www.roanoke.com

1998 (10 years ago)

"Erin Garvin has been bitten hard by the adventure bug. In June, the Roanoker set off on a three-month journey to complete the newly mapped Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Canada to Mexico. She finished the 2,500-mile, mostly off-road trail in August, becoming one of the first two women to do so."

"Members of Girl Scout troops at High Street Baptist Church in Roanoke gathered in the church kitchen last Friday for a pie-baking fest for the needy. The Scouts ... baked 223 pumpkin pies for donation boxes for needy families in the Roanoke area. Members of High Street's Boy Scout troop pitched in by bagging more than 1,200 apples for the food boxes."

1983 (25 years ago)

"Winter officially arrived at 5:30 this morning. It came in style, ushered in by freezing rain and sleet."

"Chas. Lunsford Sons & Associates, one of the oldest businesses in Roanoke, has been acquired by Frank B. Hall & Co., Inc., third-largest insurance services firm in the nation."

"The roster is a veritable revolving door. The home uniforms are inscribed with the wrong name. And the organization has attempted to jam a year's work into 18 days. Despite this rampant confusion, you've got to hand it to Henry Brabham and his latest play toy -- the Virginia Lancers hockey team."

"High winds and bitter cold -- causing a wind chill of about 30 below zero Saturday afternoon -- dropped an arctic pall over celebrations of Christmas Eve in Western Virginia and was expected to set another record for today."

1958 (50 years ago)

"Piedmont became the only airline serving Roanoke yesterday, with the cancellation of American flights by the strike of the airline's pilots. ...With the Christmas rush coming on, hundreds of Roanokers were turning to the Norfolk and Western Railway."

"Roanoke's first Community Christmas Candle, a number one topic of conversation last week in the city, will be lighted on schedule tomorrow."

"Complete outfits of clothing went out to 281 children in the city today, gifts from employes in five divisions of the Norfolk and Western Railway's general offices."

" 'Infant Giant,' a 28-minute color film study of the atom and atomic power, is being filmed on the VPI campus for release to Virginia audiences in April."

"Times-World Corp's 47 vehicles are being outfitted with safety belts."

"Atlas, America's talking satellite, may be visible from Roanoke early Christmas morning -- but don't count on it."

"Three persons have received unusual Christmas gifts through the work of the Roanoke Eye Bank and the Lions Club. The three ... have gotten their sight back through cornea transplants."

"Lewis McLelland, a native of Roanoke, has been named to the end position on the all-time Memphis State football team."

"Last night was Roanoke Valley's coldest this winter. It was just 10 above zero at 7:30 a.m. today."

"As far as police are concerned, Roanokers were extra good this Christmas."

1933 (75 years ago)

"A Chevrolet truck with dual wheels developed four 'punctures' simultaneously last night and pursuing Roanoke county deputy sheriffs, arriving a moment after the driver fled into the brush, found it loaded with 400 gallons of liquor."

"A whole lot of people in this community who were just hibernating at this time last year have picked up courage and money somehow, shoed the big, bad wolf from the door, and come downtown and bought Christmas gifts."

"Coach Ducky Denton will present his new edition of the Andrew Lewis High hardwood machine in the Wolverines' debut on the new Salem court."

"A mysterious gas 'attack' on the family of a farmer in the Haymakertown neighborhood late last night was under investigation by Botetourt county officers."

"An old English coin dated 1791 or 1794 was found by Mr. Abraham Creasey on the campus of the Radford college."

"The first two thousand women attending a special performance of 'The Prizefighter and The Lady,' at the American Theatre, Thursday morning ... will be admitted free."

"Both Jefferson Senior (Roanoke) and Andrew Lewis (Salem) High Schools are tentative opponents for the V.P.I. Goblet quintet."

"The Marcus Show, which will present 'La Vie Paree' at the Academy of Music tomorrow night, is headed for Peiping, Tokio, Rangoon, Timbukto and other places in the Far East. Advertising for the show said 'Its Sophisticated Character Prohibits Admission of Children Under 16.' "

"Ice festooned from trees and dropped its fingers from telephone and power wires to greet Roanoke's thousands on their way to work today."

"Mrs. Jane Cundiff, who will be 101 years old next month, acted as her own attorney in Salem magistrate's court this morning, and as a result, will have either $84 or her grand-nephew's auto tomorrow."

1908 (100 years ago)

"Last evening about seventy-five members of the First Baptist church visited Rev. Dr. T. Claggett Skinner and his wife and surprised them with two wagon loads of gifts, including everything for the larder, cut glass, china, and other valuable and useful gifts."

"Yesterday commemorated the 30th year of Father Lynch's ordination to the Priesthood, and was an occasion long to be remembered and fondly cherished."

"The above valuations [in the Commissioner of Revenue's books] are larger than heretofore and proves that Roanokers are carrying better watches, have finer pianos, better automobiles and carriages, finer horses and more valuable cows than has been the case previously."

"Every train for the past three days has been crowded with passengers going east, west, north and south."

"By its management of its trains during the great snow storm of Tuesday and Tuesday night the Norfolk & Western has added another splendid achievement to its great career."

1998 (10 years ago)

"Erin Garvin has been bitten hard by the adventure bug. In June, the Roanoker set off on a three-month journey to complete the newly mapped Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Canada to Mexico. She finished the 2,500-mile, mostly off-road trail in August, becoming one of the first two women to do so."

"Members of Girl Scout troops at High Street Baptist Church in Roanoke gathered in the church kitchen last Friday for a pie-baking fest for the needy. The Scouts ... baked 223 pumpkin pies for donation boxes for needy families in the Roanoke area. Members of High Street's Boy Scout troop pitched in by bagging more than 1,200 apples for the food boxes."

1983 (25 years ago)

"Winter officially arrived at 5:30 this morning. It came in style, ushered in by freezing rain and sleet."

"Chas. Lunsford Sons & Associates, one of the oldest businesses in Roanoke, has been acquired by Frank B. Hall & Co., Inc., third-largest insurance services firm in the nation."

"The roster is a veritable revolving door. The home uniforms are inscribed with the wrong name. And the organization has attempted to jam a year's work into 18 days. Despite this rampant confusion, you've got to hand it to Henry Brabham and his latest play toy -- the Virginia Lancers hockey team."

"High winds and bitter cold -- causing a wind chill of about 30 below zero Saturday afternoon -- dropped an arctic pall over celebrations of Christmas Eve in Western Virginia and was expected to set another record for today."

1958 (50 years ago)

"Piedmont became the only airline serving Roanoke yesterday, with the cancellation of American flights by the strike of the airline's pilots. ...With the Christmas rush coming on, hundreds of Roanokers were turning to the Norfolk and Western Railway."

"Roanoke's first Community Christmas Candle, a number one topic of conversation last week in the city, will be lighted on schedule tomorrow."

"Complete outfits of clothing went out to 281 children in the city today, gifts from employes in five divisions of the Norfolk and Western Railway's general offices."

" 'Infant Giant,' a 28-minute color film study of the atom and atomic power, is being filmed on the VPI campus for release to Virginia audiences in April."

"Times-World Corp's 47 vehicles are being outfitted with safety belts."

"Atlas, America's talking satellite, may be visible from Roanoke early Christmas morning -- but don't count on it."

"Three persons have received unusual Christmas gifts through the work of the Roanoke Eye Bank and the Lions Club. The three ... have gotten their sight back through cornea transplants."

"Lewis McLelland, a native of Roanoke, has been named to the end position on the all-time Memphis State football team."

"Last night was Roanoke Valley's coldest this winter. It was just 10 above zero at 7:30 a.m. today."

"As far as police are concerned, Roanokers were extra good this Christmas."

1933 (75 years ago)

"A Chevrolet truck with dual wheels developed four 'punctures' simultaneously last night and pursuing Roanoke county deputy sheriffs, arriving a moment after the driver fled into the brush, found it loaded with 400 gallons of liquor."

"A whole lot of people in this community who were just hibernating at this time last year have picked up courage and money somehow, shoed the big, bad wolf from the door, and come downtown and bought Christmas gifts."

"Coach Ducky Denton will present his new edition of the Andrew Lewis High hardwood machine in the Wolverines' debut on the new Salem court."

"A mysterious gas 'attack' on the family of a farmer in the Haymakertown neighborhood late last night was under investigation by Botetourt county officers."

"An old English coin dated 1791 or 1794 was found by Mr. Abraham Creasey on the campus of the Radford college."

"The first two thousand women attending a special performance of 'The Prizefighter and The Lady,' at the American Theatre, Thursday morning ... will be admitted free."

"Both Jefferson Senior (Roanoke) and Andrew Lewis (Salem) High Schools are tentative opponents for the V.P.I. Goblet quintet."

"The Marcus Show, which will present 'La Vie Paree' at the Academy of Music tomorrow night, is headed for Peiping, Tokio, Rangoon, Timbukto and other places in the Far East. Advertising for the show said 'Its Sophisticated Character Prohibits Admission of Children Under 16.' "

"Ice festooned from trees and dropped its fingers from telephone and power wires to greet Roanoke's thousands on their way to work today."

"Mrs. Jane Cundiff, who will be 101 years old next month, acted as her own attorney in Salem magistrate's court this morning, and as a result, will have either $84 or her grand-nephew's auto tomorrow."

1908 (100 years ago)

"Last evening about seventy-five members of the First Baptist church visited Rev. Dr. T. Claggett Skinner and his wife and surprised them with two wagon loads of gifts, including everything for the larder, cut glass, china, and other valuable and useful gifts."

"Yesterday commemorated the 30th year of Father Lynch's ordination to the Priesthood, and was an occasion long to be remembered and fondly cherished."

"The above valuations [in the Commissioner of Revenue's books] are larger than heretofore and proves that Roanokers are carrying better watches, have finer pianos, better automobiles and carriages, finer horses and more valuable cows than has been the case previously."

"Every train for the past three days has been crowded with passengers going east, west, north and south."

"By its management of its trains during the great snow storm of Tuesday and Tuesday night the Norfolk & Western has added another splendid achievement to its great career."

"Mayor Cutchin gives notice that no fire crackers will be allowed in any part of the business section of the city today, and only in the residential section until 12 o'clock tonight [Christmas night]."

"Mr. W. W. Brennaman, remembered by the oldest citizens of Roanoke, died Wednesday afternoon. ... He came to Roanoke when the Magic City began to boom and with several associates started the first daily paper here."

"A company of fifty or more people amused, electrified and edified two large Roanoke audiences Christmas afternoon and evening in 'A Knight for a Day,' an operatic extravaganza."

"Christmas was a quiet day in the city of Roanoke. From early morning until late in the evening, the streets presented an appearance like that of Sunday."

"Mayor Cutchin gives notice that no fire crackers will be allowed in any part of the business section of the city today, and only in the residential section until 12 o'clock tonight [Christmas night]."

"Mr. W. W. Brennaman, remembered by the oldest citizens of Roanoke, died Wednesday afternoon. ... He came to Roanoke when the Magic City began to boom and with several associates started the first daily paper here."

"A company of fifty or more people amused, electrified and edified two large Roanoke audiences Christmas afternoon and evening in 'A Knight for a Day,' an operatic extravaganza."

"Christmas was a quiet day in the city of Roanoke. From early morning until late in the evening, the streets presented an appearance like that of Sunday."