Look Back In Yalobusha History
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Brownie Scout Troop No. 101 observed Girl Scout Week 60 years ago in March 1964 by acquainting the public with scouting. They set up a “Peep Show” in Turnage’s demonstrating their activities. Troop 101 had 17 members, ages eight and nine. They are (front, from left) Mary Childress, Jessie Maxwell, Holly Hart, Bonnie Brown, Debbie Snyder, Kitty Craven, Glynda Hardy, Charmie Lassen, (back) Diana Williams, Becky Fair, Paula Knight, Julie Sartain, Lynette Landreth and Vicki Tyler. Not pictured: Zandra Morris and Shan Stacy.
Chickens from Water Valley were being shipped to Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Japan and Canada as well as all sections of the United States, officials of Mott’s Inc. of Mississippi said in March of 1964.
Local residents were eating those same chickens in soups, TV dinners or in pot pies since 95 percent of the chickens processed here were shipped to other plants for further processing.
In one hour 3,500 chickens were moved automatically from the killing room on specially constructed hooks. In one day, people standing side by side cleaned about 27,000 chickens.
Nothing was wasted. “The only thing lost is the cackle,” officials boasted. The offal (entrails, heads, claws, etc.) was first ground then loaded into trucks and shipped to Jackson along with feathers. About 600 dozen eggs were boxed to be sold.
The public was invited to an open house to view the fascinating operation of the plant, which had only been open since December.
Through The Years From The Herald
• 15 years ago, March 12, 2009 – BorgWarner had 283 workers in their local plant, down from 514 in January 2007.
The WVHS FFA Opening/Closing Team placed first in north district competition. Members were Cass Phillips, Dustin Person, Chris Caldwell, Kyle Gilley, Gary Bratton, Joshua Sullivan and Cody Person.
• 20 years ago, March 11, 2004 – The Wood Street Methodist Church, which had been converted to apartments, burned on Sunday, March 7.
Mayor Larry Hart told aldermen that Cellular South would build a cell tower either at Hwy. 315 and Hwy. 7 or on Central Street near the Rasputins business.
• 30 years ago, March 10, 1994 – Four WVHS students scored 30 or above on the American College Test (ACT). They were Jeremy Warren, 32; Margaret Keith, 31; Brain Baggett, 30; and Mark Nicholas, 30.
Taking “Best Tasting” honors at the Wildlife Tasting Buffet were Bobbie Williams, Billy Deer Meat Balls, 1st; Beverly Ford, Pheasant Pie, 2nd; and Ronnie Stark, Deer Steak and Gravy, 3rd.
• 40 years ago, March 15, 1984 – Letters continued to roll into the Herald from people protesting the demolition of the Bank of Water Valley including one from Duane Williamson Roller, Associate Professor of Classical Archaeology, Wilfrid Lauier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. His mother grew up in Water Valley.
• 50 years ago, March 14, 1974 – The 352 members of the Billy’s Creek Water Association were on the verge of constructing a water distribution system in their area after receiving a $122,000 grant.
• 60 years ago, March 12, 1964 – More than 8,000 Yalobusha citizens received the first of three inoculations to prevent poliomyelitis (infantile paralysis or polio). The mass inoculations were sponsored by the Junior Chamber of Commerce and given at points around the county.
• 70 years ago, March 11, 1954 – Herald “Just Rambling” columnist Myrle Cox mentioned that “Little Ed” Shearer had gone off to be a soldier. “Will they ever find clothes to fit him?” she asked. Myrle also praised City Marshal Forest Barber for being at the Main Street crossing to assist school kids in getting across the busy street.
• 80 years ago, March 9, 1944 – Beginning March 16, local merchants would take Thursday afternoon of each week through August. Construction had begun on restrooms for the city. Plans call for a building of native rock similar to the Legion Hut. The structure was being built across Main Street from City Hall (Main Street Association building).
• 90 years ago, March 16, 1934 – The Herald posted a small notice at the bottom of the front page informing former Yalobusha Democrat correspondents that the paper had been absorbed by the Herald and they could continue under the same arrangement to provide news to the Herald.
The Yalobusha Democrat operated from 1930 to 1934, and was one of at least nine newspapers in Water Valley at one time or another. According to the Library of Congress, the Southern Eagle is the earliest known newspaper published in Water Valley. The Southern Eagle was published a year or two during the period of reconstruction. The only known copy of the newspaper was published on July 20, 1869. Most notable in this issue was criticism of the Republican Party in general and President Ulysses S. Gran and Governor Adelbert Ames.
More records exist on the next newspaper, the Water Valley Courier, that started publishing in 1867. A Sept. 14, 1872, edition of the Water Valley Courier is on display at the Herald office, and it the earliest copy of a Water Valley newspaper known to exist locally.
Other newspapers published in the Valley included the Mississippi Central, published from 1871 to 1888; the Water Valley Progress, published from 1882 to 1918; the North Mississippi Herald, published from 1888 to present; the City Itemizer, published from 1894 to 1918; the Progress-Itemizer, published from 1918 to 1929; the Progress-Herald, published a few weeks in 1929 and the Yalobusha Democrat, published from 1930 to 1934.
The North Mississippi Herald is also the oldest business in Water Valley.
