Kennedy Airport. New York Gov. Hugh Carey has veto power over whether the plane can land at Kennedy and he has been outspoken in his opposition.
2001 – 25 Years Ago
The Greenbrier
Honored By AAA
The Greenbrier was recently honored by AAA for earning the Five Diamond Award for 2001, the 25 th year the White Sulphur Springs resort has won the award. Only five properties have won the award every year since its inception. The Greenbrier is one of 108 lodgings and restaurants that earned the Five Diamond status for 2001.
WVSOM Settles
Former Employee’s Suit For $230,000
Although the case was settled out of court in October, a former employee at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine still maintains that President Olen Jones fired her because she had cancer. Jean Dickens, who served as vice president for finance at the school, filed a lawsuit against Doctor Jones in 1997.
Pauley Awarded
Hyatt Scholarship
Greenbrier Community College Foundation has awarded a Hyatt Scholarship to Beverly A. Pauley of Alderson. Applications for the first Hyatt Scholarship wrote essays describing the five items they would place in a time capsule that would best represent West Virginians in the 1990s to future generations. The first item Pauley would place is a Bible. She added a computer disk, because “the computer has drastically changed this generation” A McDonald’s Happy Meal demonstrated food in a hurry for the many and a can of green beans represented the homeless. She and her grandson share America’s passion for football. They each treasure their Green Bay Packers jersey, so she added a Packers jersey to the time capsule. She chose a photograph of a dog riding in a car to illustrate our love affair with household pets and automobiles.
DISCLOSURE: The articles in Echoes of the Past are printed in their original form and may contain typos.
