This feature mines our archives for what was going on this week in local history.
Fifty-four years ago this week, Marion held its annual Christmas parade down Main Street. This is the float for McDowell Technical Institute.
This Boy Scout troop marched down Main Street during Marion’s Christmas parade in 1971.
This family had a good time watching the Marion Christmas parade in 1971.
Marion General Hospital’s candy stripers had their own float in the Marion Christmas parade of 1971.
This youngster waved to Santa as he rode by in the Marion Christmas parade.
During the week of Dec. 2, 1971, Ralph M. Elliott shot this five-point buck using a 300 Savage while hunting at Armstrong. This was Elliott’s first deer. His father Marlowe Elliott killed his first with the rifle also. Jerald Hollifield was also hunting with the pair at the time.
Tina Leigh Lamb celebrated her first birthday in late November 1971. She was the daughter of Charles Lamb and the late Carol Lamb.
During the week of Dec. 2, 1971, the McDowell High Titans scored a victory in a home basketball game over Asheville High. Wayne Burnette (No. 34) shoots the basketball over Asheville’s Sam Smith (No. 40).
The newly opened Kress department store at the Lady Marian Plaza was totally destroyed in one of the biggest fires in McDowell County’s history. On the night of Thursday, Dec. 2, 1971, the blaze apparently began in the stock room in the rear of the store and quickly engulfed the entire Kress’ building. Firefighters from Marion, Nebo, Pleasant Gardens, Woodlawn-Sevier and Glenwood all responded to the alarm, according to The McDowell News story from that time. This photo shows how the front windows were destroyed from the extreme heat. The roof beams of the building were twisted when they fell.
Ricky Davis (seated center) signs a grant-in-aid with Western Carolina University. He was a highly sought-after defensive lineman with McDowell High. He became Western Carolina University’s first football signee of that recruiting season when he signed to play for the Catamounts. Present at the signing ceremony are his parents Mr. and Mrs. Carl Davis (seated). Others present were (standing left to right) Coach John Anderson, WCU Coach Don Powers and Coach Mike Biggerstaff.
Steve Dalton downed this 12-point buck in the Lake Lure area.
Marion was still digging out from a record-breaking snowfall that left 14 inches of snow on the ground. “Even though there was a large pile of snow through the center of the street, state and city maintenance crews had most of the streets and roads in excellent condition by noon,” reported The McDowell News. This allowed shoppers to crowd the streets of Marion as they looked for Christmas gifts.
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This feature mines the McDowell News archives for what was going on this week in local history.
This feature mines our archives for what was going on this week in local history.
This feature mines our archives for what was going on this week in local history.
This feature mines our archives for what was going on this week in local history.
