102 Years Ago
October 24, 1918
The influenza situation has reached such alarming proportions over the state that the mayor called a mass meeting of the citizens of Raeford to discuss means to combat it.
At this meeting it was decided to appoint fifteen representative men of the town to devise means of protecting the health of this community. These men met in the Mayor’s office Tuesday afternoon and it would be hard to find a body of men who would so willingly sacrifice their own personal interest for the good of the community as these men.
Raeford and surround country is practically the only section of North Carolina that is not overrun with the epidemic and only a few cases have appeared in this section however with the first appearance this body of men asked for ordinances closing all stores at seven o’clock (when the time change six o’clock) preventing the congregating of more than three people in any one crowd on the street and closing the drugstores on Sunday except for the filling of prescriptions.
Mayor Smith asked these men if they would back him up in enforcing such laws against anybody no matter who and upon receiving an affirmative reply called a meeting of the town commissioners and passed laws to meet the situation and to employ sufficient police force to enforce the laws without regard to person or color and people are hereby warned that the only loafing place in Raeford is the County Jail and that admission can be readily obtained by collecting in crowds on the street.
Hoke Count has little LU and does not want any more and the citizens of the county are called on to help in the movement to keep people at home except when necessary that they come to stores or gins or other places of business to do something that connate wait.
If there is any sickness call a doctor.
The INFLUENZA is just as bad as you have heard. Keep out of crowds and don’t go unless you have to.”
“There have been fifty or more cases of influenza at the cotton mill here but no deaths.”
“Miss Mary Harrell came home from Red Springs last week. We are told there were about 50 cases of influenza in the college.”
“The railroad and express employees are sick and dying so that transportation is affected; our shipment of paper was a day late last week on that account.”
“Mr. T.D. Hatcher is sick in bed we are sorry to hear. He has influenza.”
“Mr. Norman C. McLeod died of pneumonia in hospital in Fayetteville Sunday evening. He had been at work at Camp Bragg, took the influenza, was carried to a hospital, developed pneumonia, which caused his death.”
“Mr. Charlie Bennett was notified yesterday morning that his brother-in-law, Mr. J.T. Odom, who lived just over the Cumberland county line, was dead and every member of his family sick in bed with influenza.”
“Nearly fifteen thousand soldiers have died in the training cams in this country with influenza since scourge started a few weeks ago.”
Front-page notice: “Notice! Realizing the danger of the Spanish influenza we have passed the following resolution: Resolved that all churches, schools, moving picture theatres and places of entertainment in the county of Hoke be suspended until further orders.
JC. Thomas
E.S Smith
Dr. G.A. Graham
Dr. A.P. Dickson
The Town Commissioners passed the following resolution: Resolved: That we cooperate with the Board of Health of the county of Hoke in closing all places of meeting within the Town of Raeford, and add thereto the following: That all cold drink stands within the Town of Raeford be suspended until further orders; and that all children be kept of the streets of said Town. W.E. Freeman, Clark, E.S. Smith, Mayor”
75 Years Ago
March 22, 1945
”Hoke County is now to have its own Frozen Food Locker Plant!” At a meeting of the local Locker Rental Committee Monday night, D.J. Dalton, chairman of the committee, announced that more than 180 lockers have now been rented, which permits application to the War Production Board for priorities to build a plant with 300 lockers.
All names of World War I veterans of Hoke county are wanted for printing in the American Guide Book, which is being completed by the Woodman’s club. An incomplete list of those men who were sent from Hoke county has been secured from a News-Journal of September, 1918.
From Poole’s Medley, by D. Scott Poole: “This noise you hear on the radio is not music; it is a confusion of sounds. Music is a melody of sweet sounds, a structure of harmony; melody is wanting in the racket you hear over the radio.
Occasionally, there are a few strains of music, which encourages us to listen. If you notice the singing they have in school closing exercises in these latter days, you hear only the leading part, never more than a duet. We boys back on the farm, many late afternoons had a quartet. We then would listen to another quartet in the fields over the creek. It harmonized, too.
I am not offering criticism so much as regret. If there was any harmony of sweet sounds on this earth it was back fifty, sixty or seventy-five years ago at school closings at Ellerbe Springs, Mount Gilead, Troy, Dover and Carthage.”
“That hill just east of the Sanatorium would be an ideal place for that 900-bed hospital. As Hoke had to lose $3,000,000 taxibles because Fort Bragg was located where it is, that gives Hoke a first claim.
Or, that John S. Maultsby hill at Montrose would provide a good place for another health resort, and gardens and orchards galore. The hospital should be placed where the veterans could look out on the balance of the country these veterans saved from Hitler. Those high hills afford such opportunity.”
47 Years Ago
March 22, 1973
At their meeting Tuesday the recreation board reviewed plans for improvement of City Park at McLaughlin (sic) School. Total cost is estimated at $50,000. Suggested improvements include volleyball courts, improved play area surface, new play equipment, surfacing and installing benches in a quiet area, tennis courts and removing four or five trees to form an eara for pick up ball games. The price doesn’t include restrooms or lighting.
Henry Ward Oxendine of Pembroke was sworn into office to fill the 21st District House seat vacated by the death of Frank S. White. “I’ll be glad to listen to any problems resident of Hoke County might have and I’ll be glad to work with the people of Hoke County,” he said. The 32-year-old former teacher is a senior at N.C. Central University Law School.
Recent hirings have brought the Raeford Police Department strength up to eight men. This is almost double the strength of the department in mid-January when a rash of resignations had dropped the count to three men and Chief James F. Lamont.
25 Years Ago
March 22, 1995
Building a new jail may be constrained by the county’s financial picture, according to the Local Government Commission. The county’s fund balance, according to an audit, is below the recommended eight percent.
Hoke County’s health center is busting at the seams. Even though with the help of a grant the WIC program is moving, the center has a lack of space. Women, Infants and Children will move to a modular building. Health Center Director Don Womble says staff size has grown out of necessity because the caseload is growing.
Moore Regional Family Care Center at 116 Campus Avenue is now accepting new patient. Doctors Riley Jordan and Edward Carey are seeing patients Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.