Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date ...
1932: George Lancaster, 19, accused of killing his wife, Blanche Lancaster, 34, entered a plea of not guilty in district court before Judge Harry Patton. Attorneys Carl Hatch and A.W. Hockenhull asked jurors to consider the former high school football star’s mental condition and relationship with the woman “many years his senior.”
George Lancaster’s attorneys presented a temporary insanity defense. They said he was a “boy who has not sinned, but who has been sinned against,” the Clovis Evening News-Journal reported. Jurors found him not guilty on Sept. 16, after less than three hours of deliberation.
1945: A B-29 on a routine training flight careened through a telephone line, skimmed across a field, crashed and broke squarely in two just across the highway from Cannon Air Force Base. Officials said one crew member was slightly injured, but 10 others escaped safely. Harold Carpenter of Clovis said he saw the plane crash into a winter wheat field, then saw 11 men walk away before the plane caught fire.
1954: Mildred Marie Shop, at 110 W. Fourth in Clovis, was offering all summer dresses for $5 and $10. Those were values up to $49.90 before today.
1957: Arrests made during the previous 24 hours included three juveniles nabbed at the Foxy Drive-In after an alleged fire cracker spree.
The three were booked for disturbing the peace. They were released to their parents, but not before being scheduled to appear before the district attorney.
Another juvenile, a 16-year-old Friona boy, was held for driving a car with a loud muffler; the fact that he had no driver's license complicated the issue. He was released with a warning, but also slated to appear before juvenile authorities.
1957: As the nation watched National Guard troops and a federal judge attempt to force integration at an Arkansas high school, Tucumcari police responded to a racially motivated incident at the Princess Theater.
Police said three unidentified “cowboys” threw a 26-year-old black man down the stairs at the theater because they “didn’t like a Negro sitting next to us.”
The three men left before police arrived and the victim could not describe his attackers, the Tucumcari Daily News reported.
1960: Curry County Fair officials released a schedule for the four-day event set Sept. 16-19.
In addition to livestock shows, plans called for square dancing, a queen contest and carnival rides.
1962: Linda Hammond, "a black-haired Clovis cowgirl," was reigning over the Curry County Fair after having been crowned by the 1961 queen, Lita Mae Carter, the Clovis News-Journal reported.
Hammond had edged out Theresa Blackburn of Melrose for the title.
In keeping with tradition, the newspaper reported "threats of rain were looming over the Clovis area" as the fair got under way.
1964: Options for television viewing included “Bonanza,” “Ed Sullivan,” “Big Time Wrestling,” “Cotton John,” and “Deputy Dawg.”
1965: Portales City Council members had selected James Kiker as mayor. He had been on the Council for six years. He succeeded Reece Bennett who had resigned two months earlier.
Kiker had previously declined the mayor's role, but said he accepted this time because "we had to get our house in order."
1966: Barbara Poteet, 17, of Grady was named Curry County Fair queen.
Janice Stout of Grady was named alternate.
1970: Melrose was divided on city officials' plans to pave 50 blocks of streets.
"If we get all this paving done, Melrose will be a ghost town," said property owner J.L. Payne, speculating residents would move away.
Mayor Grady Bright said city officials believed they were "doing what was right" and had plenty of community support.
Original plans called for 80 blocks to be paved, but the number was reduced after 17 property owners went to court in hopes of stopping the project.
1971: The Curry County Fair had an “international flair,” the Clovis News-Journal reported, thanks to Australia’s Wayne Lewis.
Lewis, an exchange student from Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, was living with the J.A. McDaniel family.
He had entered three Poland-China hogs in the competition.
Lewis said he hoped to one day become an independent farmer in Australia.
“I want an integrated farm, and hope to raise cattle and sheep,” he said. “That way, if the market goes down on mutton, I’ll have the cattle to fall back on.”
1974: Tickets were on sale to see Rare Earth, a Detroit rock group whose 1971 hit “I Just Want to Celebrate” reached No. 7 on the pop charts. The Motown recording group was set to perform Sept. 8 at Eastern New Mexico University. General admission tickets were $3, on sale at the Campus Union Building or at Taco Box in Clovis.
1975: An Australian artist was on his way to Portales for a one-man show at the Eastern New Mexico University library.
Michael Lyons was planning to exhibit his work for the first time in the United States. He said his paintings were influenced by metaphysical and surrealistic techniques.
The paintings were temporarily lost en route from Los Angeles, but had been located and were scheduled to arrive in Portales in a few days.
1975: Col. Edward J. Hughes had assumed command of the 27th Combat Support Group at Cannon Air Force Base.
He replaced former CSG Commander Col. Charles O’Bier, who retired from the Air Force after 33 years.
Hughes was a combat veteran having flown 113 combat missions, the Clovis News-Journal reported.
1975: Members of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, meeting in Glorieta for their 101st annual convention, said they were unhappy with the amount of violence, profanity, sex and alcohol appearing on television.
The WCTU also called out First Lady Betty Ford for saying, "marijuana is something young people have to experience, like your first beer, or your first cigarette."
"We believe Mrs. Ford lost a golden opportunity to raise the moral climate of the nation," the WCTU proclaimed in a resolution.
1975: Portales Hardware and Furniture was offering an 11-piece king-size bedding ensemble for $299. The deal included mattress, box springs, pillows and a "luxury quilt bed spread."
The store was located at 227 S. Main.
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens and Betty Williamson. Contact:
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