Junes past, 50 years ago.

From the LaGrange Daily News, 1966.

Front Page News

Latest $1.9 Million Contract Awarded On Dam — The Department of the Army has awarded a $1.9 million contract to Farrell Construction Company of Memphis, Tenn. for work on the West Point Dam project.

Farrell submitted a low bid of $1,972,868 for construction of the first stage cofferdam and excavation for the concrete dam and powerhouse structures for the $64.2 million West Point project.

All this work is scheduled to be completed within 420 calendar days. Other earlier contracts are presently underway at the dam site and its surroundings.

Engineers Will Relocate County Roads — Troup County commissioners Tuesday voted to let the U.S. Corps of Engineers handle and build all county roads and bridges in connection with the $64.2 million West Point Dam.

The board agreed to let the Corps of Engineers build some 14 roads and eight bridges, which will have to be relocated due to the reservoir.

The estimated cost of the roads and bridges is approximately $2 million dollars. The building and construction of the roads will be at no cost to the county. After completion the Corps will turn the roads and bridges over to the county for maintenance.

60 Sites In Reservoir Area Set For Excavation — University of Georgia archaeologists began a survey Wednesday of the land that is to become the basin of the West Point Dam reservoir on the Chattahoochee River.

The archaeologists plan to carry out salvage and excavation operations on at least 60 sites of historical importance before knowledge of them becomes lost when the area is flooded.

Dr. A.R. Kelly, university professor of anthropology, said the earliest Indian occupations in the area date back to 7,000 or 8,000 years ago.

The university, acting on behalf of the state, is cooperating in this undertaking with the National Park Service and the Corps of Engineers.

Open House Sunday At LaGrange’s Newest Church — The culmination of a five-year dream will be observed Sunday when members of LaGrange’s newest church, the Broad Street Church of Christ, holds an open house in their beautiful new sanctuary between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m.

The building, located on the corner of Ben Hill and Broad Street, is situated on the former Dunaway property, which was purchased in June 1959. Members met in the Dunaway home until some nine months ago when construction of the new church began.

Valued in excess of $150,000, the new church building is of English Gothic design and contains 10,000 square feet of floor space.

New Sewage Plant Here Is Nearing Completion — LaGrange’s million dollar-plus Yellow Jacket Creek sewage treatment plant is nearing completion, according to City Manager Bruce Lovvorn.

The exact cost of the project cost will be $1,017,000.

City voters approved a $1,750,000 bond issue last June to finance the program. This bond issue authorizes the construction of two treatment plants, one for the Yellow Jacket Creek drainage basin to be located off Country Club Road, and another plant designed for industrial waste to be located in the Blue John Creek drainage basin.

Both this plant and the one to be built on Blue John are designed for built-in expansion as the city grows.

Land Purchased For New Shopping Center — Fifteen acres of land have been purchased as the site for the $2 million LaGrange Plaza Shopping Center.

The center will be constructed on Commerce Avenue, beginning at Chick-N-Treat and extending toward the International Latex plant.

Purchase price was $10,000 per acre, a total of $150,000.

Plans are to open the center March 1, 1967, according to Mrs. Sally Culpepper, LaGrange Realtor who is handling the real-estate transactions on the project for Independent Enterprises of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The center will open with 15 stores and will be operated around a Roses Department Store which will contain 66,000 square feet.

He Can’t Give Again — A LaGrange man has donated 5 gallons and 3 pints of blood to the American Red Cross during his lifetime … and he will be a little sad next Tuesday because he will not be able to give again.

The 5-gallon donor is J.T. Keel, who was 60 years old on March 26. After a person reaches 60 he can no longer give blood.

Mr. Keel urges LaGrange residents to turn out for the Bloodmobile at the First Baptist church on Tuesday, June 28, between the hours of 9:30 and 2:30. “It is extremely important this year … to help our soldiers in Vietnam,” he said.

LaGrange Star Named ‘Track Man of Year’ — Team captain Dwight Ellison of Clark College and LaGrange was recently named Track Man of the Year in the State of Georgia by the Atlanta Track Club.

Ellison was presented a plaque for his outstanding achievement during the 1966 track season at the track club’s annual awards banquet.

He won the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 120 high hurdles championship for the second consecutive year, and finished first in the 440 intermediate hurdles in the conference meet.

In high school Ellison was captain of the East Depot track team his senior year and was presented the most valuable track performer trophy and the best all around athletic award.