COLUMN: A Look Back

Jimmy Ballard
Published: October 10, 2008

50 years ago
(Oct. 9, 1958)

Cornerstone is opened
The new Masonic Lodge was going up very rapidly so they went to the old lodge near Fifth and Carolina and tore out the cornerstone to get at the contents. Out of a sealed box came a well-preserved hoard of historic papers and objects of a bygone day. They had been lying there undisturbed for more than 40 years.
Billy Atkins looked over a copy of The Hartsville Messenger dated July 23, 1914. Bubber (C.L.) Timmons read a copy of The Charleston News and Courier published July 28, 1914, and George Manley held a copy of The State which came out the same day.
C.M. Pennington, who is chairman of the new building committee, was interested in a card holding several samples of upland long staple cotton grown on the experimental farms of D.R. Coker, forerunner of Coker’s Pedigreed Seed Company.
And Dan Askins, who is a contractor for the new lodge, held a Masonic book containing the by-laws and bearing the date of 1812.
Other curiosities they found in the box were seeds, a ribbon and badge brought by the late Dr. William Egleston from a medical meeting in Wilmington and several coins.
All of these plus other records of the present day will be sealed up in the cornerstone of the new lodge being erected on Home Avenue near Ninth Street. If construction goes according to schedule, the new building will be completed by Dec. 1.

Timmerman named
Washington (Timmy) Timmerman has been named a semifinalist in the 1958-59 National Merit Scholarship competition, Principal Doyle W. Boggs of Hartsville High School said today. Timmy is the son of Mr. and Mrs. W.P. Timmerman of Prestwood Drive.
The semifinalists named today outscored 479,000 classmates, and thus moved a step closer to an estimated $5 million in merit Scholarships to be awarded in this year’s program.
After further eliminations, at least 735 fortunate young people will be named Merit Scholars of 1959 and will receive four-year scholarships averaging $650 a year.

Foxes de-tail cats
The amazing Red Foxes romped to a 40-0 triumph over Dillon’s Wildcats for their third straight win of the season. The rain-drenched game field failed to dampen the Foxes as they hit paydirt on three passes and three recovered Dillon fumbles.
This victory marked the first time the Foxes have won five straight games since 1948. They have bettered last year’s total score of 90 points by scoring 140 points to their opponents’ 31 points in the five games!
The two outstanding players of the week are tackle John Ewing and end Larry Thompson. They played excellently on offense and defense, and Thompson scored a 25-yard touchdown aerial from quarterback Jimmy Bell.
The Hartsville-Camden game Friday night will feature a hula hoop show at halftime for all pre school age children.

Glenn heads scouts
On Thursday afternoon, Oct. 2, Girl Scout Troop 24 met and elected officers for the coming year.
Meeting at Carolina School, the Girl Scouts elected Cindy Glenn as president of Troop 24. Other officers elected were: Ann Shand, vice president; Jill Stallings, secretary; Cindy Wright, treasurer; Patsy Amerson and Marty Hursey, flag bearers; Brenda Woods, Betty Jo Hudson, Janet Lankford and Sue Parker, color guard; and Rachel Jones, club reporter.
Mrs. W.M. Glenn is leader of the troop.

Enrolled at Wheaton
Winston H. McElveen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest H. McElveen, 1100 Miller Avenue, Hartsville, has enrolled as a junior student at Wheaton College, Illinois. He attended Piedmont Bible College.

Hula hoops ad:
Hula hoops - exercise and have fun at the same time!
30” and 36” for adults and teenagers—$1.00 each
24” size for tiny tots - 79c each
15"size for wrist and ankle - 39c each
Wood’s 5 & 10c stores
Movie playing: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starring Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, and Burl Ives.

25 years ago
(Oct. 10, 12, 1983)

FBC plans voted
The First Baptist Church of Hartsville is presently involved in a fund-raising project, Together We Build, with hopes of raising over $1,000,000 for new construction.
The family life center committee of the church began planning for new and improved facilities in September 1980. On Sunday, October 2, the congregation voted unanimously to begin raising money to develop these proposed plans.
According to Cliff Bellum, chairman of the committee, a group made a study and found that the biggest need the church had was for Sunday School space. “Beyond that, we found that we needed a parlor and better facilities to support our family night program.“
The committee also found that recreation and craft facilities were needed and the library could be improved.
The plan that was approved by the congregation consists of remodeling the old sanctuary building. The chapel will remain on the upper floor, having drama facilities. The first floor would be made primarily into adult Sunday School facilities - this will be a complete renovation of the ground level, including a new entrance from the side, Bellum said.
There are 416 families who are members of First Baptist Church. According to Bellum, a total of $1,075,000 is needed for the proposed building project.

The new Miss Sumter
Lynne Hodge, Miss Hartsville 1983, added another honor to her long list when she was crowned Miss Sumter 1984. The 21-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Hodge defeated nine other contestants for the title. Lynne will compete in the Miss South Carolina Pageant next July in Greenville. It will be her second straight summer in the Piedmont; she was there this summer representing Hartsville. She is a senior at Francis Marion College, majoring in chemistry.

Fox facts
By Scottie Price
Four Fox Findings representatives and advisor Mrs. Jane Roscoe attended the 1983 Fall Journalism Day sponsored by the S.C. Scholastic Press Associ-ation at the USC College of Journalism on Oct. 6.
The students attending the workshop were Clark Easterling, Craig Popelars, Scottie Price and Denise Wall.
Charles Dampier, mentioned in an earlier column as a state winner in 4-H in engineering, has since gone to the national competition where he placed fourth with his demonstration on magnetron ignition.
His demonstration is in Florence now. He has won three blue ribbons - one for district, one for state and one for the national level.

Movies at Cinema: Flashdance and Never Say Never Again starring Sean Connery as James Bond.

Engaged: Kitty Crowley King and Steven Bruce Seymour and Marian Dunning and Thomas Bruce Smith III.

Wed: Barbara Faye Hodges to Clinton Jerome Scruggs, 10/7; Myra Ann Crowley to Jerry Junior Brumley, 9/18; Elizabeth Ann Galloway to Richard Lee Haley, 10/8; Pamela Lois Crowley to Paul E. Bryant, 10/8; and Barbara Ann King to Robert Charles Evans, 10/8.