120 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Jan. 18, 1906
from the Mathews Journal
Rev. G.W. Rumagen, so pleasantly remembered here as a loveable man and an attractive pulpit orator, will soon return as pastor to Westville, Holly Grove and Oak Grove Christian churches.
The Ladies Aid Society of St. John’s Episcopal Church will give a Valentine tea party at the Rectory on Feb. 14. Excellent musical and dramatic talent will be present and an enjoyable occasion assured. The Mathews Quartette will be one of the features.
110 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Jan. 20, 1916
from the Mathews Journal
The United States Civil Service Commission announces that on Saturday, January 22, 1916, an examination will be held at Hicks Wharf, Va., as a result of which it is expected to make certification to fill a contemplated vacancy in the position of fourth class postmaster at Mathews, Va., and other vacancies as they may occur at that office, unless it shall be decided in the interests of the service to fill the vacancy by reinstatement. The compensation of the postmaster at this office was $660 for the last fiscal year.
Applicants must reside within the territory supplied by the post office for which examination is announced.
100 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Jan. 21, 1926
from the Gloucester Gazette
Botetourt high school boys were defeated by the Achilles high school boys there Friday afternoon, 29 to 4. The Achilles cagemen, with a fast passing and short shooting style of play, easily outgenerated the Botetourt basketers. The game was very close during the entire first quarter, ending with a score of 1 to 1. The Achilles boys recovered in the second quarter and took a long lead that the Botetourt lads were unable to overcome or check. The two teams meet on the Botetourt court the second Friday in February for their third contest this season.
90 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Jan. 23, 1936
from the Gloucester Gazette
Louis Clements of the Chevrolet Auto Sales Co., removed his new coat to help put out the fire a week ago Monday and laid the garment on the hedge at George DeHardit’s. When Louis (with some outside help) had conquered the fire demon, he went to get his coat but it wasn’t there.
In his salad days Louis had some printshop experience and learned all about the power of the press. So, he composed a lil’ want ad, in the following language, “If the person seen taking my coat from Mr. DeHardit’s hedge during the fire will return it, no questions will be asked.” The ad appeared in last Thursday’s Gazette.” Next day the coat was returned, and though no questions were asked the information was volunteered that “my brother found it.”
from the Mathews Journal
Mathews listened apprehensively Sunday afternoon as a howling gale swept over the county bringing with it a heavy rain storm, and when it had passed over telephones were kept busy with anxious inquiries as to the damage. This county having been visited by so many destructive storms and baby twisters in recent months, the populace has become fearful and Sunday’s storm had every appearance for a while of being one calculated to do considerable damage.
The only serious damage reported was at Bayside, where the wind ripped the roof from the Green Ice Plant and wrecked the garage and corn house of Burleigh Hudgins. The iron roof covering and wood rafters of the ice plant were scattered through the woods a distance of some 200 yards from the plant and the cork insulation was blown all over the place. Henry Dow was in the plant at the time but not injured.
80 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Jan. 24, 1946
from the Gazette-Journal
Mrs. N.C. Anderton and daughter, Gloria, have returned home after spending a month in New York and Boston with Capt. Anderton.
H.B. Robins, USN, of Little Creek spent the week-end with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. H.B. Robins.
Little Herbert Bland Bridges is quite sick at his home Short Lane.
70 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Jan. 19, 1956
from the Gazette-Journal
The Gloucester Fire Department will sponsor a Valentine Dance at the Gloucester Moose Lodge clubhouse on Saturday evening, Feb. 11, from 9 until twelve.
Members of the Department’s dance committee, Bobby Thrift, Maxwell Healy and Billy Brown, announced the admission will be $3 stag or drag.
Music will be furnished by the Melody Syncopators, featuring Mac Graham and his saxophone.
60 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Jan. 20, 1966
from the Gazette-Journal
Mr. and Mrs. C. Aubrey White of Mathews, attended the inauguration ceremonies Saturday in Richmond. Mrs. Charles A. White Jr. of Surry, served as a hostess at the inaugural reception held at the Capitol.
There will be a benefit firemen’s basketball game at Gloucester High School Saturday, beginning at 7 p.m., between the Abingdon and Gloucester Volunteer Fire Departments. Admission will be $1.00 per person for adults and 50 cents for students, the proceeds going to the two fire departments.
50 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Jan. 22, 1976
from the Gazette-Journal
The State Board of Education is willing to consider waiving the kindergarten requirement for Gloucester County for the 1976-77 school year.
Writing in reply to a letter from Delegate John Warren Cooke, W.E. Campbell, state superintendent of public instruction, said that although the board of education is reluctant to grant further delays in the implementation of a kindergarten program, it is willing to consider the case of the remaining jurisdictions on an individual basis.
The Gloucester Supervisors recently requested Cooke, who represents the county in the General Assembly, to seek a waiver of the requirement because of the financial burden it will place on the county taxpayers.
40 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Jan. 23, 1986
from the Gazette-Journal
Without spending thousands of dollars for new telephone equipment as had been proposed, the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors learned Tuesday night that good old-fashioned ingenuity sometimes can pay off.
The board apparently has come across an expensive way for county residents served by out-of-town exchanges—758 (Saluda) and 785 (King and Queen)—to stay in touch with county government. All the approximately 100 county residents served by those exchanges need to do is call the government center in the 693 (Gloucester) exchange collect.
“It is certain a benefit for them and is not at any great expense to the county,” county administrator William H. Whitley said of the collect call plan, which cost the county all of about $15, when the board agreed to use that system on a trial basis until the end of 1985.
From board comments Tuesday, the system probably will stay around for a while.
30 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Jan. 25, 1996
from the Gazette-Journal
Despite receiving a recommendation from the acting director of the Virginia Peninsulas Public Service Authority to build a trash convenience center in the northern part of the county, the Mathews County Board of Supervisors has decided to proceed slowly on the proposal.
Stephen H. Geissler, who is also VPPSA’s director of operations, spoke to the county board on Tuesday afternoon and said that a convenience center in the Cobbs Creek/Gwynn’s Island area would ease pressure on the existing transfer station on Route 14.
20 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Jan. 19, 2006
from the Gazette-Journal
Funding an upgrade to the health department and an expansion at the county jail were the two top capital improvement projects supported by the Gloucester Board of Supervisors at a work session.
During a meeting that ran over two hours at the Gloucester Library in Main Street Center, the supervisors also turned down a request by the Gloucester School Board for a specified percentage of the budget (revenue sharing) to be determined now to facilitate schools’ planning.
10 YEARS AGO
Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016
from the Gazette-Journal
Connie Johnson, a seventh grader at Thomas Hunter Middle School, took fourth place in the Tidewater Oyster Gardeners Association (TOGA) Middle School Essay Contest. Johnson received a cash prize and a TOGA T-shirt and cap, awarded at Jan. 9 annual TOGA membership meeting at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point.
“This year we had an extremely competitive contest with essays submitted from across the state of Virginia,” said TOGA vice president Terry Lewis, who also served as contest chairman. “Connie should be very proud to receive this award, as should the area community,” he said.