100 YEARS AGO…
The Empire Fuel Co., which owned lignite mines in Milam County and maintaining executive offices in Dallas, increased its capital from $1,000,000 to $5,000,000, according to a message received from Ada, H. Davidson of Dallas, now in New York. The purpose of the company was to manufacture cheap fuel for industrial and domestic purposes from Texas lignite coal.
The Reporter was requested to announce that a meeting of ex-service men would be held at the city hall for the purpose of organizing a local post of the American Legion. All ex-service men were invited to attend the meeting even if they did not expect to joining the new command.
W.E. Gaither had Ford Runabouts on sale for $319.
The Rockdale Interscholastic Meet drew over 3,000 people to Rockdale. The event had to be postponed twice because unusually heavy rains which made road impassable.
40 YEARS AGO…
Guinn Gifford of Thorndale unknowingly got more than he expected when he purchased a Brahman bull calf a year ago. In the year that he had it, the bull sprouted horns—not two, but four. Gifford said the oddity might have occurred because the calf was dehorned too early. The Gifford ranch was about three miles northeast of Thorndale.
The Tigerette 1,600-meter relay team was headed for regional competition in Brenham after finishing second in the 23AAA meet held in Rockdale. Team members were Lisa DeGhetto, Michelle Jones, Becky Lawrence and Cecilia Holder. Holder also qualified for regional in two individual events, the long jump and 200-meter, breaking her own school record in each event.
20 YEARS AGO…
Students participating in the Rockdale Transition Initiative Program conducted a food drive at the junior high school and collected 3,125 pounds of food for the Rockdale Christian Services food pantry.
Sparked by first-place finishes in singles and doubles, the RHS boys tennis team rolled to the district 18AAA title in Taylor. Jeff Easterwood in singles, and the doubles team of Jason Parish and Clayton Bland each breezed to district titles. Rockdale girls were third, but freshman Jessica Gaines was also a regional qualifier earning second in singles.
10 YEARS AGO…
Dr. Nancy Vaughan who was “monitoring” two campuses in Rockdale Independent School District for the next three school years, didn’t mince words on her task or her goals. She was here to help the high school and junior-high campuses make better scores on the tests which would determine their state and federal rankings and she was to look the people she was helping in the eye and give them the truth. “If I feel like they’re blowing smok,e my job is to tell them ‘I’m not going there’,” she told The Reporter in a candid interview.
Many Milam County residents were keeping their fingers—and bank account books—crossed hoping that the booming Eagle Ford Shale oil activity in South Texas would come a bit further north and brings its economic tidal wave with it. In the meantime, a mini oil boom of sorts was going on in an almost 100-year-old field just north of Rockdale.
The third in a spring series of events benefiting the restoration of Rockdale’s Kay Theatre was set for March 25, at the Patterson Civic Center. To be featured were Houston pianist Glennie Scott and vocalist, Judy England. The event was named “A Celebration of Spring,” according to Kay Theatre spokesperson Leanna Applegate.
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