This feature mines the McDowell News archives for what was going on this week in local history.
During the week of June 2, 1972, Miss McDowell Tess Parker was preparing to compete in the Miss North Carolina pageant, which was set for June 17, 1972, in Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte. Parker was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Odell Parker on Lonon Avenue in Marion. She was a 1971 graduate of Marion High and attended Brevard College, where she majored in music. Sixty-five young women from throughout the state were preparing to compete for the title of Miss North Carolina.
Fifty-four years ago this week, two McDowell County women, Bebe Ragaz and her daughter Kathy, were two of some 300 women pilots who participated in the annual Powder Puff Derby, a transcontinental air race from San Carlos, Calif., to Toms River, N.J. This race covered more than 2,600 miles and featured some of the top female pilots. 1972 marked the third year of competition for Bebe Ragaz and the second for her daughter Kathy.
Fifty-four years ago this week, Rotarian Con Bost (left) of the Marion Rotary Club presented the Athletes of the Week to the club. He presented to Eddie Smith (middle), a guard on the Titan basketball team, who for the previous five games had led the Titans in scoring with a 20-point average. The Titans had yet to lose a game in the last half of the season and Eddie was one of the reasons. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter T. Smith of Marion. On the right was Byron Alexander of the McDowell High wrestling team. Although he was only a sophomore that year, Byron proved to be a top contender for the Northwestern Conference crown in his weight group and was a man to deal with in the association tournament. Byron had a conference record of 8-1 that year and an overall record of 12 and 3. Byron was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Alexander of the Rocky Pass community.
Marie Nelson of Lincoln Avenue in Marion received some long-awaited news when she read the name of Lt. Cmdr. Audrey A. Nickols in a list of prisoners of war that was released by the North Vietnamese forces. For Nelson, it marked the end of a long wait when she, along with her three children, began wearing one of the popular POW-MIA bracelets. She is shown wearing her bracelet for Nickols. The bracelets were inscribed with the name of an American serviceman who was reported to be a prisoner of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA) in the Vietnam War. Nelson and her sons Eddie and John first became familiar with the bracelets through daughter Libby, who was a McDowell High student. The Nelson family vowed that the bracelets would not be removed until the status of the POW or MIA was determined or when he comes home.
McDowell News photographer Louis Jenkins captured one of the most unusual sights nature has to offer. Jenkins went to check into a phone call from local businessman David Blanton, who ran up upon this large black snake finishing off a fellow serpent in the Blanton garden on Hillcrest Drive in Marion. The newspaper’s cutline for this photo used a popular TV commercial slogan from 1972: “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”
The historic McDowell House was a restaurant offering “gracious dining in a colonial atmosphere.”
These were some of the local residents who visited the McDowell Arts and Crafts Association exhibit called “Show and Sale” in the Marion Junior High cafeteria. All items on display were made by MACA members and could be purchased by the general public.
This huge tile, the largest of its kind ever constructed in western North Carolina, was being built near the Corpening Creek sewer treatment plant and would carry traffic to the new Henredon Furniture, Marimont Industries site. The tile is the first of two which would be built along Corpening Creek. The second would bridge the creek for the railway spur line running to the facility. The width of this steel structure was 29 feet and the height was 19 feet. It was built by the Atlanta Construction Department of Armco Steel Corp.
Girl Scouts from throughout McDowell County participated in a special day camp being held at the Girl Scout camp near the Marion filter plant. Some of the girls shown in this photo participated in an art workshop. It was one of many activities planned for that week and other workshops focused on outdoor skills, music and crafts.
Officials with McDowell Technical Institute were seeking construction bids for the new campus planned for a location south of Marion. This architect’s rendering showed what the new college buildings would look like.
Students from the Foothills Industries sheltered workshop visited the press room of The McDowell News as they toured the newspaper building. The purpose of the tour was to familiarize the students with the various businesses and industrial firms in the county. Those making the tour were Junie Duncan, Walter Haynes, Ann Robinson, Paula Anthony, Lois Greene, Norma Grant, Zada Land, Elizabeth Toney, David Webb, Lloyd Austin, Robert Harding, Doris Benge, John Duncan and Guy Rose. They were accompanied by Joy Shuford and Joe Lynn.
Fork lift operator Bob Hooper (left) and yard foreman Cecil Rayburn of Drexel Furniture Co. discuss their next move after they had just placed a new Goss Community Press unit through a side service entrance at The McDowell News. Using a Clark-Ross forklift, the two men braved the heavy rain to remove the unit from a tractor-trailer rig on Logan Street and place it into the newspaper building. Gene Fowler, publisher of The McDowell News at the time, said the new unit would increase press capacity at the newspaper by 25 percent.
These young women were five of the contestants seeking the title of Miss McDowell County during the annual pageant which was held by the Marion Jaycees. The theme of the 1972 pageant was “Cinderella’s Ball” featuring seven of McDowell’s most talented girls. Posing for The McDowell News photographer were (from left) Sandy Duncan, Angelia Israel, Karen Earley, Linda Atwood and Carolyn Owenby. Two other contestants, Rose Sellars and Ann Rash, were not present when this photo was taken. The pageant was scheduled to be held in the auditorium of East Junior High.
A county agricultural extension agent was busy directing children who were participating in the Nutrition Day Camp at West Marion School. The Nutrition Day Camp was a program sponsored by the federal government and was intended to help homemakers from throughout the county with nutritional problems
William Lindsay of Hudgins Street in Marion proudly showed off this big catfish he caught on a Tuesday night at Yancey bridge using night crawlers. He said it weighed five and a half pounds.
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This feature mines the McDowell News archives for what was going on this week in local history.
On May 16 Historic Carson House held its annual Dinner on Buck Creek and a silent auction on the grounds of the historical home and museum.
This feature mines the McDowell news 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.
