As presented in the Fifty Years Ago column in the Sunday, Nov. 29, 1959, edition of the Rome News-Tribune

Considerable interest was displayed in the arrival a half-century ago last week of the “apostle of good roads,” Charles W. Thatcher, who stopped overnight to address the Manufacturers and Mer-chants Assn., the Darlington School students, and the public school pupils.

Crowds gathered around as he pulled up in his prairie schooner hitched to two Spanish mules. Thatcher was a picturesque figure.

Tall and lanky, his corduroys clasped by a cartridge belt, and a battered sombrero over a mass of thick, dark hair. He had with him a dog and an extra mule to retrieve the team.

Stating that he had often been declared a dreamer, but that several of his previous visions of highways had come true, he told Romans that “my idea of a national highway from the Lakes of the Gulf may seem chimerical (improbable) to you. But it will be built, built within five years.” He told them that roads must be constructed in the South to keep pace with the growing popularity of the automobile.

***

The first serious accident of Rome involving an automobile occurred last week in 1909, when Jimmie, 12-year-old son of J.B. Weems of Butler Street, ran his bicycle into a machine driven by a Birmingham man.

Jimmie was riding on Broad Street when the streetcar in which his sister was a passenger came along. He was waving to her when his bicycle crashed into the automobile. He landed on his head and received a skull fracture and concussion. The autoist put him in his car and rushed him to Harbin Hospital, where Dr. Harbin did an emergency operation. He was in serious condition, but hope was held for his recovery.

***

In spite of efforts to the contrary, developments of the week at the state Baptist Convention had practically assured the fact that Shorter College would remain at its location on the Third Avenue hill.

The movement looking toward the removal of the college to a suburb and the donation of $100,000 for new buildings had been withdrawn.

***

Considerable interest was displayed in the arrival a half-century ago last week of the “apostle of good roads,” Charles W. Thatcher, who stopped overnight to address the Manufacturers and Merchants Assn., the Darlington School students, and the public school pupils.

Crowds gathered around as he pulled up in his prairie schooner hitched to two Spanish mules. Thatcher was a picturesque figure.

Tall and lanky, his corduroys clasped by a cartridge belt, and a battered sombrero over a mass of thick, dark hair. He had with him a dog and an extra mule to retrieve the team.

Stating that he had often been declared a dreamer, but that several of his previous visions of highways had come true, he told Romans that “my idea of a national highway from the Lakes of the Gulf may seem chimerical (improbable) to you. But it will be built, built within five years.” He told them that roads must be constructed in the South to keep pace with the growing popularity of the automobile.

***

The first serious accident of Rome involving an automobile occurred last week in 1909, when Jimmie, 12-year-old son of J.B. Weems of Butler Street, ran his bicycle into a machine driven by a Birmingham man.

Jimmie was riding on Broad Street when the streetcar in which his sister was a passenger came along. He was waving to her when his bicycle crashed into the automobile. He landed on his head and received a skull fracture and concussion. The autoist put him in his car and rushed him to Harbin Hospital, where Dr. Harbin did an emergency operation. He was in serious condition, but hope was held for his recovery.

***

In spite of efforts to the contrary, developments of the week at the state Baptist Convention had practically assured the fact that Shorter College would remain at its location on the Third Avenue hill.

The movement looking toward the removal of the college to a suburb and the donation of $100,000 for new buildings had been withdrawn.

***

“Planned in the hospitable depths of a big brain and a big heart, executed with perfection of detail, marked by attendance of the best brains in North Georgia, and thrilled by the eloquence of leaders in the state and the nation, the banquet given by Hon. Wright Willingham to the bench and bar of the Seventh District was a brilliant success.”

Thus stated The Tribune-Herald last week a half-century ago, concerning this most elaborate and completely private party held at the Cherokee Hotel.

The turkey dinner menu headed the two-column front page story under streamers. One hundred guests sat at beautifully decorated tables, and Nixon’s orchestra provided music.