This feature mines our archival photos for what was going on this week in local history.
Thirty years ago this week, the Mountain Paradise Campground in North Cove was a cool place to be for the Explorer Group from the First United Presbyterian Church of Marion. There was time for a little more fun before school started later in the month. In this photo, Ryan Byas shoots through a tunnel on the water slide.
Thirty years ago this week, McDowell Titan assistant coach Anthony Lee watched as the Titan jayvees went through an agility drill. McDowell donned full pads for the first time in 1996 on a Thursday afternoon.
Nebo’s Chuck Smith putted from the fringe of the Marion Lake Club’s par-four 16th hole during the McDowell County Golf Championship. In the foreground, 1995 champion Steve Dalton looked on.
Linville Caverns, one of McDowell County’s most popular tourist attractions, hosted a big crowd during the summer season. Tourists waited in line on a hot summer day to take a tour of the caverns, where the temperature was a cool 52 degrees.
Lt. Rick Smith of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office showed off the 16 pounds of marijuana confiscated in an undercover drug deal. Each package contained a pound of marijuana, worth approximately $2,700.
Thirty years ago this week, this was the state of the rundown Marion Depot. The old railroad station was scheduled to get a facelift in the near future. The plan by the Tourism Development Authority was to turn the building into an open-air market. TDA Director Susan Smith wanted to see the more than 90-year-old brick building turned into the centerpiece of Marion’s tourist attractions. She believed the depot could help attract more of the 100 tour buses that pass through McDowell County each day on Interstate 40.
During the week of Aug. 11, 1996, a 38-year-old man was taken to The McDowell Hospital with smoke inhalation after a small fire at the Universal Bedroom Furniture plant. The fire started in the glue room of the plant and Marion and Glenwood firefighters responded to the blaze.
During the week of Aug. 11, 1996, the McDowell Titan varsity and jayvee football teams donned full pads for the first time during the 1996 season and charged through a 90-minute, full-contact session. In this photo, McDowell Titan senior lineman Brian Carter (left) and Roy Hendley go head to head during practice.
During the week of Aug. 11, 1996, Jonathan Long of Long’s Tree Service looked down from a tall white pine behind North Cove School. There were 35 trees, some with diseases, between the railroad track and the school which were slated to be cut down. Long was in the tree hooking up the ropes near the top so that when the tree was cut it could be pulled down immediately.
Baxter No. 1 won the McDowell Rec Department’s morning league softball tournament. Members of the team were (front row, left to right) Darrel Mason, Joey Buchanan, Randy Allen, Steve Hitt (back row) Chris Tesseniar, Chris Gentry, Bill Cooke, Tracy Laws, Steve Robinson, Billy Reel and James Duncan. Stanley Nelson was unavailable for photo.
McDowell High jayvee cheerleaders Jennifer McLaughlin (left) and Tiffini Smith (right) were selected as All-Stars at the Wake Forest University cheerleading camp. Only 25 of the 350 cheerleaders at the camp were chosen as All-Stars. McLaughlin, a sophomore, was the daughter of Jean Brady of Marion and Paul McLaughlin of Atlanta, Ga. Smith, also a sophomore, was the daughter of Teri and Mike Smith of Marion.
During the week of Aug. 11, 1996, heavy downpours brought a variety of problems throughout the county. There was flooding in some parts of McDowell. The steps on West Court Street at the county Rec Center were overflowing with rain water.
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This feature mines our archives for what was going on this week in local history.
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 the McDowell News archives for what was going on this week in local history.
