100 YEARS AGO…
Rockdale housewives welcomed the news of the opening of a new home industry here that would enable them to purchase freshly-made “potato crisps” on short notice. Miss C. Rowland was at the head of the new enterprise and equipped herself to supply these “crisps” any day on short notice, either to the merchants or to private individuals. All local grocers agreed to cooperate in the enterprise. For Rockdale made “potato crisps” orders could be phoned to your grocer or to No. 387. (Can you imagine potato chips not being readily available?— Editor) Mr. and Mrs. B. Phillips entertained Ye Merrie Wives Club with a steakfry at Texas Lake. After enjoying the deliciously prepared supper, club members and guests returned to the Phillips home where 42 was played. The house was beautifully decorated, carrying out the San Jacinto Day idea. Bluebonnets were everywhere, bluebonnet score cards were used and the Texas seal marked the score pads.
J.E. Hook and J.B. Anderson, trustees of Lilac School district, were in town with a petition for an election to issue bonds aggregating $3,600 to build a modern schoolhouse at Lilac. The election would be held within the next 30 days and there was no doubt but it would carry. This was shown by a mass meeting of patrons showing unanimous support for the bonds.
Chasing a wolf from Minerva to Rockdale and then back to Minerva before catching the animal was the experience of District Clerk Penn Wolf, Dr. W.R. Newton and Burt Ray of Buckholts. They declare that it was one of the most thrilling hunting trips ever made in Milam County. It took exactly five hours and sixteen minutes from the time they jumped the wolf until they caught their victim. The wolf was jumped near the former home of County Agent Banzhaf and apprehended near the Edwards home.
40 YEARS AGO…
Computer instruction was entering the curriculum in the Rockdale school system and school officials gathered to inspect the delivery of six terminals at the high school. RHS principal Walter Pond said the computers would be used immediately to aid RHS seniors in developing “computer literacy” and would be incorporated into RHS curriculum next fall, especially in the math department. Two units were also in use at the junior high and one at the elementary school.
20 YEARS AGO…
Alcoa’s Rockdale Operations would eliminate 150 jobs over the next six weeks. Company officials announced that they would trim 100 hourly and 50 salaried jobs as part of its response to a company-wide edict issued late last year to reduce production costs throughout the system.
Hundreds of runners and walkers would trek through west Rockdale streets to raise money for Veterans Memorial Park. The Dewberry 5K run/walk, now in its fourth year, had raised more than $16,000 for improvements to the city swimming pool. Construction on new playscapes, obtained through a state grant, was supposed to begin this spring or early summer.
10 YEARS AGO…
A 19-year-old Austin man was killed when his small SUV collided with a charter on US 79 between Rockdale and Milano. The crash began a hectic 20-hour period for the Rockdale Volunteer Fire Department, which also answered two house fire alarms in Rockdale, with numerous firefighters leaving the scene of initial calls to do so.
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