The following events occurred during the week of Nov. 18-24 in Bell County:

1890: The Duke and Duchess of Marboro arrived in their private railroad car to visit Middles borough. They were given a grand tour of the city, and taken to Cumberland Gap and up on the Pinnacle. In the evening they were given a festive dinner at The Middlesborough, the city’s finest hotel.

1896: Building companies had more than 400 cottages for rent in Middlesboro. At least 1/3 of them had been empty for more than three years and many were being utilized by squatters.

1898: A letter to the editor complained about the men and boys who stood on the street corners. “Nearly every day you can see these idle foul-mouthed reprobates fix their impudent gaze upon young ladies as soon as they come down the avenue, and then stand and stare and make outrageous remarks until they are out of sight.”

1910: King’s Daughters Hospital was dedicated. This was sthe result of three years’ of work on the part of the ladies of the town. For a number of years, there had been no hospital within 75 miles of Middlesboro.

1920: Three hundred people attended a meeting of the Law and Order League which was being organized to fight crime in the city. Circuit Judge Davis pointed out to the crowd that it had become dangerous for him to even come to Middlesboro and stand on the streets to talk to people. He said bootlegging and other vices were rampant.

1921: A former Middlesboro man, William Coffin, was named Consul General for Berlin, Germany.

1926: Official opening of the Coal House. (It was first located on the north side of Cumberland Ave. between 18th and 19th.

1947: The first railroad car of coal from a strip job in Bell County was shipped out from Middlesboro.

1955: Middlesboro went “dry.” Most of the 62 dealers authorized to handle beer and liquor in the city simply put out a “closed” sign, but Jimmy Ginsburg hung a mourning wreath on his Indian Rock roadhouse.

1956: Middlesboro defeated Newport Catholic 18-6 to secure a trip to the finals of Kentucky AA playoff against Hopkinsville.

To learn more about local history, visit the Bell County Museum, located just north of the Middlesboro Post Office, Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.