10-20-40-100
100 YEARS AGO…
An unlocked, barred door in the “runaround” surrounding the exercising grounds was believed to have made possible the escape of two youths from the county jail in Cameron. The escaped men were Robert Pickett and Leon Fulton. Pickett was being held in connection with the Fisher store robbery and fire in Thorndale. Fulton was being held on a forgery charge. The men, according to a statement by others in the same call, asked their cellmates to escape with them. One of those offered the chance at freedom was also held in connection with the Thorndale case. All refused, however. Sheriff’s deputies were at work on the case.
The Baccalaureate Service of the Rockdale High School graduates was held at the Presbyterian Church with Rev. N.H. Melbert, pastor of the Methodist Church, delivering the sermon. Mr. Melbert’s effort was pronounced one of the best that he had been heard to make in Rockdale. He pointed the class to that higher life which opens ahead of them and couched his message in such earnest words and understandable terms as to bring each of his hearers a full realization of the importance of life as they will find it.
The United Daughters of the Confederacy and the American Legion were sponsoring the Civic Celebration of Memorial Day on May 30. All the merchants of the city signed an agreement to close their places of businesses from 9 a.m. until noon. During these hours the program and demonstrations would be held. There would be a band concert, flag raising ceremonies, an invocation by Post Chaplain Wallace, a Memorial Day Proclamation by Dr. T.S. Barkley and a patriotic address by Rev. M. Arnold of Smithville. The exercises would take place in the public square at the flagpole. A speaker’s stand would be constructed and floats supplied upon which to place the flowers which later would be taken to the cemeteries. Everyone was urged to come out to these exercises and help commemorate the dead.
40 YEARS AGO…
The labor contract between United Steelworkers of America and Alcoa expired and members of USW Local 4895 in Rockdale had given their team at the New Orleans negotiations an additional bargaining chip. A local union spokesman said two separate strike support votes were unanimously approved by members present. The vote gave the negotiating team in New Orleans the authority to call a strike if an accord was not reached. Local 4895 had approximately 1,100 members employed at Alcoa’s Rockdale Works.
20 YEARS AGO…
Thirty-three Rockdale ISD students escaped serious injury when their bus made a “hard landing” in a ditch alongside FM 487, 3.4 miles south of Sharp. Six students were taken to Richards Memorial Hospital for treatment of bumps and bruises. All were treated and released and all rode the bus to school the next school day.
10 YEARS AGO…
Rockdale High School turned into an art gallery, as the campus hosted its annual Fine Arts Show. In recent years, art students and the RHS Art Club created themed-related murals for the halls of the older part of the building. The Fine Arts Show also featured a concert by the Sweepstakes Award-winning Big Blue Band.
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