Herald Celebrates 137th Birthday This Week
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Do You Remember?
Eighteen years have passed since Hill’s Construction started construction on the Railroad Park pavilion during the summer of 2006. It’s funny, after the years pass it seems like the pavilion has always been there.
Friday, July 5, 1935 – Herald editor L.C. Barber recorded a birthday celebrated by the North Mississippi Herald.
The newspaper turned 44. Captain McFarland established the Herald in 1888. He was a grand old soldier and won spurs in the war.
Mr. J.D. Peacock succeeded Capt. McFarland as editor and owner of the paper until the present owner purchased it in 1907. Mr. Peacock was a man with a vision. He believed in Water Valley and Yalobusha County and was a constant boaster for his hometown and this section.
L.C. Barber purchased the Herald in 1907 and has published the paper since. This fellow Barber came from Iowa and the first five years he published the Herald, Water Valley put the fellow on a bread and water diet. But it seems he had ‘guts’ and he stayed with them. Later he absorbed the Progress, also the Itemizer and the Yellow Democrat.
Today Barber has edited and published the North Mississippi Herald 28 years past. The depression got his life’s savings, but say brother, there is still a lot of Scotch- Irish fight in his system and if his creditors will give him a break, he’ll continue to fight for Water Valley and Yalobusha County for many years.
With this issue the Herald is starting on Volume 48, meaning that the paper has served this city and community 47 long faithful years. We have tried our best to be a faithful servant of the people – We have made many mis- takes during this long term of years; Will you forgive us and forget? We want your cooperation and help in the future. We pledge you the best there is in us, and when we can serve you don’t fail to call on us. – L.C. Barber
Through The Years From The Herald
• 50 Years Ago, July 3, 1975 – Robert Taliferro brought to the Herald office on Monday, June 30, the first cotton bloom this year. This was not his first trip to the Herald in recent years with the first cotton bloom. The blooms were found in a field planted in late April on hill land.
The Water Valley Jaycees and Jaycettes planned a Fun Day on July 4. The political rally was scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Also planned was dominoes, checkers, washer pitch and horseshoes. Motorcycle races got underway at 2:30 p.m. and the day ended with a fishing rodeo and western horse show with five trophies awarded in 20 different classes.
• 60 Years Ago, July 1, 1965 – Aubrey Herron, owner of Acorn Acres Farm in Oakland points out to L.H. Stubblefield, I.C. Railroad Farm Expert, the grass and weed clean condition of a 17-acre corn field which has not been plowed since planted and chemically treated. The corn was expected to yield 100 bushels per acre.
• 70 Years Ago, July 7, 1955 – Mary Cain, “The Queen Bee” candidate for governor was scheduled to speak Friday night, July 8, at 8:15 o’clock in the City Park in Water Valley. Ross Barnett was scheduled to speak the following week on Friday at 2:30 .
A Water Valley girl is the first Mississippi woman ever to play on a varsity tennis team for a major college, and the first female to earn a berth on the Clemson College Team, Clemson, South Carolina. This fact became a reality last week with the announcement that our own hometown girl, Ruby Lee Mays, would play at the No. 3 position on the 1956-57 Clemson Team.
• 80 Years Ago, July 5, 1945 – As the action in the European Theater was winding down in World War II, family members from Yalobusha County received word that three soldiers from Yalobusha County had been killed in action. Cpl. Mayron C. McCullar died in Germany on May 6. The War Department had notified his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Tom McCullar. McCullar was a graduate of O’Tuckalofa High School and was a well-known basketball player during his school days.
Pfc. Wilton C. Hunter, son of Mrs. Abbie Hunter, was killed in Germany last November. He was previously reported missing.
Private James Steen, a black soldier, was killed in action on April 2 in Germany. The War Department notified his cousin, Della H. Campbell.
Second Lt. Sally Cleao Johnson, 23, of Coffeeville, is an Army nurse who is spending time at the 53rd General Hospital in Malvern Wells, England, taking care of the wounded. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Johnson.
The Water Valley Rotary Club ended its fiscal year on June 29. A gain of 12 members was shown for the past year, giving the club now a total membership of 41. During the past year there was 100 percent attendance at six meetings. Officers elected for the new year are John Horan, president; Ed Shearer, vice president; and J.B. Massie, secretary.
