A look back
By By Dr. Bill Stewart
May 15, 1958-Famed Hartselle novelist William Bradford Huie is in the process of completing his novel about an English girl whose life undergoes a series of dramatic changes when she becomes involved with American soldiers in Britain during World War II. I
Its title is The Americanization of Emily.
May 16, 1958-Judge George Wallace was at Hartselle’s Smith’s Restaurant tonight to meet with local supporters. Wallace faces an uphill runoff battle in trying to overcome the big lead Attorney General John Patterson amassed in the first vote for governor on May 6. Since Hartselle doesn’t have a hotel or motel the judge is staying the night in Decatur.
May 17, 1958-If a poll of Hartselle Kiwanians is a good barometer of public opinion, Attorney General John Patterson will easily win his gubernatorial runoff race against Judge George Wallace. Twenty-five members support Patterson while only six want the Barbour Bantam to win.
May 18, 1958-As a result of a change made today, Hartselle’s electrical capacity is three times greater.
Power outages were sequenced so that the entire community was never without electricity at the same time. One worker suffered very painful burns but didn’t have to be hospitalized.
May 19, 1958-Since most of the stores which previously closed on Wednesday afternoons are now staying open, Police Chief Curtis Chaney says shoppers will no longer get the break from having to feed the parking meters that they enjoyed during the winter months.
May 19, 1958-Work will begin on resurfacing the Iron Man-Neel, Falkville-McKendree, and Falkville-Eva roads in the near future.
May 20, 1958-W. H. Gibson, a guided missile instructor at Redstone, was the guest speaker at the regular weekly meeting of the Hartselle Kiwanis Club tonight.
May 20, 1958-One man was found guilty of making a U-turn in city court this morning.
May 20, 1958-The Morgan County Board of Education made the decision tonight to eliminate the long-standing “cotton picking vacation.” This work break, permitting students to help their parents with cotton harvesting, called for school to start in August. With its elimination, classes can begin in September. Hartselle schools did not take the break so they are unaffected by this policy change.
May 21, 1958-Presbyterian minister Rev. W. P. Maxwell spoke to Hartselle Rotarians at their noon meeting today. His topic was the American flag and the respect which all citizens should pay to the red, white, and blue because of all the sacrifices that have been made to defend it since 1776.
