Pages past — April 23

On this date ...

1971: Ealy’s Furniture Store at 209 Main in Clovis was destroyed by fire.

Officials said the blaze, reported about 7 a.m., burned out of control for nearly three hours.

Constance Ealy Jones, the store’s owner, estimated damages at $100,000 to $150,000.

Officials said the cause of the fire was electrical. It started on the bottom floor of the two-story, brick building.

1956: San Angelo stood atop the early standings in the Southwestern League with a 4-1 record.

Four teams were a game behind at 3-2. The Clovis Pioneers, under the leadership of player-manager Frank Benites, were off to a 1-3 start, but heading into a home stand.

1951: A Clovis teenager was recovering from injuries suffered when his motorcycle collided with a car on the Portales highway.

Harold Kilmer, 18, of 1010 Sheldon St., suffered a fractured right arm, lacerations of the scalp and scattered abrasions, police said.

He was thrown through the car’s windshield after the car turned in front of him.

Kilmer “was badly dazed” and told the doctor he could remember only that he had been riding a motorcycle, the Clovis News-Journal reported.

Pages Past is compiled by Editor David Stevens. For more regional history, check out his weblog at:

http://www.highplainsyesterdays.com