Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date ...
1935: Clovis celebrated its first Pioneer Days with a parade that stretched two miles.
About 15,000 people came out to watch.
A parade highlight included a lion from Clovis’ zoo, which was “securely caged,” the Clovis Evening-News Journal reported.
1949: The Clovis News-Journal reported the annual Pioneer Days parade was attended by “the largest crowd ever.”
The parade “marched south from 7th street on Mitchell, east on 1st to Main, and then north to 12th street before breaking up,” the newspaper reported.
“In several of the blocks on Main street the crowd stood from the store fronts so deep into the street that it was difficult for marchers to get by.”
Red Walling, who lived two miles east of Farwell, was named “best-dressed” cowboy of Pioneer Days. Gloria Covington of Clovis was selected best-dressed cowgirl.
1950: New Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled the Roosevelt County school board and state board of education had the power to consolidate the Hiway and Dora school districts.
W.A. Strawn of Hiway had brought suit hoping to stop the consolidation, concerned that some students would be traveling 80 miles to classes.
1960: Portales News-Tribune Editor Gordon Greaves was named president of United Press International Editors of New Mexico.
He succeeded Jeter Bryan, editor of the Carlsbad Current-Argus.
1961: Teens from Clovis and Portales had been identified as responsible for attacking a corrections officer at the State Boys Reform School in Springer.
Carlos Pena, a group supervisor, was hit in the head with a mop handle by the Clovis teen. Pena had tried to assist the 16-year-old boy who had pretended to be sick, United Press International reported.
The Portales boy, 17, did not hit Pena, but “assisted” the Clovis boy in other ways, UPI reported.
Pena was treated for cuts on his head that required five stitches. He was back at work a day later.
Both boys were sent to Springer after they’d been convicted of breaking and entering.
1962: The Clovis News-Journal published its opinion-page philosophies:
“We believe that all men are equally endowed by their Creator, and not by any government, with the gift of freedom, and that it is every man’s duty to God to preserve his own liberty and respect the liberty of others. Freedom is self-control, no more, no less.
“To discharge this responsibility, free men, to the best of their ability, must understand and apply to daily living the great moral guides expressed in the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule and the Declaration of Independence.
“This newspaper is dedicated to furnishing information to our readers so that they can better promote and preserve their own freedom and encourage others to see its blessings. For only when man understands Freedom and is free to control himself and all he produces can he develop to his utmost capabilities in harmony with the above moral principles.”
1966: Clovis police were investigating a theft from John Garrett’s home at 2121 Axtell St.
The thief left muddy footprints across the carpet, but the only things stolen were cigarettes.
Officials theorized the thief “just needed a smoke,” the Clovis News-Journal reported.
1976: A crowd estimated at more than 10,000 lined Clovis’ Main Street for the annual Pioneer Days parade.
The Clovis News-Journal reported threatening weather “changed its mind at the last minute and agreed to be good.”
Gov. Jerry Apodaca was the grand marshal of the parade, which included “Benny Binion’s authentic stagecoach,” according to CN-J.
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens and Betty Williamson. Contact:
