100 YEARS AGO....
Fire Chief A. P. Perry Jr. stepped down after 15 years at the head of the Rockdale VFD. Perry remained on the force, the final charter member of the department. Firefighters chose Perry Diehl to replace as the new chief.
The County UIL meet (athletics and sports) was held in Cameron. Rockdale breezed to victory for the senior track title with Snively Riddle winning the 50-yard dash and running high jump and placing in several other events.
A jury call of 150 persons went out as district court prepared to hear the murder trial of E.L. Ramsey, charged with the death of Adolph Taegel in Thorndale.
The Rockdale Chamber of Commerce had identified a lack of hotels and boarding houses in Rockdale. A committee was appointed to study the matter and make recommendations.
FORTY YEARS AGO....
A massive search by four law enforcement agencies failed to turn up a bank robber who entered Buckholts State Bank with a sawedoff shotgun, forced employees into two restrooms and made off with an undetermined amount of money.
In what was termed a “light” turnout of 605 votes, all three Rockdale ISD school trustees were returned in a five-person race for three at-large seats. Winning were Dr. L. E. Selden, Elizabeth Holloway and Emory C. Camp.
Bill Avrett became Rockdale mayor, defeating Artis Lovelady 448-58 for the position being vacated by Homer Bower.
Joel Page, Kevin Sumuel and Kim Locklin finished 1-2-3 in the 110-meter high hurdles and the Rockdale Tigers won the Killeen Ellison track meet by 60 points.
TWENTY YEARS AGO....
A Texas Dept. of Transportation (TxDOT) engineer was praised by City Manager Sue Foster after noting he twice in a matter of hours shut down a US 79 contractor for “unsafe practices.”
In a runoff election, Clifford Whiteley out-polled Lynda “Lynn” Terry Meyer 560-264 to capture the Democratic nomination for Precinct 1 county commissioner. There was no Republican opposition in November.
Thorndale’s 898 phone exchange became, for the first time, a free call from Rockdale’s 446 exchange.
Speaking of phones, probably the longest “fire siren” in Rockdale history went off shortly before 1 a.m. and stayed on for 15 minutes. The “disaster?” A glitch in the phone lines which triggered the siren.
TEN YEARS AGO....
A scammer pretending to represent Walmart, Sears and other well-known businesses, was sending Milam County residents fake checks as part of a scheme.
Probably the slowest moving police chase in Rockdale ended with drug charges. Police saw a man leaving a local tavern on tractor and pursued him to a rural location and, with the help of a taser, made an arrest.
Bob Loehr, 79, of Rockdale, was honored by the Texas Senior Pro Rodeo Association at its old-timers rodeo at Fair Park. Loehr was the current TSPRA point leader in breakaway roping.
The Milam County Historical Commission was set to re-dedicate a historical maker at the CR 264 Faubion Bridge near Sugarloaf Mountain.
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