110 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Oct. 29, 1914
from the Mathews Journal
Mr. James Benjamin Grimstead of Soles and Miss Nora Ellen Lewis, the pretty and accomplished daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Lewis of North, were married at the East Mathews parsonage yesterday (Wednesday) morning. Rev. T.W. Ogden performed the ceremony. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Grimstead, well-known residents of Soles. The newlyweds left on yesterday’s steamer for a bridal trip to Norfolk, Baltimore and other cities. Upon their return they will reside at Grimstead.
100 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Oct. 30, 1924
from the Mathews Journal
Mr. and Mrs. Logan Snow, Mr. and Mrs. Billy Snow, Mr. and Mrs. Earl Haywood, Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Diggs and Melvin Snow and Miss Ola Hudgins of Motorun, motored to Richmond last Sunday for the day. Mrs. George Hutson has purchased a player piano.
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Haywood are receiving congratulations upon the arrival of a baby girl.
90 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Nov. 1, 1934
from the Gloucester Gazette
Secondary highways in Gloucester County were discussed—and sometimes “cussed”—in a public meeting with the board of supervisors and representatives of the state highway department in the courthouse here last Thursday, but no definite action was taken or promised.
Estimates for repairs to the Gloucester County jail were submitted by representatives of a Richmond structural steel company. According to their figures the repairs will cost $999 and will include the installation of a cell block within one of the present cells, the repair of doors, the installation of new jail locks and the placing of heavy-screening over windows. Iron bunks in all of the cells were included in the estimates. The estimates were accepted and the work on the jail will start at once, the construction men said.
from the Mathews Journal
Next Tuesday is Election Day. Very little interest in the coming event, however, has shown itself here. No activity of any kind on the part of the Republican party has come to the notice of this newspaper, and very little interest and activity is apparent among the Democrats.
80 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Nov. 2, 1944
from the Gazette-Journal
The Gloucester Frozen Food Locker Committee is advertising on page 3 of this issue, and calling to the attention of local citizens the fact that the construction of a freezing plant in the county is contingent upon securing 300 farmers who are willing to deposit $15.00 for the first year’s rent on a locker. Government regulations make it necessary that 60 percent of the capacity of the plant be subscribed, and the rental collections made, before priorities will be granted for essential materials.
70 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Oct. 28, 1954
from the Gazette-Journal
The Association for Hallowe’en Fun and Frolic is sponsoring a street dance at Mathews Court House on Oct. 30, depending the approval of the Board of Supervisors. A definite announcement will be made after their meeting. Noting the absence of any Hallowe’en plans in the Court House on Saturday, the hastily formed Association is making plans for a street dance, which will feature both round and square dancing. The musicians and a caller will be from Newport News. Drinks and hot dogs will be sold. Any profits will go to a civic improvement project.
60 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Oct. 29, 1964
from the Gazette-Journal
In Mathews, State Police have reported a break-in and robbery Saturday night at Chesapeake Seafoods, New Point. State Trooper E.G. Goin said that the break-in was reported at approximately 12:30 a.m. It was stated that one gallon of oysters was reported stolen and several dollars in change taken from a soft drink box.
50 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Oct. 31, 1974
from the Gazette-Journal
Most county and state offices and all ABC stores will be closed on Tuesday, Election Day, but banks, post offices and business places will be open. The Gloucester County administrator’s office will be open, “operating on a skeleton crew,” according to William W. Fries, administrator. The offices of the treasurer and commissioner of revenue will also remain open.
The Health Department, Social Services Department and the Building Inspector’s office will be closed.
The Mathews County Department of Social Services will be open on election day, Mrs. Barbara D. Walters, director, said. She said that the holiday will be taken by the office staff at a later date, tentatively set for the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Mrs. Walters said food stamps will be on sale Tuesday as usual, from 9 a.m. until noon, and every Friday from 9 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
40 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Nov. 1, 1984
from the Gazette-Journal
Some Gloucester residents have been getting prank phone calls that their VEPCO bills are overdue and service cutoff is imminent.
Rod Hugate, Gloucester business office supervisor for the Virginia Electric and Power Company, said he knows of about half a dozen cases in the 693 and 642 telephone exchanges. Although some of the customers have, indeed, been overdue in payment, the calls were known to be pranks because they were made after business hours.
The problem has apparently been going on about two months, and has included calls to elderly people who become alarmed at imminent power cut off, he said.
30 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Nov. 3, 1994
from the Gazette-Journal
With the addition of a $100,000 donation from Equifax, Inc., of Atlanta, a proposed youth center in Mathews County is nearly two-thirds of its way to reaching its goal of $300,000, according to Michael Richards, chairman of the Mathews Youth Center Committee. Equifax announced on Friday its Foundation’s pledge to contribute $100,000 to the development of the Mathews Youth Center. This contribution was made on behalf of J.C. White and his wife, Rosalyn, in honor of White’s retirement from the Board of Directors of Equifax.
20 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004
from the Gazette-Journal
The Mathews High School class of 1944 held its 60th reunion last Thursday, with a luncheon at the Mathews Yacht Club, Redart. Those attending included Nell Mintz, Louise Simmons, Margaret Baity, George Hudgins, Audrey Pierce, Mary Sheppard Morris, Gerald Morgan, Barbara Kemp, Jack Simmons, Theresa Plataco, Elinor Eriksen, Leon Owens, Conrad Rowe, Margaret Gayle, Edwin Jarvis, Dorothy Jean Hopkins, Charles Braman, Walter Coles Burroughs and Eleanor Morgan. (Editor’s Note: Mr. Burroughs died two days after this reunion.)
10 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014
from the Gazette-Journal
Leola B. Hogge of Gloucester, who celebrated her 100th birthday on Oct. 20, remembers life before electricity, running water and movies with sound. Hogge also shared memories of living through hurricanes, of working along her late husband Melvin at a roller rink for many years, and of quilting parties. Also, she was a plane spotter during World War II, referring to drawings to identify and report all airplanes that flew into a certain sector she was observing.
Hogge remembers always having enough to eat, but the family provided much of what it ate, including growing all types of vegetables, pickling peaches and beets, and raising chickens and other animals. Many hours were spent canning, pickling and quilting, she said.