Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date …
1964: Surplus City, at 1609 Mabry Drive in Clovis, was selling rabbit ear TV antennas for 69 cents. Men’s and boys’ high-top tennis shoes were $2.49 a pair.
1952: Clovis Pioneers center fielder Frank Rice was on his way to the Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League after his contract was purchased for $5,000. Rice finished the season with the Pioneers, hitting .330 with 34 home runs, but never saw so much baseball success again, retiring in 1958 after 10 minor league seasons.
1936: A convicted Clovis rapist’s home was destroyed in a fire while he awaited transport to the state penitentiary. Curly Reynolds had lived at 204 Edwards St. in a small adobe house. Neighbors alerted firefighters to the blaze. Reynolds had pleaded guilty to statutory rape and was sentenced to 8 to 10 years in prison.
In state news …
1960: Ted Kennedy, the 28-year-old brother of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John F. Kennedy, was in Albuquerque to help open a campaign office. His mission: “appealing to independent voters and inviting Republicans to cross party lines come Nov. 8,” United Press International reported.
The future of football …
1969: The veer-T and its cousin, the wishbone, were trending in college football’s centennial year. “By blocking neither the tackle nor the end on the side of the line the play is going, Houston’s triple option puts tremendous pressure on the defensive secondary because the offensive tackle and end are free for downfield blocking assignments,” a story in the Clovis News-Journal explained. Arkansas Coach Frank Broyles said many teams would be switching their best athletes to defensive backs to counter the changes.
Pages Past is compiled by Clovis News Journal Editor David Stevens. Contact him at: