100 YEARS AGO… One of the happiest and most interesting social events ever celebrated in Milam County was the celebration of the golden wedding anniversary by Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Graham, at their home in Milano. Both a lunch and dinner were provided at the day-long celebration.
Miss Johnny Cone met her Sunday school class and several friends and the Methodist Church, where they made up their party, consisting of 18 in number for a chicken fry. They young men proved themselves well skilled in the art of cooking as it fell to their lot to fry the chicken. All things ready, the spread served was very appetizing, consisting of fried chicken, pickles and bread, followed by cake and punch. Later in the evening they enjoyed some melons and delicious pears. After spending several hours in merriment, they returned home, each declaring they had a delightful evening.
A lighted cigarette too near a freshly-filled gas tank on a Ford truck caused a fire in front of Betha’s filling station. The seat cushion was destroyed, and woodwork charred, the flames being extinguished by a prompt application of sand in copious quantities. The fire department responded to the alarm but found the fire was out.
40 YEARS AGO… Harold E. Reagan of Pittsburgh, a former Rockdale Alcoan, was named manager of Texas public affairs and headquarters at the company’s Rockdale Works. He was to head up Alcoa’s statewide governmental affairs, public relations and communications in the newly-created post.
Rockdale’s 7-6 squeaker over LaVega here was a good way to open a new season under a new coach installing a new program, and Coach Carl Peters was pleased most of all with his team’s “mental toughness.”
20 YEARS AGO… The Gause Independent School District was selected to receive a $30,000 Texas Infrastructure Fund (TIF) grant to be used for library technology.
Memo to prospective burglars: It might be a good idea to pick a location that can’t be seen from the Rockdale Police Station. That’s exactly what happened when dispatcher Melissa Hubert and Officers Bobby Nelms and Chris Bailey teamed up to foil a break-in at Texas Burger/ Subway.
Rockdale’s Veteran’s Memorial Park was to benefit from a $50,000 grant from Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPW). Those funds, plus another $50,000 in matching funds raised by Alpha Tau Delta, would go toward improvements at the park which houses the city’s swimming pool and tennis courts.
10 YEARS AGO… A century-plus old firewall between two sets of Rockdale buildings collapsed, damaging a half block of businesses and possibly gouging yet another hole in the downtown area. The brick firewall, which extended about 3-1/2 feet above rooftops, ran north and south above the block bounded by East Cameron (US 79), North Main (FM 908) and two alleys.
Several City of Rockdale entities met with a professional development group to take the first step toward linking Rockdale’s economic development plans with an asset it already owned. H.H. Coffield Regional Airport was donated to the city by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas in 1987, one of two donations from the diocese, along with the town’s industrial park.
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