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A look back to April 4-10, 1962
Published 12:48pm Wednesday, April 4, 2012April 4, 1962 – Construction of the new 10-room brick addition to Hartselle Hospital is coming along well, according to hospital owner and administrator Orval P. Sparkman.
April 4, 1962 – A new Hartselle city directory is currently being prepared. It should be ready for distribution in the fall.
April 5, 1962 – Manager Floyd F. Anderson of the Joe Wheeler EMC is coming under increasing criticism from some of the members of the co-op’s board of trustees.
April 5, 1962—The building to be occupied by Hartselle’s newest industry, Snow Shell Egg Service, is now just about completed on Highway 31 South. The plant, which is being relocated from Decatur, should be in operation very soon. The general headquarters of the company is in New York. As many as 75 workers will be employed when the new industry is at full strength here. As a result of eggs sold and wages paid, Snow Shell will contribute approximately $2 million annually to the prosperity of Morgan County.
April 6, 1962 – Jet bombers which are part of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) have started doing flying missions in the Huntsville area as a preventive measure against any possible future enemy attack. Sonic booms can be faintly heard in Hartselle but the flights are at such a high altitude that they are very muted.
April 7, 1962 – Long-time Crestline Principal Arlo T. Abercrombie has been offered a similar position at a new elementary school in Decatur that is now under construction.
April 8, 1962 – State Rep. Bob Gilchrist of Hartselle, who is currently campaigning to move up to the Senate, says he is very pleased with the results of his quest for support thus far. The district he hopes to represent is composed of Morgan and Lawrence counties and its senator rotates between the two every four years. Unfortunately, this means the senator never acquires much seniority, unlike many of his Black Belt colleagues who have served in the Senate for a long time. (Gilchrist was originally elected to the House in 1954.)
April 8, 1962 – J. H. “Jim” Cain celebrated his 73rd birthday today with family and friends. Mr. Cain was born on April 8, 1889.
April 9, 1962 – Public dissatisfaction with the way the Hartselle street department is being operated is increasing and city councilmen are being asked by their constituents to make some changes in it.
April 9, 1962 – Famed Hartselle author William Bradford Huie is increasingly going public with his criticism of the gubernatorial candidacy of Judge George C. Wallace. Huie disagrees strongly with the strident racial rhetoric Wallace is using in many of his speeches.
April 10, 1062 – The Hartselle city treasury is desperately in need of more revenue. The city fathers are mulling over in their minds the possibility of a new two-cent city sales tax. Unlike counties, municipalities in Alabama are allowed to enact sales taxes that do not require a popular vote to go into effect. In contrast, all additional property taxes must be approved at the polls.
April 10, 1962 – Dorothy Walker Puckett had many well-wishers today as she celebrated her birthday among co-workers at the Enquirer. Mrs. Puckett’s father, C. W. Walker, was the publisher of the newspaper for many years and her newspaper features, such as the popular column “This ‘n That,” have always been very popular with readers.
April 10, 1962 – Currently the most popular song among MCHS students is “Johnny Angel” as sung by Shelley Fabares. It is also the number one song in the nation.
April 10, 1962 – Aged Hartselle physician Dr. J. A. Howle is reported to be quite ill at his home. Dr. Howle moved to Hartselle in 1935 and his Hartselle Clinic was one of the first to be established in Morgan County. Another beloved elderly Hartselle resident, Mrs. E. H. Sharpley, is also sick at home. Mrs. Sharpley is the former Cora Lee, and the daughter of the late Carrie Sobotka and Washington Irving Lee, pioneer Hartselle residents.
