The Shadow
SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
June 15, 1936
Today’s Headline: Old Sweet Springs Is Now in West Virginia Because Of Feud.
Miss Mary S. Venable, Alleghany County research worker, has submitted to headquarters in Richmond the origin of a 90-degree “dip” in the Virginia boundary line at the southern tip of Alleghany County to a rivalry between operators of adjacent resorts.
The dip, she said, was directly attributed to a resolution of Oliver Beirne, 19th century operator of Old Sweet Springs, not to live in the same state with a “Mr. Kelly,” proprietor of Sweet Chalybeate, a rival institution nearby.
“At the same time,” Miss Venable related,” the line had been surveyed, but in some way, no one knew how, Oliver Beirne got hold of the surveyors and persuaded them to change the line so that it ran between the two resorts, placing Old Sweet Springs in West Virginia and leaving Sweet Chalybeate on the Virginia side.
FIFTY YEARS AGO
June 15, 1961
Today’s Headline: Break In Nets 40 Cents.
An unknown intruder who broke into Watson School on Pine Street and removed the coin box sometime between 3 p.m. Tuesday and 7 a.m. Wednesday night might as well have stayed home. His “take” totaled 40 cents, police said.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
June 15, 1986
Today’s Headline: Former Resident Honored By John Tyler College.
Mrs. Marian Peters Gibson of Chesterfield County has been awarded the Elks National Foundation Scholarship/grant in the amount of $1,000. She is a graduate of Covington High School and an honor graduate of John Tyler Community College.
FIVE YEARS AGO
June 15, 2006
Today’s Headline: Douthat Celebrates 70th Anniversary.
Douthat State Park opened to tourists 70 years ago today, June 15, 1936.
It was one of six state parks opened in 1936, having been constructed by Civilian Conservation Corps members during the Great Depression.
