Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date ...
1905: A post office was established at Tolar in Roosevelt County.
It closed April 5, 1946, according to a study by L. Keith Payne, less than two years after a train carrying 46 tons of military explosives leveled or caused major damage to nearly every building in town when it blew up.
1916: Portales was preparing for its annual city picnic, with 2,000 people expected to attend.
The Clovis Ladies’ Band was scheduled to kick things off with music at 10 a.m., followed by a few short speeches and then more music.
Sen. Isaac Barth, promoted as “one of the best speakers in eastern New Mexico” was planning to speak from 11 a.m. to noon.
Dinner at noon was free and featured barbecue, bread, pickles and coffee. The “business men of Portales” paid for the feast.
After eating, a free picture show was planned, followed by free skating, a free automobile ride and then two hours of sporting activities, including a fat man’s race.
1948: Two magazine salesmen, arrested following a complaint from a Melrose woman, had been freed due to lack of evidence.
The woman told police she had subscribed to a magazine and written a check for $3. But she later learned the check had been "kited" to $13 and notified authorities.
Charges were dropped after the check was lost, the Clovis News-Journal reported.
In other news:
• Portales High School senior Kenneth Young had won $100 in a state FFA competition for his work related to "electricity for the home."
• The women's extension clubs in Curry County announced plans for their first flower show. Mrs. J. McGregor was in charge of the show. Mrs. M.M. Snell was chairman of the tea committee.
1952: The polio toll in Curry County was 21 cases, 14 more than the total to date for 1951.
Two of those were scheduled to be transferred to Carrie Tingley Hospital in Truth or Consequences, later in the week.
Two polio nurses, nine registered nurses, and one nurse's aide were working at Clovis' Memorial Hospital "helping in the emergency," the Clovis News-Journal reported.
The polio nurses were Gladys Hawes and Pauline Chavez.
1957: Forty-five members of the Clovis U.S. Army Reserves left by commercial airline for a two-week training session at Camp LeRoy Johnson in New Orleans.
Locals headed out included unit commander Lt. Dick Gregory, Cpl. Charles Regan, SP3 Luis Martinez, Cpl. Wayne Burch, and Sgt. T.R. Blair.
The reservists were promised a cruise to Mobile, Ala., and back on a U.S. Army freighter.
1966: Grady weather watcher Ralph Stanfield reported 2.1 inches of rain.
Hollene and Melrose each reported close to a half-inch of moisture, but no rain was reported in Clovis or Portales.
1970: Leon Williams, known throughout Clovis as Mr. Wildcat for his support of high school athletics, returned home after having open-heart surgery in Denver.
Relatives said he was doing well, but was not yet allowed visitors.
1975: Five licenses to sell liquor were issued in Portales, which had been under prohibition since 1917.
The recipients were The Blue Gem, the Plains Inn, Los Arcos, The Captain’s Lounge and Pizza Hut.
1976: Eastern New Mexico University was a week away from its 43rd fall semester, its first under new President Warren Armstrong.
Armstrong had become the Portales university’s fifth president in December.
Eldon Walker, ENMU’s dean of admissions, said the 1975 fall enrollment was 4,247; he expected a similar number of students this time.
1976: A queen coronation, fiddlers contest and tractor pull were among events scheduled for the Roosevelt County Fair.
Cash prizes would be awarded the top three in the fiddlers contest.
The fair’s four-day run was set to begin Aug. 25.
1989: Sharon Hughes and Lisa Harrison had teamed up to win the championship flight of the annual Colonial Park Ladies Golf Association Championship Tournament.
In other sports news:
• The Clovis High School Wildcat Football Booster Club was preparing for its first meeting of the season. Dues were $3 per person or $5 per family.
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens and Betty Williamson. Contact:
