The following information is taken from the pages of The West Virginia Daily News, The West Virginia News, and The Greenbrier Independent in The West Virginia Daily News archives from 25, 50, 75, and 100 years ago.
February 19-23, 1996
25 Years Ago…
The old Greenbrier Mill Co., once a thriving flour and feed mill and Alderson landmark, stood three stories tall before a fire totally destroyed it on Saturday.
No injuries were reported, and no damage to nearby businesses was sustained.
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Matthew Burns, son of Larry and Gerri Burns of Ronceverte, has been accepted by Northwestern College, Lima, Ohio.
He attends Greenbrier East High School and is a community volunteer firefighter.
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Greenbrier County Schools held their annual Spelling Bee on Feb. 13 at Carnegie Hall with B.J. Harper, son of Ginger Harper and an eighth-grade student at Crichton Junior High School, taking first place.
Coming in second was Cissy Perez, a student at Alderson Elementary School and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jay Perez of Alderson.
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Aaron Toothman, son of Bob and Susie Toothman of Ronceverte, is among the 27 Bridgewater College students who will be donating their spring break to volunteer efforts as construction workers for Habitat for Humanity.
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Sweet Springs Natural Mountain Water of Gap Mills will be one of 33 companies entering non-carbonated bottled water in the International Water Tasting & Competition in Berkeley Springs.
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Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy W. Wilson, a 1993 graduate of Greenbrier East High School, recently reported for duty with the 2nd Assault Amphibious Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune, NC.
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Jeanne Brenneman of Rupert has been named winner of the Monroe County Bicentennial Emblem Contest. Forty entries were submitted and evaluated by two independent judges and members of the Bicentennial Committee.
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Amy Beth Robinson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William C. Robinson of Lewisburg, has been named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at The University of Charleston.
She is a graduate of Greenbrier East High School.
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Former Greenbrier East basketball standout Bimbo Coles has been traded from the NBA’s Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors. He was part of a multiple-player trade between the two teams.
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Christopher Braddock Smith has been selected by Radford University for nomination to Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.
Tiffany Helene Smith has been chosen a Highlander Scholar at Radford.
They are the children of Brad and Cheryl Smith of Sinks Grove.
February 18, 1971
50 Years Ago…
Greenbrier County’s official population in the 1970 census was 32,090, down 6.8% from the 1960 figure of 34,446, reports the Bureau of Census, U.S. Department of Commerce.
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Sharon Clingman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G.R. Clingman of Lewisburg and a teacher in the Toms River, N.J., Consolidated School, has been evaluated Number One on the teaching staff of 150 teachers.
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U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph is a co-sponsor of a bill introduced by Senator Hugh Scott (R-Pa.) to allow the offering of voluntary prayer or meditation in our public schools and other public buildings.
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Steve Everett Clendenen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Clendenen of Auto, is a member of the Land Barons of the 984th Landclearing Company, 62nd Engineering Battalion, operating in Long Binh, Vietnam.
He is a 1968 graduate of Frankford High School.
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A charter has been issued to L&R, Inc., of White Sulphur Springs. Authorized capital is $25,000 with a starting capital of $10,000.
Incorporators are listed as Mary C. Hanna, R.M. Coleman, and Layton P. Hanna, all of White Sulphur Springs.
***
Mona Shinn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Owen Shinn of Rainelle, was initiated into Alpha Delta Pi Social Sorority at West Virginia University recently. A graduate of Greenbrier West High School, she is a freshman at West Virginia University.
The Lewis Theatre in Lewisburg is now showing “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” featuring Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Phil Silvers, and Jimmy Durante.
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SMSA Danny W. Hinkle, having completed a phase of his armed forces school at Newport, R.I., is spending a 30-day leave with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Weldon Hinkle of Fairlea. He will continue his schooling at Charleston, SC.
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February, 21, 1946
75 Years Ago…
The Greenbrier Laundry Co., now Ronceverte’s largest industry in number of employees, initiated a vast expansion program following its annual meeting last Saturday,
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Lawrence F. Sherwood of Ronceverte, a member of the sophomore class of West Virginia Wesleyan College, is listed among the students achieving honors in scholarship during the semester ending on January 25, 1946.
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The Ronceverte Boy Scout Troop has added to its laurels by winning a first-place ribbon in the countywide Jamboree held recently in Charleston.
The troop is under the direction of Scoutmaster David Houchins.
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Raymond D. Frazier, SSML2/c, has been honorably discharged from naval service at the separation center, Bainbridge, Md. He has been in military service for 34 months. He lives in Ronceverte.
February 19, 1921
100 Years Ago…
Henry B. Fullen is undertaking the development of an 18-inch vein of coal under Fort Hill in Ronceverte, directly opposite the city across the Greenbrier River. The coal is said to be a very good grade of hard bituminous.
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There has been general talk of the Elkins-Bluefield highway being built through Pocahontas, Greenbrier, Monroe, and Mercer counties by way of Peterstown and Rich Creek, through Princeton and to Bluefield.
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Messrs. Simon Braden and Edward Shughrou, both of Ronceverte, have accepted traveling positions with the American Tobacco Company.
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