LEAP DAYS IN OUR PAST
Saturday, February 29, 2020, is a special day. Leap days come every four years, except in years ending in 00, which are not divisible by 400. Twenty years ago there was a leap day. Eighty years, from now, there will not be a leap day. Let's take a look at some of the happenings in Laurens County on Leap Days of our past
During the lunch hour on Leap Day, 1940, many Dubliners were startled by what they saw in a local restaurant. Robert Pershing Wardlow stopped to grab a bite to eat on his way through Dublin. He wasn't your average man. Robert Wardlow was twenty two years old, but he was big for his age - eight feet eleven inches tall and growing. He was the world's tallest man and weighed 439 pounds. Shortly after his visit to Dublin, Robert Wardlaw died on June 27, 1940.
The news of the wounding of Marine James W. Bedingfield in the South Pacific dominated the news on Leap Day, 1944. Bedingfield would later win the Silver Star for gallantry in action.
Leap Day in 1948 was an unusual one for churchgoers - a fifth Sunday in February. Dr. John Taylor, a leader of the Baptist Home Missionary movement, spoke to a large congregation at Jefferson Street Baptist Church. Basketball fans of Toombs High and Wadley High were still reeling from the clock foul up in the final seconds of the championship game of the Class C, 6th District Tournament held at Condor Gym.
On Leap Day 1952, the United States was again at war. This time it was in Korea. The Cedar Grove girl's basketball team suffered a one point loss to Hiram in the Class C playoffs. Earl Braswell of the Rentz F.F.A. spoke to the Dublin Lions Club, while Cordie Joiner was chosen as one of five Georgia students in an international farm exchange. The Red Hill Woodmen of the World Camp presented a stage curtain to Lowery High School. Kidd Pierce and Will Gordon had their 809-gallon still seized and destroyed. Mrs. Nina Fuller led the kickoff of the annual Red Cross Drive.
The Leap Day of 1956 was fairly quiet. Churchwell's Department Store was selling boys' jeans for a dollar per pair. Robert E. Clark, Jr., the new manager of the Dublin minor league baseball team, spoke to a baseball booster group headed by Bush Perry, at the Shamrock Hotel. Winn Dixie was selling coffee for 69 cents a pound, while Table Supply was selling a six-pack of Cokes for 19 cents, ham for 39 cents a pound, and steak for 69 cents a pound. Tommy Savage, Dick Edenfield, Charles Garrett, and James Hudson organized a six-team business sandlot baseball league.
The Dexter girl's basketball team was preparing for the state championship on Leap Day, 1960 with a victory over Wheeler County. The Dublin Mill of J.P. Stevens was awarded a safety award for 464,901 man hours without an accident. Sen. Herman Talmadge and Cong. Carl Vinson announced the award of Federal funds for urban renewal projects in Dublin. Livestock prices were strong at the Jepeway-Craig weekly livestock sale. Kay Hogan of Dexter won the Betty Crocker Award for homemaking.
City workers were still repairing the streets of Dublin on Leap Day, 1964 after the devastating ice storm of New Year's Eve. Tommy Patterson, manager of Dublin Garment Co., announced a two hundred thousand-dollar plant expansion. The Dexter girl's basketball team celebrated their capture of the region 5-C title. Tri County Gas, formerly known as Perkins Gas Co., celebrated its grand opening. Colonial Grocery was selling whole fryers for 25 cents a pound, corn flakes for 15 cents a box, and lemons for 29 cents a dozen.
On Leap Day, 1968, the United States was again at war - this time in Vietnam. Clearview Cable was offering cable service for a dollar a month. Ceil Pierce and Donna Haskins led the Dudley girl's basketball team to a one-point victory over Twiggs H.S.. The East Laurens Beta Club inducted its new members. "The Bible" was showing at the Martin Theatre. Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Pharis and Mr. and Mrs. Albert Passmore were beaming over the birth of their leap day babies.
Dublin and Laurens County joined together in announcing the establishment of a joint landfill authority on Leap Day, 1972. Cattle prices hit new highs. The St. Patrick's committee held an organizational meeting. Ellen Weaver was awarded the 4H Club Key Award for her outstanding work in that organization. At the Martin Theatre, many people watched the cult classic movie, "Billy Jack." An x-rated movie was shown at the East Dublin Drive-In, and a not so classic western, "Boot Hill" was playing at the Village Theatre.
The month of February 1976 once again had five Sundays. Three hundred kids walked for ten cents a mile to raise funds for Bruce Howell, an East Dublin youth who was a victim of cancer, and Ricky Evans, a former resident of Laurens County who was injured in a car accident. Milk had risen to $1.18/gallon at Winn Dixie. Eggs were sixty six cents a dozen.
The Leap Day 1980 issue of the "Courier Herald" ran a human interest story on Stephanie Tarpley, one of Dublin High School's most loyal fans ever. Six months CDs were yielding 13.629%. The Laurens County Hospital Authority announced the purchase of the Claxton Hospital. Pamela and Milton Mullis celebrated the birth of their baby girl. Trinity High School hosted the Class B SEIAS Tournament, while the Dublin boys lost a heart-breaking one point loss in the AAA Tournament in Macon.
Nora Waldrep, a long time worker in the Northwest Laurens lunchroom, was celebrating her 17th birthday, actually her 68th birthday, on Leap Day, 1984. Robert Martin was awarded a football scholarship to Taft College. Local Civil Defense officials were conducting drills in preparation for the upcoming tornado season.
The editorial of the "Courier Herald" called for the construction of the Highway 441 by pass on February 29, 1988. Twelve years later the state hasn't even started the work. On Leap Day, 1992 the Black History Festival gave out its annual awards to outstanding citizens. On February 29, 1996, Dublin was added to the list of cities through which the Olympic torch would pass. Actually the torch passed through Dublin three times - the final two coming along Industrial Blvd. and Highway 441 South. The torch also passed through Laurens County three times - the final two coming when the torch was carried along Highway 46 between Eastman and Soperton. Dublin and Laurens County may have been the only city and county through which the torch passed three times.
What will be the news for Leap Day 2020? As they say in the newspaper business, read Tuesday's paper and find out, or go out and make some "good" history this Saturday.
Saturday, February 29, 2020, is a special day. Leap days come every four years, except in years ending in 00, which are not divisible by 400. Twenty years ago there was a leap day. Eighty years, from now, there will not be a leap day. Let's take a look at some of the happenings in Laurens County on Leap Days of our past
The news of the wounding of Marine James W. Bedingfield in the South Pacific dominated the news on Leap Day, 1944. Bedingfield would later win the Silver Star for gallantry in action.
Leap Day in 1948 was an unusual one for churchgoers - a fifth Sunday in February. Dr. John Taylor, a leader of the Baptist Home Missionary movement, spoke to a large congregation at Jefferson Street Baptist Church. Basketball fans of Toombs High and Wadley High were still reeling from the clock foul up in the final seconds of the championship game of the Class C, 6th District Tournament held at Condor Gym.
On Leap Day 1952, the United States was again at war. This time it was in Korea. The Cedar Grove girl's basketball team suffered a one point loss to Hiram in the Class C playoffs. Earl Braswell of the Rentz F.F.A. spoke to the Dublin Lions Club, while Cordie Joiner was chosen as one of five Georgia students in an international farm exchange. The Red Hill Woodmen of the World Camp presented a stage curtain to Lowery High School. Kidd Pierce and Will Gordon had their 809-gallon still seized and destroyed. Mrs. Nina Fuller led the kickoff of the annual Red Cross Drive.
The Leap Day of 1956 was fairly quiet. Churchwell's Department Store was selling boys' jeans for a dollar per pair. Robert E. Clark, Jr., the new manager of the Dublin minor league baseball team, spoke to a baseball booster group headed by Bush Perry, at the Shamrock Hotel. Winn Dixie was selling coffee for 69 cents a pound, while Table Supply was selling a six-pack of Cokes for 19 cents, ham for 39 cents a pound, and steak for 69 cents a pound. Tommy Savage, Dick Edenfield, Charles Garrett, and James Hudson organized a six-team business sandlot baseball league.
The Dexter girl's basketball team was preparing for the state championship on Leap Day, 1960 with a victory over Wheeler County. The Dublin Mill of J.P. Stevens was awarded a safety award for 464,901 man hours without an accident. Sen. Herman Talmadge and Cong. Carl Vinson announced the award of Federal funds for urban renewal projects in Dublin. Livestock prices were strong at the Jepeway-Craig weekly livestock sale. Kay Hogan of Dexter won the Betty Crocker Award for homemaking.
City workers were still repairing the streets of Dublin on Leap Day, 1964 after the devastating ice storm of New Year's Eve. Tommy Patterson, manager of Dublin Garment Co., announced a two hundred thousand-dollar plant expansion. The Dexter girl's basketball team celebrated their capture of the region 5-C title. Tri County Gas, formerly known as Perkins Gas Co., celebrated its grand opening. Colonial Grocery was selling whole fryers for 25 cents a pound, corn flakes for 15 cents a box, and lemons for 29 cents a dozen.
On Leap Day, 1968, the United States was again at war - this time in Vietnam. Clearview Cable was offering cable service for a dollar a month. Ceil Pierce and Donna Haskins led the Dudley girl's basketball team to a one-point victory over Twiggs H.S.. The East Laurens Beta Club inducted its new members. "The Bible" was showing at the Martin Theatre. Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Pharis and Mr. and Mrs. Albert Passmore were beaming over the birth of their leap day babies.
Dublin and Laurens County joined together in announcing the establishment of a joint landfill authority on Leap Day, 1972. Cattle prices hit new highs. The St. Patrick's committee held an organizational meeting. Ellen Weaver was awarded the 4H Club Key Award for her outstanding work in that organization. At the Martin Theatre, many people watched the cult classic movie, "Billy Jack." An x-rated movie was shown at the East Dublin Drive-In, and a not so classic western, "Boot Hill" was playing at the Village Theatre.
The month of February 1976 once again had five Sundays. Three hundred kids walked for ten cents a mile to raise funds for Bruce Howell, an East Dublin youth who was a victim of cancer, and Ricky Evans, a former resident of Laurens County who was injured in a car accident. Milk had risen to $1.18/gallon at Winn Dixie. Eggs were sixty six cents a dozen.
The Leap Day 1980 issue of the "Courier Herald" ran a human interest story on Stephanie Tarpley, one of Dublin High School's most loyal fans ever. Six months CDs were yielding 13.629%. The Laurens County Hospital Authority announced the purchase of the Claxton Hospital. Pamela and Milton Mullis celebrated the birth of their baby girl. Trinity High School hosted the Class B SEIAS Tournament, while the Dublin boys lost a heart-breaking one point loss in the AAA Tournament in Macon.
Nora Waldrep, a long time worker in the Northwest Laurens lunchroom, was celebrating her 17th birthday, actually her 68th birthday, on Leap Day, 1984. Robert Martin was awarded a football scholarship to Taft College. Local Civil Defense officials were conducting drills in preparation for the upcoming tornado season.
The editorial of the "Courier Herald" called for the construction of the Highway 441 by pass on February 29, 1988. Twelve years later the state hasn't even started the work. On Leap Day, 1992 the Black History Festival gave out its annual awards to outstanding citizens. On February 29, 1996, Dublin was added to the list of cities through which the Olympic torch would pass. Actually the torch passed through Dublin three times - the final two coming along Industrial Blvd. and Highway 441 South. The torch also passed through Laurens County three times - the final two coming when the torch was carried along Highway 46 between Eastman and Soperton. Dublin and Laurens County may have been the only city and county through which the torch passed three times.
What will be the news for Leap Day 2020? As they say in the newspaper business, read Tuesday's paper and find out, or go out and make some "good" history this Saturday.
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