This Week in History (April 29)

Note: As we've begun publishing a weekly lookback at items of historical note in The Wake Weekly, expect excess items or those cut for space to make it into this blog. This week I looked up far too many items of note and am so reproducing them here. It seemed like the right place to do it. - David Leone, Associate Editor

1916
Local horse plow manufacturers, Dunn Plow Co. and Wake Forest Foundry are doing brisk business these days, pulling in $30,000 annually between the two businesses. As many as 20,000 castings for plows are produced in one week at these plants. They also make window weights, boiler grates parts of stoves and other ordinary iron castings. This diversity of work makes it possible for them to operate regularly and give employment to an average of about 20 men. Wake Forest also has a modern general repair and supply shop, Holliday and Taylor. Any sort of vehicle from a log cart to a road cart, including automobiles, is quickly and skillfully repaired.

1917
A Red Cross society has been formed in Wake Forest. Among the 50 members are numbers of ladies from neighboring towns. On Thursday, the following officers were elected: President Mrs. J.M. Brewer; recording secretary, Mrs. T.M. Arrington; corresponding secretary, Miss Ruby Reid; treasurer, Miss Jessie Lassiter.

In a newspaper editorial Dr. G.W. Paschal announced he was sorry Mayor J. C. Caddell was not running for re-election. "Eight years ago our streets were in bad condition, often almost impassible in bad weather, and with scant provision made for working them. Now our streets will compare favorably with those of any other town that has unpaved streets, and a strong team of mules, a read scraper and other implements are provided for working them. A wagon regularly goes around taking up rubbish and litter."

The editorial credits the mayor with the bond issue bringing the first electric lights to town, a special tax for the erection of public school buildings, the terracing and improving of the local cemetery, the introduction of a telephone system, paved sidewalks, new business construction and the establishment of a criminal court. "All in all Mr. Caddell has served the town and the College well, as Mayor of Wake Forest -- he has done it without salary ... independent of factional influence and leaves the office with the good will of all."

1920
A state athletic league is forming to consist of representatives of each of the North Carolina male colleges that participate in college athletics to help prevent misunderstandings. For example there was some controversy a couple of years ago as to who had really won the state championship in baseball. It was generally conceded that Wake Forest was the winner but here remained some doubt in the minds of Trinity (Duke) supporters for some time.

1929
Wiggins Drug Store has reopened, having been closed since December when it was struck by a derailed train.

1931
Wake Forest High conducted graduation exercises at Wake Forest Baptist Church last weekend. Graduating were Mildred Lucille Averette, Harriet Elizabeth Coppedge, Mildred Amanda Garner, Ruth Frances Harrison, Joel Francis Paschal, Ruth Paschal, Edith Alma Phillips, Effie Maye Shannahan, Evelyn Shoe, Ruamie Carroll Squires, James Spencer Wilkinson and Margie Helen Young.

1939
Town elections will be held May 2, which reminded writer Gordon A. Phillips of a tale of a past mayoral contest. To wit, he writes, it has been recalled that a certain "Joe" Jeffries, a black janitor of Wake Forest College, almost won the election for mayor back about 35 years ago. Elections in those days were not so hot, that is, until our Joe got mixed into it. The ballot box was placed in the center of town during a certain day and anyone who wanted to vote could cast a ballot as they passed the box. So why not drop in a few for Joe? And that's what happened. Four or five men cast ballots for Jeffries. Only about 12 men used to vote and with Joe's head start he was scheduled to be the next mayor. When it got around to what had taken place just before polls closed at sundown a flurry of ballots were cast to defeat the janitor.

1943
"Shorty" Joyner is in Rex Hospital recovering from a heart attack. Shorty has been in business for a quarter of a century. First he ran the movie where Hollowell's is, then he ran a smoke shop where the soda shop is located. He had hard luck managing movies. The Gem and Collegiate both burned. All the students for years have known Shorty and liked him.

1945
Private first class Walter McKaughan, son of Mr. and Mrs. O.M. McKaughan of Wake Forest, has been awarded the Bronze Star medal for meritorious service in military operations against the enemy in France from last July 29 to December 1.

1952
Bostwick dorm on the college campus was saved from fire by the all-volunteer Wake Forest fire department, under the leadership of Chief F.R. Keith.

1986
Glenn Miller and about 100 followers in the White Patriot Party marched through downtown Wake Forest Saturday, warning if someone "wants another Greensboro, all they have to do is come down here and start something." The marchers were met by an equal number of seminary students, who protested the march by singing "we will overcome." (See photo, above)

1991
Wake County Manager Richard Stevens dedicated the Medical Arts Center in Wake Forest Monday. Doctors at the center will treat general health and mental health problems.

Source for items is online archives of the Wake Forest University newspaper, Old Gold and Black and print archives of The Wake Weekly.

I remember the '80s (Part 2)

Individual events don't always have an impact on the development of a community; but often constitute what we remember most about any particular year or era. Like the bear that wandered through town in the following decade, animal stories and near escapes were prominent in the 1980s.

The Fourth of July fireworks show was canceled in 1986, but that wasn’t as surprising as what happened a year before, when a faulty timer sent four “stars” into the stands at WF-R High, shattering the press box glass and injuring seven people.

Animals were the talk of the town several times in the ’80s. Raleigh workers spilled caustic soda into the Neuse River in July 1980, killing fish and turtles along a 20-mile stretch. Lee Leonard, Riverside Tackle Shop employee, recounted seeing brown foam three-feet high in the river at the dam. In the photo above, wildlife employees at the U.S. 1 bridge collect fish killed by the chemical spill.

Two years later, there were rats everywhere in Wake Forest, causing town officials to consider releasing owls or other rodent-killers inside town limits. “(The rats) are about the size of house cats. They killed one of my cats,” North Taylor Street resident Alan Skinner said. “I’ve thought of going down and stealing all the cats in Zebulon,” Town Administrator Jerry Walters said. And in 86, an ostrich escaped from a pen on Brick Street, leading would-be captors on a merry chase. It was later apprehended without incident.

Providence may have played a part in returning Jon Marx, 11 and Scott Kearney, 14, to their mothers with only scratches after they fell off a railroad trestle — dodging a train — and plummeted 60 feet to the ground below in 1981.

William Perry and a very pregnant wife, Catherine, barely escaped a train wreck of their own when their 1971 Fiat stalled on the tracks at the Brick Street crossing in front of a train loaded with Super Bowl fans on the way to Tampa Fla. This is how Lillian Horton, whose house was closest to the crossing, described the scene: “Stuff was flying everywhere. There was gas all over the side of the house ... and the motor is laying in the driveway.”