Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date ...
1935: Bill Kelly and his wife had returned to live in Portales after a short stay in Long Beach, Calif.
Kelly first arrived in Roosevelt County in 1902. He moved to California in November, "but found that the coast state was not what he desired," the Portales Valley News reported.
"I went out there for the sunshine, but it rained so much that I decided Portales was a better place to live," Kelly said.
Kelly had recently visited the Portales newspaper office and renewed his subscription.
1952: Frank Decatur White was preparing to lead the annual free cooking school to be held at the Lyceum theater in Clovis.
White was "a nationally known demonstrator, home economist, dietitian, lecturer and author," the Clovis News-Journal reported.
White believed there was "romance in the kitchen" for anyone who liked to make food look good and taste good, the newspaper reported.
"Every cook can be an artist," he said.
1952: Christopher Columbus Mardis, a Bailey County pioneer who served as the county's first county and district clerk, had died at age 92.
Mardis had lived in the county 44 years.
1952: Dunlap's was hosting its summer sale in Clovis.
Ladies silk shantung suits were $15.
Peasant blouses were $2.
1961: Heavy rains fell across eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle, ending weeks of “teasing,” the Clovis News-Journal reported.
The newspaper headline referenced the storm as a “frog strangler.”
Bovina led the way with 4 inches of rain. The Hoyt Pattison farm northeast of Clovis received 3.5 inches, while Cannon Air Force Base recorded 1.44 inches.
1965: Judy Baldwin, the “third most beautiful girl in the United States,” arrived home in Clovis after a week’s vacation in Florida, the Clovis News-Journal reported.
Baldwin had finished second runner-up in the Miss USA pageant held in Miami Beach. The newspaper reported she arrived home, “tanned and radiant” with “tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks.”
1970: Hillcrest Park’s swimming pool, plagued by a series of problems, was still not open after two weeks of delays.
The Clovis News-Journal reported paint for the pool’s sides and bottom was delayed in arriving, then a storm filled the pool with debris that took two days to remove, then a pump that controlled water filtration malfunctioned.
Potter Park’s pool opened on June 1 as scheduled. Parks Director Ash Grandy said he expected Hillcrest to open in a couple of days.
1975: The Clovis Elks Lodge held its annual Flag Day ceremonies at Bell Park. Col. C.D. Crabb of Cannon Air Force Base was among guests.
The event preceded a Mickey Mantle league baseball game at the stadium.
1978: Aztec Bowl, located at 120 Maple St. in Clovis, boasted "newly refinished lanes" and planned to reopen at 9 a.m. on June 16. "Open bowling" was available anytime except for 7-9 p.m. on Wednesdays.
1978: Eastern New Mexico University's third annual Sunshine Girls Basketball Camp was expecting almost 200 participants. The camp offered "special training" in the jump shot, pressing defense, guard play and post play.
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens and Betty Williamson. Contact:
Do you have a question?
A comment you'd like to see published?
Or maybe a story idea for a future edition?
— Please email the publisher: [email protected]
