COLUMN: A Look Back

50 years ago

(From The Messenger, Thursday, July 30, 1959.)

Sonoco project begins

Bulldozers started clearing and leveling land at Sonoco Products Company this week preparing for a $350,000 construction project which will bring to full production another new product researched and developed by Sonoco.

The new production unit will manufacture Duropipe, a laminated and pitch-impregnated spiral tube, which is used for sewer lines, drain lines, irrigation and other low-pressure applications in housing and commercial developments.

The new plant facility, while it is another move in Sococo’s expansion program, is like a new industry for the Hartsville area. It will employ in the neighborhood of 20 men on a three-shift operation, most of whom will be drawn from present employees of Sonoco. There are only two other manufacturing operations in the Hartsville area whose gross sales will exceed the expected potential of this one department at Sonoco.

Scheduled for completion and full production early in 1960, the 13,000-square-foot is an outgrowth of pilot plant operations which were started here in Hartsville almost three years ago. . . .

“This new production unit will not call for very many new employees,” President J.L. Coker said, “but it will expand the sales potential of the company’s Construction Products Division a large percentage.”

Tragic auto accidents send seven to hospitals

Two tragic highway accidents – occurring 20 miles apart – took their toll in serious injuries to Hartsvillians during the past week. Two persons of seven involved in the wrecks remain unconscious, though both are reported to “have a good chance.”

All three automobiles involved in the accidents were demolished.

Lester is N. Hartsville principal

The election of George B. Lester to the principalship of the North Hartsville Elementary School has been announced by T.H. Ulmer, superintendent of the Hartsville area schools.

Mr. Lester received an A.B. degree from Newberry College and an M.A. degree from the University of North Carolina. He has had 23 years experience in the educational field, 20 years of which have been spent in North Carolina schools . . . .

The new North Hartsville principal is married to the former Miss Doris Shuler of Orangeburg County. They are residing at 809 College Avenue.

Hearing set in blue law violation

Magistrate James F. Griffin will hold a hearing next week on charges that Hartsville’s three theatre operators have violated the state’s Blue Laws by showing movies on Sunday. The hearing will be held at 3:30 next Tuesday afternoon, August 4, in Magistrate Griffin’s courtroom at city hall.

All three movies, the Center Theatre, the Berry Theatre and the South 15 Drive-In, began showing movies on Sunday afternoon and evening several weeks ago, following the example of movie operators in the upper part of the state.

Hartsville’s Baptist ministers met ten days ago and called on city and county officials to halt “the widespread evils of Sabbath desecration,” and soon thereafter Sheriff Grover C. Bryant Jr. issued warrants charging violation of Section 64-1 of the Blue Laws. The warrants named Erskin Wimberly of the Center, Howard Gainey of the Berry, and Leland Blackmon of the South 15. Wimberly has since been replaced as manager of the Center.

Magistrate Griffin said that the following jury has been drawn to hear the case: James T. Gainey, Walter Harvey, Sidney Jordan, Eugene Nettles, Brooks Matuse, Henry M. Simpson, Minor Watkins and Luther Winburn.

Gardner named new manager of Center Theatre

Joe Powell and his wife, Ann, owners of the Center Theatre, have announced that Jerry L. Gardner has been named manager of the theatre. Young Gardner, 23 and single, succeeds Erskin Wimberly as manager.

Assistant manager of the Center Theatre for the past seven and one-half years, Gardner worked for more than two years with the Berry Theatre and was associated with the Berry during his high school days.

Mr. Powell told The Messenger that the Center Theatre had been sub-leased to Mr. Wimberly for the past year and a half. Wimberly said he did not wish to reveal his plans at the present time, “but,” he said, “I am planning to make Hartsville my home.”

The new Center Theatre manager is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robbie Gardner of 1406 Gardner Drive. He was born and reared in Hartsville and is a graduate of Hartsville High School.

A member of Kelleytown Baptist Church, Gardner is very active in the Hartsville Junior Chamber of Commerce.

LB Nationals grab tournament opener

Hartsville’s Little Boys Baseball National League team blanked Florence Elks 12 - 0 at the Carolina field in the opening game of District 5 playoff competition. They needed only one more game (Wednesday’s) to put them in the state tournament which will be held August 3-8 in North Charleston.

In Tuesday night’s game - played in a light rain – M.Q. Parker was the winning hurler for the Nationals, showing extra good form on the mound. He struck out 11 batters, gave up only three hits and walked a pair of Elks. The closest Florence came to crossing the p late was in the final inning, but catcher Bob Goodson tagged the runner to end the game.

In the first inning for the rampaging Hartsvillians, two men were out and the bases loaded when Marvin Odom came to the plate. Odom slapped a booming drive which skimmed the right field fence for a grand slam home run, putting the locals ahead 4 – 0.

In the second inning with two away and two men on base, James (Skimp) Harrison unloaded one over the left field wall for a three-run homer. Harry Burch had a perfect night at the plate, getting three for three. The Hartsville lads rapped out a total of 11 hits.

Bo White, Ray Goodwin and Herbert McGee took turns on the mound for the Elks, but neither boy could put out the fire. Eric Lessmeister was Florence catcher.

Fireballer Lee Shirley, who has been striking out more than half the batters he has faced, was expected to be on the mound last night (Wednesday) for the second game of the series.

Russell Player is manager for the Hartsville National Leaguers and Quincy Parker is coach. Bill Clarke and James Griffen handle the Florence Elks Little Boys Baseballers.

The All-Stars are Kent Hungerpiller, Harry Burch, Mike Baxley, M.Q. Parker Jr., Danny Weaver, Jack McKinnon, Larry Dudley, Lee Shirley, James Harrison, Eddie Blackmon, Nelson Gibson, Marvin Odom, Marion Goodson, Bob Goodson, Don Rowe and Perry Parker.

The Hartsville Exchange Club aided the local Little Boys Baseball Association with ticket sales and arrangements for the District Playoff game here Tuesday night.

Tom McElveen is president of the National League and J.B. Redfearn Jr. is president of the American League.

Bo Chitty is commissioner for District 5’s Little Boys Baseball.

25 years ago

(From The Messenger, July 30, 1984.)

(Editorial)

A new view at Prestwood

Prestwood Lake has a new look. People living on the lake, and those driving south across the North Fifth Street bridge, can now see the whole expanse of the upper lake. The view used to be obstructed by the railroad trestle that bisected the upper lake.

The trestle was removed recently after the rail line was abandoned by the Seaboard System Railway Co. The line formerly connected Sonoco Products Co. with the Seaboard’s main line near McBee. The portion abandoned ran from Sonoco to the Robinson Steam-Electric Plant. The rails and cross ties on this portion have been removed. The line between the Robinson Plant and the main line remains in use for the daily trainload of coal needed to run the fossil fuel side of the plant.

After the rails and cross ties were removed from the trestle, the demolition crew tried to pull up the pilings with cables from a machine on the shore. A number of them snapped off just below the water level.

Mrs. Gladys Ingram, who lives next to the trestle, was a daily observer of the work in progress and got to know the demolition crew. They told her they were not supposed to remove the pilings under the water. She called Mayor Glenn Lawhon and Senator Edward E. Saleeby and pointed out the hazard to boat operators from the underwater pilings.

As a result, the railroad company ordered the removal of the pilings down to the bottom of the lake. Divers secured cables to the underwater pilings and they were pulled out, along with a quantity of loose timbers lying on the bottom.

The result is a clear scenic view of the lake but a loss of a good fishing hole. Many a big bass over 10 pounds has been caught by patient fishermen floating minnows over the tangle of timbers by the trestle. In early spring, they would erect a makeshift plastic tent as protection from the cold wind and sit there all day.

Divers found three sets of pilings, indicating that the trestle had been rebuilt several times. It has been there as long as older natives can remember, probably since before the turn of the century.

The trestle used to be a distance mark for young swimmers at Prestwood Country Club. The old bath houses had names and dates scratched on the wooden walls with the message: “I swam to the trestle today.” Other distance marks were the bridge and, for a hardy few, the dam.

Time passes, things change, and a Hartsville landmark for many generations has given way to progress. It came with the merger of the Seaboard and Atlantic Coastline railroads together and later with the Chessie System into CSX Corporation, America’s leading transportation and natural resources company. There remains the nostalgic memory of an earlier, simpler day of long ago.

Butler class of 54 reunites

The 1954 graduating class of Butler High School held its 30th year class reunion June 29 through July 1.

A banquet and dance was held at Butler gymnasium June 29. A picnic was held at Lee State Park on June 30. On July 1 the class attended Centenary United Methodist Church. The festivities ended with a lawn party at the home of Lillian Steward.

During the activities the class was welcomed home by Dorothy Hart. Bernice Wilson, chairperson of the class, gave the recurrence, Jeanette White read the class history and Jean Robinson read the class poem. The class prophecy was given by Gwendolyn Heally and recognition of the teachers was given by James Patterson, president of the class.

There was also a memorial service for deceased members of the class. Jiretta Hines lit the candles, a poem was presented by Christine Franklin and Elouise Paschal congratulated the reunion committee on a job well done.

The 30th reunion was the third reunion this class has had since 1954. This class was also the first graduating class from Butler to have a reunion. Classmates attending the reunion traveled from such places as Washington, Maryland, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Georgia, New York, Charlotte and Columbia.

Industrial site tour offers Hartsville ideas

A busload of city and county leaders from Darlington County spent the day last Wednesday on a tour of industrial sites near Sumter and Manning. The trip was sponsored by the Hartsville Chamber of Commerce to promote interest and knowledge in the creation of industrial parks in the county.

The group of some 30 men and women left Hartsville Junior High School parking lot at 8:15 a.m. and returned at 4:15. They met with Sumter leaders at their Chamber of Commerce offices, toured the Sumter Industrial Park and had lunch at the country club. They went on to Manning before returning home.