115 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Aug. 1, 1907
from the Mathews Journal

North: A crowd of young people from the North neighborhood enjoyed a pleasant trip on the water Monday. The launch left Cedar Point at 10:30 a.m., returning at five in the afternoon. The time was delightfully spent in travelling the waters of Back Creek, North and Ware Rivers. At noon the launch ran ashore and a sumptuous lunch was spread under the trees on the banks of North River. After lunching, lines were dropped overboard and a pleasant hour was spent fishing and crabbing. Misses Olivis Ogilvie, Maied Rollins, Maud Hearn, Susie Mason and Nelle Hearn, with Mrs. Hearn and Moore acting as chaperones, boarded the launch at Cedar Point. Robert Belvin and George Hearn acted as captain, engineer and pilot.

110 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Aug. 1, 1912
from the Mathews Journal

Not desiring to remain in our respective places of business during the hot nights of the summer and believing that it will work no inconvenience to our patrons, we have decided to close our stores between twilight and 8 o’clock of each weekday except Saturday and take this method of notifying the public. Sibley Brothers, L.M. Callis, E.M. Bassett, L.S. Miles

100 YEARS AGO Thursday, Aug. 3, 1922
from the Gloucester Gazette

The Soangetaha Camp Fire Girls returned Saturday from their delightful camping trip at Matsuda. Their stay of ten days was pronounced by all the most successful camping trip ever taken. While at Matsuda the Camp Fire Girls held their annual Sunday Ceremonial, with a pantomime of “Moses in the Bullrushes.” A vocal duet by Erma Brown and Cameron Phillips and a solo by Annie May Pearce were enjoyed by all. The annual Camp Fire party this year saw a much greater crowd than ever before. Games and dancing were participated in by many of the guests.

from the Mathews Journal

The farmers of the Port Haywood vicinity are expecting a good crop of corn and hay.

Mr. and Mrs. Hartley Callis entertained at a delightful sugar stew on Thursday night last, games were indulged until a late hour, then candies were served. They left at a late hour thanking Mr. and Mrs. Callis for giving them such a delightful evening. Those present were Miss Mayme, Edith and Laura Lewis, Messrs. Ernest Callis and Dockie Thompson.
Miss Edith Lewis is anticipating a visit to Retz.

90 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Aug. 4, 1932
from the Mathews Journal

Wedding bells rang around Hallieford again on Saturday evening when Miss Florence Hudgins, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Hudgins, became the bride of Mr. Carter Oliver, of Bohannon. The ceremony was performed by Rev. T.E. Johnson at the West Mathews Methodist Parsonage. Much happiness is extended to the young couple.

Mrs. Cora Hammond entertained the Sewing Circle Monday afternoon.

Mr. Horace Hudgins of the S.S. Craigmere visited his wife this week.

80 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Aug. 6, 1942
from the Gazette-Journal

The Rev. Harry L. Corr, pastor of Petsworth, Newington, Ebenezer and Beulah Baptist churches, whose home “Roadview” was destroyed by fire last October, has rebuilt his home and announces this week, that it will be dedicated Sunday afternoon, Aug. 9, at 3 o’clock.

Mr. Corr said he never heard of anybody dedicating a home, “But, why not? The home is one of our oldest institutions and the very foundation of American life. Why shouldn’t a new home be dedicated?” The public is cordially invited.

70 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Aug. 7, 1952
from the Gazette-Journal

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Groome, at Coke, was completely destroyed by fire about 5 p.m. Wednesday, despite untiring efforts to save it of both Abingdon Volunteer Fire Company and the Gloucester Fire Company, assisted by many other citizens who responded to the alarm. It is not definitely known whether the house was struck by lightning or whether the fire was caused in some other manner, inasmuch as it developed while Mrs. Groome was waiting at Coke Post Office for her husband to come from work. Mr. Groome’s mother, Mrs. Garry Groome, and Jimmy Groome were visiting relatives in Portsmouth, so no one was at home at the time.

All contents of the first floor of the house were removed, including the bath room fixtures, from the burning building. The loss is understood to be partially covered by insurance.

60 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Aug. 6, 1962
from the Gazette-Journal

For Sale: In Gloucester, 6 miles from bridge. 1½ story, 6 room home with bath and screened porch. In excellent condition. 3 acres. Near boat landing on hard surface road. $7,250. Can be bought by responsible party for as little as $850 down, approx. $76.66 per mo. Call Cecil Booker, Gloucester Realty Corp., Gloucester, Va.

Gloucester, Ware Neck, near water, small farm, 12½ acres, living room, dining room, eat-in kitchen, 2 bedrooms, bath, central heat, weather stripped, fully insulated. House and property in A-1 condition. Nice flowers and shrubbery, all fenced and cross fenced, good neighborhood. A bargain at only $11,000. Nice for retirement.

Gloucester Co., York River. Nice small bungalow with living room, dining room and kitchen combination, 2 bedrooms, bath. Sand beach, pier. Fully furnished. A good buy at $8,500.

York River, attractive rambler bungalow, fireplace, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, den, situated in grove of trees, nice outbuildings, sand beach. Approximately 6 acres, creek nearby for boat, outstanding property with good road and view. Excellent buy at $29,500. Nice for retirement. Exclusive with Jack E. Smith Inc., Realtors.

50 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Aug. 3, 1972
from the Gazette-Journal

One hundred fifty junk vehicles were removed last week in the Mathews old car cleanup campaign which began July 24, T.E. Dinwiddie, county extension agent and project coordinator, has reported.

The project is being carried out as a training exercise by personnel from the 490th Transportation Command, 11th Battalion of the U.S. Army at Fort Eustis. Sixteen men are participating.

Beginning at the county lines at Dutton and James Store on Rts. 198 and 14, and including side roads, the units last week covered the area to Foster on Rt. 14 and Blakes on Rt. 198. Fifteen cars were removed Monday; 30 vehicles Tuesday; 45 Wednesday; 30 Thursday and 30 Friday.

The vehicles are being stored two miles west of Hudgins on property owned by the Chesapeake Corporation.

40 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Aug. 5, 1982
from the Gazette-Journal

Mathews Boy Scout Troop 114 learned first-hand about blisters, tired muscles, and beautiful scenery last week as they completed a 50-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail and earned 5-miler patches from the Peninsula scouting council.

Traveling between Swift Run Gap and Thornton Gap near Skyline Drive, the 13 scouts hiked an average of 12 miles a day for four and a half days, stopping each night at base camps established by Scout Master Gene Murphy. Three other adults, Assistant Scout Master Melvin L. Fry, Michael Fry and Perry Forrest, hiked with the scouts. The scouts ranged in ages from 11 to 17. Fry said every scout who began the hike finished it, and without any mishaps more serious than blisters and tired feet. “The idea behind the trip is that it gives the boys a chance to set a personal goal,” Melvin Fry said, “to see if you have it in you to make it. They all did.”

30 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Aug. 6, 1992
from the Gazette-Journal

Mathews County has been selected as “Best Host Town” on the 1992 Bike Virginia Tour.

Kate Dripps, local co-chairman of the event, she was notified by phone last week by Allen Turnbull of Williamsburg, tour coordinator, that Mathews was chosen to receive the outstanding community award. She said the selection was made by polling the bikers who participated in the tour.

More than 1,000 cyclists began the annual ride June 19 in Colonial Beach, and were in Mathews June 22 and 23.

20 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Aug. 1, 2002
from the Gazette-Journal

Daytime temperatures have been hovering around 100 degrees for the past week or so in Gloucester and Mathews, while the cooler nighttime temperatures have still been enough to bring out a sweat. Local relief agencies are getting calls for help.

Mary Jane Kipper, senior care coordinator at the Bay Agency on Aging’s Gloucester Senior Center, helps seniors on the Middle Peninsula get cooling assistance through a Virginia Power program. She said calls for assistance increased about 10 days ago, but all the funds in the Virginia Power program, which was established to help residents with critical needs purchase fans or air conditioners or help them pay electric bills when they’ve received a cut-off notice, have already been spent.

She has been suggesting that seniors make arrangements to stay with family members who have air conditioning until temperatures drop.

10 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012
from the Gazette-Journal

Gloucester residents Shelton Piland, Hollis Mugford and Richard Gunn will be performing this week at the Olympic Summer Games in London as part of The Madrigals, a select group of choral singers from the Upper School at Walsingham Academy in Williamsburg. The Madrigals are a tightly structured group that requires strict discipline and finesse, said a press release. The 10th through 12th graders who comprise the ensemble are committed to mastering the art of performing songs “a cappella.” The works performed range from Medieval to present times. The Madrigals have multiple performances scheduled during their weeklong trip to Ireland and England, including at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Dublin on Friday, during London Live at Victoria Park on Saturday, at the Olympic sailing competition venue Weymouth/Bayside Festival on Sunday, at the Olympic choral festival venue at Potter’s Field Park on Monday, and at London’s oldest cathedral, Southwark Cathedral, next Wednesday, Aug. 8.