Sallisaw has first case of polio for this season
— Sequoyah County Times, July 15, 1949
From the files of Your Sequoyah County Times
25 Years Ago
(From the July 8, 1999, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Therma Tru, an insulated door and window manufacturing company currently located in Van Buren, Ark., is moving to Roland and is expanding. The plant, which now has 250 employees, will employ 1,000 people at its new site.
Action Tuesday night by the Roland Utility Authority will mean a 40 percent increase in revenue and the construction of over 100 new homes, David Redden, Roland town administrator, said.
Redden said Therma Tru could not expand in Van Buren because land cost was too high in Van Buren’s Industrial Park.
Redden said every town in the area was competing for Therma Tru, including Sallisaw and Poteau.
Redden said Roland will begin groundwork construction as soon as possible. He said the deadline to have the groundwork completed is January.
50 Years Ago
(From the July 11, 1974, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Three juveniles arrested and charged in the burglary of the Ellis Conoco Station in Vian June 14 escaped from the county jail in Sallisaw Sunday but were apprehended later.
A Sallisaw youth was apprehended at the Sallisaw Park west of town shortly after the escape. The two Vian youths were taken Monday in Vian by Sheriff Ade Walters and deputies Leo Matlock and Albert Hammett.
Matlock said that escape was made by breaking loose an iron bed rail and chiseling a hole in the wall.
The youths are awaiting trial in connection with the burglary.
75 Years Ago
(From the July 8, 1949, issue of the Sequoyah County Times) —Sallisaw has its first case of polio this week. Authorities at Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa have definitely diagnosed the illness of Frank Scott Jr., 13, as infantile paralysis.
Young Scott, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Scott, had recently been treated for a severe sore throat and a cold. However, it was thought that he was fully recovered, and he was given permission to ride his bicycle Monday afternoon.
Shortly afterwards the boy complained of being very tired and of severe pains in his legs. Dr. J.A. Cheek, M.D., upon examining the child, sent him to Hillcrest Memorial Hospital in Tulsa. Tuesday his case was definitely diagnosed as polio.
—About 8:00 p.m. Tuesday Sallisaw law officers were summoned to the scene of a fight between a girl, Bobbie Davis, and Jack Stewart.
Eye witnesses say that the young couple had been quarreling, and as Stewart started to walk away from the scene, Miss Davis took off her shoe and threw it at him. Stewart then struck the girl several times and she fell to the ground striking her head on the pavement.
Bobbie Diffee said that he had previously tried to separate Stewart and the Davis girl. When law enforcement officers arrived on the scene they arrested Diffee and later picked up Stewart.
An ambulance was summoned, but after receiving first aid Miss Davis was revived and she was taken to her home, according to Jim Wofford.
Diffee and Stewart were both jailed. Diffee was charged with drunkenness and the charge against Stewart was fighting. Both boys were arraigned before Judge W. R. Russell Wednesday morning.
100 years ago
(From the July 11, 1924, issue of the Sequoyah County Democrat) —Thirty-one years ago next Saturday W.H. McDonald turned the key in the lock of the little store, which he called “The Economy Store” and the business now known as McDonald & Matthews was born. Mr. McDonald came from Arkansas, where he grew up to manhood and he spent his early life on an Arkansas farm, tilling the soil among the rocks and stumps of that country.
Today the firm enjoys a large patronage and is an important factor in the business development of Sallisaw, Sequoyah County and Eastern Oklahoma, known as the store where “quality is higher than the prices.” Their motto has always been “a dollar’s worth for a dollar.”
—Patrolman Perry Chuculate informed us that fifteen drunks were arrested by the police department during the two days celebration and were locked up until they came to. This is quite a record, as on the last Fourth not half this number were arrested for drunkenness. The federal enforcement officer from a nearby district was a guest during the celebration and played the part of a “sleuth” and with the cunning of a fox landed two alleged whiskey peddlers, the peddlers, according to the story that is being told, sold completely “out” to the sleuth. They were released under bond, it is said.
