Looking back...

100 YEARS AGO…

Dropping in at Stricker’s Variety Store, two doors from the post office, our reporter was struck with the changed appearance of the store, due to rearrangement of stock and the installation of more than 100 feet of attractive wall shelving. By the new arrangement, the stock was more completely displayed, and the various items in the large stock were so grouped as to make shopping there much quicker and more satisfactory to both shopper and clerk. “A place for everything, and everything in its place,” seemed to be the Stricker motto and, incidentally, the stock had been enlarged until it compared favorably with variety store stocks to be found in towns twice the size of Rockdale.

The Reporter received a pleasant call from County Commissioner R.A. Hariston, who asked us to call attention of all road overseers in precinct that now was the time to do road work. Mr. Hairston wanted all road overseers to at once get busy. Warn out all hands and map out a campaign to put all roads in good shape before crop moving time. Crops were about all laid and farmers had a little time they could devote to the road work. Mr. Hairston stated that he had a little money on hand that could be used to buy lumber and supplies necessary for culverts and bridges and said he stood ready to assist the overseers. If you needed anything or wanted his advice or suggestions, you were to let him know at once.

The cake sale held at the Modern Bakery for the benefit of Miss Althea West, a patient in the State Tuberculosis Sanitarium, was liberally patronized. The cake, an extra-large one, baked and donated by Messrs. Simmons, Riedel and Boles, of the Modern Bakery, was cut and sold by the slice and netted $9.50. In addition, a cash donation of $15 was made to the fund by Mr. King of the Quebe & Prewitt Drug Store.

40 YEARS AGO…

Emergency Medical Services received $10,000 from the estate of the late Helen Ryan. Ronnie Wiley, EMS president, accepted the check from Carroll Glaser, executor of Mrs. Ryan’s estate. The bequest was the second in two weeks from the Ryan estate.

Mr. Gatti’s Pizza, owned by John R. Kash of Round Rock and managed by Barbara Hanson, held its official grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremonies under the auspices of the Rockdale Chamber of Commerce.

20 YEARS AGO…

This year’s summer work in the Rockdale ISD included remodeling work in the high school library and science lab. A door was to be installed on the east side of the library, making the first new entrance to the school building since it was constructed in the mid-1950s.

Two members of Rockdale High School Future Farmers of America added substantially to their college funds. Jon Red and Jared Birkhead were named Houston Livestock Show scholarship recipients during the State FFA Scholarship meeting. Both Rek and Birkhead were to receive $10,000.

10 YEARS AGO…

Tear it down. Ten months after a brick retaining wall collapsed on the 125-year-old Cameo Building downtown, causing extensive damage, and after numerous appeals, rulings and pleas, that was the city council’s final verdict in a special session.