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The Roanoke Times

File This is Roanoke's first federally owned post office at Church Avenue and First Street. It opened Feb. 27, 1897, and served as the post office until 1909, when it was remodeled and partly rebuilt. This photo was taken about the time it opened.

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1999 (10 years ago)

n "Home Shopping Network said Monday it will hire 150 telephone operators for a new Roanoke call center."

n "Roanoke Valley firefighters may be able to use a new $1.9 million training center before next summer. Officials with Roanoke County, Roanoke, Salem and Vinton will break ground today on a new regional fire training center."

1984 (25 years ago)

n "Confusion -- and in some cases outrage -- over Roanoke Valley Cablevision's recent service switch continued Saturday."

n "Petitions are being circulated throughout the Roanoke Valley requesting Roanoke City to open the Carvins Cove watershed to hunting and trapping under a regulated permit system."

n "A new no-alcohol club will open Friday at 3505 Franklin Road, the building formerly occupied by Escape Teen Club. The new club, Kiks, will be managed by Roanoke's Crown Management Co."

n "The Roanoke School Board approved Tuesday a policy to perform criminal background checks of new employees, making the city schools one of the only systems in Virginia with such a practice."

1959 (50 years ago)

n "Many Virginia families may feel a close and actual kinship with farmer Bob Garst of Coon Rapids, Iowa. Garst, who will play host this week to the visiting Premier of Soviet Russia, Nikita Khrushchev ... is the ... grandson of Abraham Garst, who ... at one time owned a section of the land presently known as Hollins College."

n "Larry LeGrand, former Carver High athlete, has been signed to a contract by the New York Yankees, members of his family report."

n "Roanoke Valley has been warned about water shortages despite resources that will provide an adequate supply for the next 40 years."

n "That bright object that zipped across the skies last night left the population below all shook up. And visions of men from Mars and other space people to the contrary, Air Force and weather officials are calling it a meteor."

1934 (75 years ago)

n "Crushed by the verdict that takes his liberty from him and gives him the brand of a felon, Jacob H. Frantz, 65-year-old former treasurer of the City of Roanoke, placed his head in his hands and sobbed after hearing a jury's verdict in Hustings Court last yesterday afternoon which found him guilty of embezzlement."

n The nation will hear President Roosevelt's first -- and perhaps only -- dedication of a public building when his address dedicating the two-million-dollar Roanoke veterans hospital for mental cases is broadcast by CBS and NBC networks."

n "Cutting fast-stepping backs loose behind interference that improved as the game progressed, Jefferson high school six times crossed the enemy's goal line to hand Radford high a 41-0 defeat."

n "Charles 'Rip' Patrone, the Roanoke College half-back who twists and turns and passes with ease and who, on top of that, is the Maroons' signal-barker, probably will return to the lineup when the Maroons face the University of Richmond Spiders."

n "Both northbound and southbound planes of the American Airlines stopped at the Roanoke airport today, ushering in regular airmail service for Roanoke."

1909 (100 years ago)

n "It has been announced that the route for the New York-Atlanta automobile tour will certainly be established by way of Roanoke."

n "Mr. Wittich, in his living singing song, 'Meet Me in Rose Times, Rosie,' made quite a hit last night, and everybody thought it beautiful."

n "Through well-directed efforts and by means of a splendidly organized plan, Postmaster Funkhouser has succeeded in transferring the post office from its old stand at the corner of Henry street and Church avenue to the new and temporary location on Salem avenue."

n "Togo is the name of a bloodhound which is owned by Detective Funk. He will be kept in this city and will be used to assist in the capture of criminals."

n "By a deal closed yesterday, the National Exchange Bank, of this city, purchased from R. H. Angell the property on Jefferson street occupied by the Amuzu Theater. The consideration was $26,500."

n "Today brings to a close the Great Roanoke Fair for the year 1909, and marks the falling of the curtain on the most successful undertakings of its kind that this city has ever known."

n "Plans for the new passenger station of the Virginia railroad were this morning placed in the hands of City engineer Gibboney."

n "At the Academy of Music next Thursday night George M. Cohan ... will present for the first time here, young Mr. Cohan's laughiest, danciest, daintiest, most melodist musical comedy, 'The Yankee Prince.' "