A look back
April 7, 1961 – The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a new record high today, 683.68.
April 7, 1961 – Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Rutledge who live in Tanner Heights are the proud parents of a son, Charles Durell Jr., born at Hartselle Hospital.
April 7, 1961 – Doris Smith, 116 Booth St., is now a patient at Bank Street Hospital in Decatur.
April 7, 1961 – Several from here traveled to Birmingham tonight to hear famed actor Charles Laughton give a series of readings at the Temple Theater.
April 8, 1961 – Holly-wood actress Myrna Loy was in Huntsville today as the featured speaker at a Democratic women’s luncheon. Prominent Hartselle female Democrats were also in attendance.
April 8, 1961 – Hartselle Mayor John Burleson is in Tuscaloosa today for the annual meeting of the Alabama League of Municipalities.
April 9, 1961 – The Morgan County Singing Convention met at the Holy Church of Christ in Decatur today. Grady Parker of Hartselle is chairman of the convention.
April 9, 1961 – The H. H. Anders Trading Post, located southwest of Hartselle on Nanceford Road, was broken into tonight. Items taken include a rifle, cigarette cartons, and a small amount of cash. (Three men were later arrested in connection with this crime, charged with grand larceny and burglary.)
April 10, 1961 – Ruth Gayle Merrill has returned to Birmingham after a visit with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Cost, here. Ruth Gayle is on the nursing staff at the Veterans Hospital.
April 11, 1961 – The MCHS Tigers baseball team beat Falkville 6-0 here this afternoon in their first game of the season. David Puckett got credit for the win, although Rayford Luter and Roger Cornell also saw action on the mound. Having hot bats for the Tigers were Ralph Cash and Doug Turney, each with multiple hits.
April 11, 1961 – Thieves broke into Eva High School tonight and stole $1,144.55 in cash. Entry was gained through an unsecured basement window. Raymond Bates, the Eva principal, said he had been unable to get to the bank recently to deposit the accumulated money.
April 11, 1961—Mr. and Mrs. Paul Wright of Denver are currently visiting Mrs. Wright’s sister, Mrs. Bill Penn, and Mr. Penn here. The Wrights formerly lived here in Hartselle.
April 11, 1961 – A big concert at the Florence coliseum drew local teens. Featured in person were Fats Domino, Chubby Checker, Bo Diddley, Ben E. King, and the Shirelles.
April 12, 1961 – The Russians have sent a cosmonaut (Yuri Gagarin) into space and returned him safely to earth. It had been hoped that the Redstone rocket, on which so many men from Hartselle have worked at Redstone, would have this distinction. Its launching is not expected for at least two more weeks, however. Wernher von Braun, director of NASA’s MSFC in Huntsville, has labeled the Russian space triumph “a tremendous scientific achievement.” He said the U.S. will need to “run like hell to catch up” with the Soviets in the space race.
April 13, 1961—Mr. and Mrs. Harold Orr are currently vacationing at the Magnolia Inn in West Point, Ga.
April 13, 1961 – The Hartselle MYF met at Salem church. Missionaries Mr. and Mrs. Frank Alford presented the program.
April 13, 1961 – Citizens Bank of Hartselle was closed today in observance of Thomas Jefferson’s birthday.ϛ
