LOOKING BACK

10-20-40-100 YEARS AGO

100 YEARS AGO...

The many friends of our townsman, N.H. Moore, better known to his friends as Dinty Moore, would learn with interest that he won a place in the ranks of the heroes and put himself in line for a Carnegie medal by saving the lives of two people who were drowning in the Brazos River near Mineral Wells.

Mr. and Mrs. Edwin F. Stewart, who were married in Waco, arrived in Rockdale, after a bridal tour which included Galveston, San Antonio and Houston, and were domiciled at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henley Murphree. Mrs. Stewart was before her marriage Miss Geal Humphrey and was well known to a large circle of social and business friends. Mr. Stewart was a traveling representative of Shear & Co., and was widely known throughout this section of the state.

FORTY YEARS AGO...

Final total in the layoff employees resulting from Alcoa’s June 14 potline shutdown was 68, including 52 regular hourly employees, 16 summer labor pool and five summer potroom employees.

An inspector’s report by the Texas Department of Human Resources forced a day-care organization to shut down its operation in the Aycock Center, but the shutdown was only temporary, according to the Rockdale Community Action Association. There were some leaks and wiring that had to be fixed before it could reopen.

A late August completion was anticipated for a 9,000-squarefoot expansion under construction at Brookshire Brothers supermarket in Rockdale. The store would have 40,000 square feet once the 40-foot expansion west and the 25-foot expansion north were completed.

Rockdale’s second annual City Championship Tennis Tournament was under way.

TWENTY YEARS AGO...

Richards Memorial Hospital, which affiliated with Temple’s Kings Daughter Hospital for administrative purposes, was on a roll. While no one was predicting it had assured its survival, the hospital’s budget had remained in the black for the past three months.

Rockdale area residents would get their first chance to review maps of the proposed US 79 Loop at a showing in the Patterson Civic Center. TxDOT officials were on hand to answer questions.

A volunteer army of 99 youths and adults worked 3,960 hours and repaired 25 houses in Rockdale as part of the Houston-based United Methodist Conference Mission to help out residents around the state in need of some help.

Rockdale’s 7-on-7 football team was 2-2 in the Rogers tourney, winning the consolation title over the Rockdale JV 7-on- 7 team.

TEN YEARS AGO...

The July Fourth holiday was going to be red, white and quiet in Milam County, except for Friday night in Rockdale. County commissioners, on a 3-2 vote, banned the sale and use of all fireworks within the county, except for Friday’s display at Fair Park, sponsored by Citizens National Bank.

Alcoa “shopped around” for a buyer for its Rockdale Operations atomizer but decided against selling the facility.

For the second year in a row, a small fundraiser turned in big money for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The second annual Kristi’s Krusaders “Rally for the Walk...Walk MS 2011” event at Nat’s raised $10,782.

In a profession which had about as much stability as a leaky row boat, James Saegert had been the epitome of equilibrium. But when the summer sun was beating down on this year’s Tiger football players, Saegert would not be there to spur them on. The man who began his coaching career when the movie Jaws was causing a worldwide sensation and gas was priced in double digits, had decided to hang up the whistle after 36 years.