Taking a Look Back on the Summer of 1936

The summer months of June and July in 1936 had many interesting headlines that graced the Dresden Enterprise and Sharon Tribune paper. The following will show stories and information that was printed in the paper at the time.

From the Friday, June 19, 1936 edition, one of the first headlines was, “Preliminary Is Waived Here In Murder Trail”

The following story noted that Fred Taylor was sent to jail without a bond to await a circuit court hearing in August. Taylor was charged with the first-degree murder of Irvine Klutts.

Taylor was a deputy sheriff under Will Dunn and was a candidate for magistrate. It was noted, “He comes from one of the best families in the Gleason community.”

The state’s attorney at the time, J. W. Thomas, read to the court that there was enough evidence to warrant a charge of first-degree murder and that there was not any way it could be bailable. It was then agreed that he would remain in jail until August of 1936.

“Up Goes the Fly Fan! Down Comes Screen Door”

By the installation of the especially constructed fan for the purpose of keeping flies and bugs from entering the door, Mayo’s has done away with the inconvenience of customers opening screen doors before entering. The screen door at the entrance has been taken down, the first business house to discard screen doors in Dresden.

Uptown Theatre has one of these fans also, which has proven quite successful in keeping insects from going in the entrance doors.

In the following week’s paper on Friday, June 26, 1936, a headline read, “Sidonia Citizens Have Pool and Beer Parlor Closed: Citizens Come Before Judge Elkins and Ask that it Be Declared a Nuisance and Have it Pad Locked.”

While most citizens in all communities boast of new business coming into their midst, citizens of Sidonia are glad of the “leaving out” of a business there.

Monday, a delegation of some of the best citizens in the community got together after putting up for several months with a pool room and beer store, where it is alleged many gambling and other nuisances were permitted, and came before Judge Elkins and declared it such and asked him to have it closed. There he very obligingly did for those good people. So now they are proud of the fact that Sidonia has one less business and many of them stated that it shall remain so as long as any new business it be a place for their young people to go where it is not best for them. They just won’t allow them to operate.”

Also in this paper was the story of, “At last, Dresden Will Have Park.”

It stated that many in Dresden had wanted a park for many years for the children of Dresden. The development of Maiden Park in Etheridge Heights would be a good place for children to play and for parents to eat lunch at. Sunday Schools could carry their classes to have picnics and that this will keep families from having to drive miles to a nice place to play and picnic at.

It was noted that a crew hired by the Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the Ladies’ Garden Club began work. The area the park would be at was cleared and there might be walkways or small fountains placed in the park for children to play in.

In the July 10, 1936, the following stories were included, “Lightning Plays Havoc at Early Hour Wednesday.”

It was said that a lightning storm in the early hours of July 8, 1936, which resulted in Dewey Rickman and Howard Cochran near Palmersville losing part of their oat crop with a lightning strike. This resulted in a fire that burned most of pile that was made on the field. Frank Roberts near Little Zion lost three cows. A large hail storm near Como saw many crops of corn and cotton that were lost.

Jack Dunn near Gleason and Tom Dunlap near Jewell also lost a mule to the lightning. A chimney was blown down at a home near Como.

“Vaughn Bros. Move to Larger Quarters,” was also featured on the front page, which is as follows.

“Vaughn Brothers, Ellis and Remond, moved last week from their former location, north side square to the Dresden Oil Company building, southwest corner where they have much more room and are carrying a larger stock. They specialize in plumbing of all kinds, as well as electric wiring, etc. These fine young boys have enjoyed their rapid growth in business, and are very deserving.”

“Extensive Additions on McKenzie Theatre”

Manager Moore of the McKenzie Theatre is making extensive improvements on the popular play house at McKenzie which makes it the equal of any movie house in this section. Obstructions that have proven uncomfortable to McKenzie theatre goers will be removed and the entire place made just as comfortable as it is possible to do. The show house will be closed the remainder of the week, but opens Monday with a jam-up good bill.”

The last week of July, the paper printed on July 31, 1936, had a worrying headline for all new parents in the area with, “Infantile Paralysis Case In Mild Form Near Limbs.”

This story reported a two-and-a-half-year-old child of C. L. Perry in Beech Springs developed the disease and that health workers in the area were urging precautions.

After the child was diagnosed with infantile paralysis, the family was placed under quarantine.

A clinic in Greenfield announced it was offering to give children a nasal spray of picric acid and alum as a precaution against the disease.

The Health Department released a statement reporting that in Tennessee there had been 55 cases of this and that families in Weakley County should not be alarmed. It was also stated that the nasal spray did seem effective against the disease, but was still in an experimental phase.

The disease was reported to spread in large crowds and that families should keep children away from that.

It was also stated that if a child shows any fever, headache, stiffness of the spine, or tenderness of muscles the family should go to a doctor immediately.

DISCLAIMER

In the article regarding infantile paralysis, it is important to know picric acid is harmful to use and can result in lung and kidney damage. Alum is safe in small doses, but can be toxic in large doses and can cause nausea and headaches. At the time, infantile paralysis was the name for the more commonly-known disease of polio.