Looking back...

10-20-40-100 YEARS AGO

100 YEARS AGO....

Sixty-five year old Hanover farmer Gus Ditto was shot to death by one of his tenants. Witnesses said two shots from a .44-caliber weapon were fired at the conclusion of an argument, apparently triggered when Ditto “made some remarks” about the tenant’s children.

Thorndale and Rosebud met in a special UIL debate, The two school had hosted their respective counties’ academic meets. Each team argued both the “for” and “against” propositions on the same topic in separate debates. Thorndale won both debates.

The new Rockdale Chamber of Commerce expressed interest in securing a potato curing plant for Rockdale, noting that Central Texas had “sweet potato land” and that a nearby wholesale grocery had recently purchased four freight car loads of the vegetable at 6-1/2 cents a pound.

FORTY YEARS AGO....

Work at the construction site of Rockdale’s new junior-high school off Bush-dale Road was three weeks behind schedule after heavy rains had turned the work site into a “swimming pool.”

A 22-year-old Cameron woman died after accidentally being shot by her five-year-old daughter who found a pistol in their car and discharged the weapon.

Rockdale’s new civic center was shifted to the back burner after the city received a letter from the executor of the late Dr. George Patterson’s estate. That estate was funding the projects and administrator A. Dean Lynn asked that expansion of the city library be given priority.

Joel Page scored 31 points and Lew Simmonds’ Tiger track team easily won the district meet, rolling up 178-1/4 points. Runner-up Madisonville had 101-1/2.

TWENTY YEARS AGO....

Alcoa announced it would voluntarily permit Sand-ow Power Plant Units 1, 2 and 3. First step would be to appear before the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission, as new state legislation was allowing “grandfathered” facilities to seek permitting.

Long awaited work began on a new 26,000-square-foot Brookshire Bros. super market for Rockdale. The new facility was replacing a 33,000 square-foot building which had burned the previous July.

Police and emergency crews responded to a bizarre report at the West Cameron (US 79)-Calhoun intersection. A long-haul trucker had stopped, complaining of burning eyes and fearful he had been exposed to toxic chemicals. The area was cordoned off and investigators found no toxic chemicals.

Outgoing RHS track coach Terry Pope went out a winner, as his Tigers easily won the district track meet. Pope’s teams won seven straight district titles and eight consecutive Rockdale Relays.

TEN YEARS AGO....

Spike strips on McLerran Hill near the Cameron “Y” ended a 100-mile-per-hour chase that begin in Rock-dale and involved several law enforcement agencies. A 23-year-old Madisonville man was arrested.

City council members voted to put more teeth into a condemned building ordinance and targeted more than 20 buildings throughout the city placed on a list which could lead to being torn down.

The Cameron ISD named Rick Rhoades of Coppell as the new Yoe head football coach and athletic director. Rhoades replaced Mike Mullins who left Cameron to become head football coach at Harker Heights.

The new part of Rock-dale High School was taking shape with a distinctive cupola rising from the project above part of Childress Street.