www.roanoke.com

Photo courtesy of Tom and Jeff Gibson

This 1935 photo was taken in Falls Radiator Shop on Tazewell Avenue in Roanoke. The shop was opened in 1929 by Joe Falls Sr. (left) and Oscar T. Gibson Sr. (right). The man in the middle is unidentified.

1998 (10 years ago)

n "Just days after business-world reports said Advance Auto Parts of Roanoke was negotiating to buy Western Auto Supply Co. from Sears Roebuck Co. Inc., the deal has been confirmed. The headquarters for the combined companies will be in Roanoke, Advance President Garnett Smith said Monday."

n "Former International Boxing Federation heavyweight champion Tony 'TNT' Tucker has set up a training camp at the Valley Sports Arena in Roanoke in preparation for his next fight Aug. 28 at the Las Vegas Hilton."

n "Radford University has received nearly $1.7 million from the federal government to set up several bachelor's degree programs in poor and rural areas of Southwest Virginia."

1983 (25 years ago)

n "What's 7-¹₂ feet high, weighs 4 tons, never showed up in Roanoke and may end up in federal court? An African elephant named Seeta, that's what."

n "Despite rising interest rates, home construction remains at a high level in the Roanoke Valley."

n "Boosted by traffic to the World's Fair in Knoxville, Tenn., travel brought the Roanoke Valley $109.39 million last year, an increase of 13 percent ... reported in the year before."

n "In his bid to keep hockey in the Roanoke Valley, Henry Brabham has offered to lease or buy the Salem-Roanoke County Civic Center."

n "Roanoke kept on sizzling Sunday as the official thermometer at Woodrum Field climbed to 105 degrees, making Aug. 21, 1983, the hottest day in the city since the National Weather Service started keeping records in 1941."

n Ground was broken for Valley View Mall.

1958 (50 years ago)

n "Two female flyers -- racing for the Bahamas -- were forced to substitute a Roanoke County cow pasture for Woodrum Field yesterday afternoon. Their plane ran out of gas within visible distance of the Roanoke airport."

n "Roanoke's high school students will have an opportunity this year to take 'accelerated' courses in English, mathematics, government, American history and biology."

n "Establishment of a juvenile section within the Roanoke Police Department was announced today by Maj. Frank Webb, superintendent."

n "Selected Roanoke Post Office personnel are now getting instructions in the use of instruments to determine the amount of radio-active fallout so mail can be speedily delivered in the event of an atomic attack."

n "A covered wagon caravan covering 2,800 miles through 10 states has been organized by a Roanoke minister in an effort to reach the unchurched. Originator of the unusual project is the Rev. Harry R. Peyton, pastor of Calvary Tabernacle."

n "The ice man still cometh. He doesn't have as many customers or service as many wooden ice boxes, but he still cometh. Most of the ice produced today is being used by commercial firms.

Of the 180 tons of ice manufactured daily by Roanoke's two ice plants, only a small percentage is used in homes."

1933 (75 years ago)

n "Stop signs, with letters that glow from the reflected rays of automobile headlights in the night time, eventually will protect all highway routes through the City of Roanoke, it was said today by W.P. Hunter, city manager."

n "Preparations for opening the newly constructed William Fleming high school, located in the Williamson road section of Roanoke county, were started today by R.D. Nininger, 27-year-old principal ..."

n "A Chapman avenue resident had a heavy loss of fowls last night. Thirteen fryers, two hens, one guinea and one turkey comprised the list stolen, according to a report filed with the police detective bureau."

n "A seven by nine foot canvas painting by Paul Mersereau, said to be valued at $85,000 is on display at Thurman and Boone Company, second floor. The title of the picture is 'The Old Timers,' and depicts a blacksmith and his smithy."

1908 (100 years ago)

n "There's going to be lots doing at Mountain Park tonight. The new free moving pictures will be among the finest ever seen at the resort. New scenes have been placed in the mutoscopes and new music will be heard on the big electric piano."

n "Verneulle won his game Saturday afternoon, but as luck would have it, he did not win it for Roanoke. Verneulle was sold a few days ago to Lynchburg, and the fans watched him 'do up' his old club to the queen's taste."

n "Salem was again visited by a severe electrical storm last night, beginning shortly before 8 o'clock, and for nearly an hour the rain fell briskly with loud peals of thunder and continuous lightning."

n "The Lyric Theater which promises to be one of the prettiest electric parlors in the state, is fast rounding into shape for the opening performance. It is situated on Campbell avenue adjoining the China, Art and Book store and in the heart of the shopping district."

n "A number of complaints have been made by citizens to the police department of the custom of some persons of fastening their cows in an open lot and leaving them there throughout these hot days without giving them an opportunity to get under shade."

n "The Roanoke Baseball Park on Wednesday afternoon was the scene of one of the finest exhibitions of the National Game, that has ever been witnessed in the city."

n "Many persons are interested as to what the position of the city will be relative to the petition of a number of citizens of the southeast asking Judge Woods ... to grant an injunction to prevent the city from placing garbage on the dump near Holiday street, s. e."

n "Mr. W. Edwin Tribble, of Green River, Utah, arrived in the city Friday, in search of his father, an old veteran who has been missing since the 7th of December, 1907. He reported to Chief of Police Dyer, who at once began an investigation, which ended in finding that the father had been taken to the almshouse shortly after his arrival in Roanoke and died there on December 18th, ten days after he left Bristol."