Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898
Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898
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Writing letters to Santa Claus is a tradition that endures, even as the world around us changes. These heartfelt messages capture the hopes and dreams of children across generations, offering a glimpse into their unwavering optimism despite shifting times. As you journey through these letters from the past, may the Christmas spirit warm your heart, rekindle cherished memories of your own childhood holidays, and fill you with joy and festive cheer. December 18, 1924 The Lewis County Fair Associat...
December 16, 1954 The main headline for the week was “Record Crowd is Expected For Parade.” Three Hohenwald men were arrested for the theft of seven turkeys, valued at $20 each. The birds were stolen from the Nelson turkey ranch three miles from town. The men were in jail under a $1,500 bond each. Bad weather was interfering the construction of the factory building on Forrest Avenue and the Piggly-Wiggly store on Park Avenue South. The following births were announced: Kenneth Ray, son of Mr....
November 04, 1954 The Circuit Court jury found a Lewis County man guilty of murdering his wife “with mitigating circumstances,” and fixed his punishment at 50 years in prison. His defense was that he was drunk at the time of the shooting and did not premeditate it, or have any clear recollection of how it happened. Voter turnout was light in the general election, with less than 1,000 voters casting ballots. “There seemed to be very little interest in the election, probably due to the fat that th...
October 21, 1954 Mayor W.C. Keeton signed a proclamation naming the week of October 17-24 as United Nations Week in Hohenwald. The first murder trial in over a decade in Lewis County began on October 21, with 150 local residents subpoenaed to serve on the jury. The defendant faced charges for allegedly shooting his wife at their home on October 9. He was apprehended just two blocks from the crime scene after a three-hour manhunt. The Herald reported that large crowds were anticipated at the...
Lewis County residents were reminded to vote in the bond election scheduled for Saturday, September 25. “The larger the vote cast the better impression will we make on manufacturers who may later desire to locate in our county.” The LCHS Panthers football team defeated Tribble with a score of 31 to 0. Curtiss L. Devore was promoted to the rank of Sergeant while serving in Korea with the 7th Infantry Division. Bobby Collier arrived home, having finished his term of enlistment with the Navy. A s...
September 16, 1954 A public meeting was scheduled for September 21 to provide all voters with a comprehensive understanding of the details related to the bond election taking place on September 25, which concerned the expansion of the new factory building on Forrest Ave. Henry Raines was appointed Acting Work Unit Leader for the Lewis Soil Conservation District. The LCHS Panthers football team defeated Jackson with a score of 19 to 0. The newspaper reported that “A hard-charging Panther f...
September 2, 1954 Mayor W.C. Keaton and J.H. Warf, Lewis County Public Building Committee Chair, announced that Wynn Industries was unable to establish operations in Hohenwald. However, Mr. Wynn expressed his willingness to relinquish his opportunity, allowing the City of Hohenwald and Lewis County Government to lease the Industrial Building to another company that would provide employment for twice as many individuals than Wynn Industries would have. To facilitate the establishment of this new...
August 26, 1954 Lewis County Schools reported that 1,024 students had enrolled for the 1954-1955 school term. Two young men who had been detained in the Lewis County Jail since August 18 as suspects in a café burglary were released due to insufficient evidence. Lightning struck the television antenna at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Turner. At the time of the incident, Mrs. Turner was at home, engaged in sewing in a bedroom that was the only area of the house that remained undamaged. The television set was completely destroyed, with al...
August 19, 1954 All schools in Lewis County would open for the new school year on August 23. Rural schools would start at 8 a.m., the Hohenwald Elementary School would begin at 8:15 a.m., and students at LCHS were to report for school at 9:30 a.m. Schools listed for the 1954-55 school year were: Buffalo Valley, Garrett, Gordonsburg, Hohenwald Colored, Hohenwald Elementary, Kimmins, Lewis County High School, Macedonia, Napier, Sweetwater, and Ridgetop Colored. MLEC announced that a local...
August 12, 1954 The City of Hohenwald asked residents who had an apartment, sleeping rooms, or trailer space for rent to contact City Hall. Another major pipeline construction job was underway that would pass just west of Hohenwald, and the City wanted to bring workers into town to boost the local economy. Carl Couch and Joe Duncan were presented ten-year service pins by Genesco Personnel Manager Earl Baker. The State Game and Fish Commission issued a bag limit of six squirrels per day during...
August 5, 1954 The Herald ran a front-page editorial reminding residents that the “greatest weapon for free America is that of our right to express our beliefs through the use of a secret ballot,” adding that it was the American duty of all registered voters to go to the polls and vote for the candidate of their choice. A graveyard cleaning was scheduled to take place at Loveless Cemetery on August 12. Funeral services were held for Albert Johnson. Kidd Implement and Truck Company adv...
July 29, 1954 Authorities destroyed a still capable of producing 100 gallons of finished whisky per day in Lewis County. This still was believed to be the largest ever dismantled in the county and was situated in the 3rd Civil District, approximately 8 to 9 miles from Hohenwald on Dry Branch. Two individuals from Hickman County, Albert Tyler, Sr. and his 22-year-old son, were apprehended and arrested on charges of unlawful whisky production. The Herald received numerous reports of snakes being...
July 15, 1954 The Lewis County Quarterly Court reduced taxes from $3.25 to $3.20 in a brief session held at the Lewis County Court House. The Lewis County Public Library announced a reading club for children which would run from July 20 to August 20. A certificate would be awarded to children who read nine or more books during the library’s first summer reading program. Farm Bureau announced that its annual picnic would be held on July 17 at Meriwether Lewis Park. Each family was to bring a box...
July 8, 1954 The Herald reported, “The Fourth of July passed in a quiet manner here with practically all businesses closed… Insofar as we have been able to learn, there was not a single accident in the county over the weekend…” Bids would be taken for the old Springer Church of Christ building until July 17. The winning bidder would have to remove the building from the land by July 31. Bids could be made at the Hohenwald Bank and Trust Company. Clovis Anderson and Thomas Lawson were serving...
July 1, 1954 Officials from Wynn Industries visited Hohenwald to look over the progress that had been made on the Industrial Building, and to make plans for bringing in machinery and equipment for use in the plant. The Herald reported that the factory to make men’s suits would be fully operational within 45 days. The City of Hohenwald requested that residents water their gardens and lawns in the following manner: Those with an even last house number were to water on Monday, Wednesday, and F...
June 24, 1954 T. E. Poore was presented a lapel pin by the Treasury Department in recognition of more than 10 years of service as the Lewis County Savings Bond Chair. Mrs. Armstrong was in Chicago negotiating with Quaker Oats, who was interested in buying her frozen pie crust. Quaker Oats had made three trips to Hohenwald in pursuit of her patented recipe. The “With Our Service Boys” column reported that Paul Wiss was promoted to the rank of machinist’s mate third class, and D. T. Hardy was s...
June 17, 1954 Joe Pollock was discharged from the U.S. Air Force after serving four years. Curtis Devore was promoted to the Army rank of corporal while serving in Korea. Kittrell Appliance Company announced that it was now air conditioned for the comfort of customers. The following General Shoe employees were presented pins for ten years of service: Mae Edwards, Allie Loveless, and Eva Riley. The Oak Grove Fish Fry was announced for June 18th with the proceeds from the sales of plates being...
June 10, 1954 The Herald reported “Strange Doings with Tomatoes—Potatoes Here.” Wilburn Carroll brought by the newspaper office a tomato vine that was growing from the top of an Irish potato. The odd vine was grown on the farm of Gillie Davis on Buffalo Road. The newspaper dubbed the food item a “Pomato” adding, “if you don’t believe us, come by the Herald as we have the ‘Pomato’ to back us up.” Kenneth Graves, David Griner, Gerald White, and Bobby Wiggins attended Boys State. The annual T...
June 3, 1954 The Herald reported, “With this issue of the Herald, we bring you something different in the medium of silver tinting… for the first time in the history of the Herald, advertising is presented in color.” The City of Hohenwald announced a 25 cent reduction in city taxes effective July 1, 1954. This reduction lowered the tax rate to $1.25. Curtis Devore graduated from the I Corps Non-Commissioned Officer Academy in Korea. Everette Dyer was named recipient of the Danforth Found...
May 27, 1954 The LCH reported that much progress had been made on the construction of the industrial building. The roof was completed and almost all of the masonry work was finished. The construction of gas pipelines was moving fast in the county, with ditching complete. The Herald noted that “the business men of Hohenwald would welcome a construction crew each day in the year as the dollars have been really jingling in the cash drawers the past few months.” Coach Reed announced that supervised recreation and play periods would start at the sch...
May 20, 1954 The major headline this week was “Public School Segregation Must Now Await Further High Court Arguments.” Officials at the state, county, and city level urged “calmness” among residents. Tax figures for beer revenue in Lewis County for the past eight months was reported as $2,542.26. Paul Chandler enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Peery announced the birth of their son, James Douglas. Funeral services were held for Dora Phillips, 73. Kittrell Appliance Company adverti...
May 13, 1954 The kidnapping charge against the woman accused of abducting a three-month-old infant and later giving the child to a couple in Hohenwald was dismissed due to her mental health condition. The woman was returned to the mental health facility from which she had escaped before the kidnapping incident on April 13. A construction worker received serious injuries after slipping working on the new factory building and falling 14 feet. Mr. and Mrs. Newton Churchwell celebrated their 51st...
May 6, 1954 Mayor W.C. Keaton was a speaker on the program of the Tennessee Municipal League’s 15th annual convention at Nashville. Keaton would participate in a debate on whether small municipalities should undertake to subsidize industries to obtain new factories needed for continued growth and prosperity. Robert Lee Wiggins and Kenny Graves were selected as LCHS winners in the MLEC essay. The 1954 LCHS Senior Class took a three-day trip to the Lookout Mountains. The American Legion Post 127 a...
April 29, 1954 Betty Dorris Miller, who had been accused of kidnapping a baby in Kentucky and subsequently giving the infant to a childless couple from Hohenwald, was still at large. The FBI believed she would be apprehended any day. The child in question had been safely retrieved by her mother and FBI and taken home. The Herald reported that it had received “a somewhat odd request” from Mrs. E.C. Langmire of Willow Green, CA, who asked if she could be sent two covers from book matches bea...
April 22, 1954 A four-month-old girl who had been kidnapped in Newport, KY was found in Hohenwald. Billie Marie Kemplin had entrusted her children to a babysitter identified as Betty Eglee. Upon returning from work, Kemplin discovered her three older children alone and the babysitter, along with the infant, missing. The babysitter had hitched a ride with a truck driver to Nashville. There, she met a couple at a hotel restaurant and falsely claimed to be Betty Miller, stated that the child...
