Looking back...

100 YEARS AGO...

Armistice Day marked the beginning of the Fourth Red Cross Roll Call of 1920. Possibly there could not have been a more appropriate day set as this day marks the ending of the struggle in which the American Red Cross played such a great part.

The Tracy-Rockdale oil field, which was about four years old, with its 75 or more wells, finished and unfinished, standing full of oil, and some running over, and the gasoline escaping—as gasoline will evaporate—several well standing full of mud, water and oil and not one piece of casing from top to bottom, seemed to have no one demand that the field be protected or the wells finished that are unfinished. The landowner seemed to be perfectly helpless; he can make no demands; he has no rights if they demand $4 per barrel for the oil. They can sit there for the next four years.

A former Rockdale woman mistook a bottle of gasoline for coal oil and poured it onto a stove, in which there was a little fire, and in the explosion that followed she was so severely burned that her death followed.

FORTY YEARS AGO...

“It’s early but we sure believe we’re on the road to getting a good general utility airport for Rockdale.” That was the opinion of City Councilman Wallace Jones, working with the city’s new Airport Committee, which met for the first time.

Thirty-nine felony indictments—including nine for welfare fraud—were returned by the Milam County grand jury following a day-long session at the county courthouse.

Thirty-nine Rockdale business firms were set to give away a total of 82 free Christmas turkeys during the shopping season.

The Big Blue Band from Tigerland, named the best band in UIL Region VIII at the marching contest the previous week, competed in the state contest at Memorial Stadium at the University of Texas campus in Austin.

TWENTY YEARS AGO...

It’s a place where they had a manual recount of votes from general election and where votes were thrown out because a sizable number of people tried to vote for more than one presidential ticket. Palm Beach County, Florida? No, Milam County, Texas.

There was no need for anyone to be alone or hungry in Rockdale this Thanksgiving. Two organizations were offering free meals on Thanksgiving Day. Both with delivery but both groups hope that fellowship is just as important as the food.

City council members met in a short session to approve routine business and plead “not guilty” to the recent hospital district tax which has spurred many complaints to City Hall.

Color Rockdale “red, white and blue.” Veterans were honored in a variety of ways in Rockdale, including an awards ceremony at Rockdale High School for Korean War veterans and a downtown parade Saturday.

TEN YEARS AGO...

No changes were reported to vote totals tabulated in Milam County’s general election after county commissioners conducted a canvass, according to County Clerk Barbara Vansa.

Play ball! Well, almost. But Rockdale ISD trustees did hear Supt. Dr. Howell Wright report work on RHS baseball diamond renovation was a home run, so far. “We’re well within budget and the time frame,” Dr. Wright said, noting the project was to be completed by Jan. 1.

The vision of Velocita Holdings’ CEO Doug Hutchison for a high-tech “green” city at the site of Alcoa’s Rockdale Operations came into sharper focus during a meeting of the Rockdale Rotary Club. Hutchison told an attentive group of about 60 business leaders the development, which was eventually envisioned to provide 5,000 jobs, would be known as “The Community of Sandow,” an homage to a 19th century strong man who is looked on as the father of modern, healthy lifestyles.