The following events occurred during the week of Dec. 2-8 in Bell County:

1889: Announcement that Alexander Arthur had recovered sufficiently from the injuries he sustained in a train wreck in September to be able to move from Knoxville to Middlesborough.

1890: In the “Letters from the People” column of the local newspaper, engineer Ben M. Harney noted that there was not enough fall in Yellow Creek to make it a suitable vehicle for drainage. He proposed that a dam be constructed at Stoney Fork in order to impound sufficient water so that at regular intervals it could be let loose to flush out the creek (much like a giant modern day toilet).

1891: The City Council appropriated $25 to buy furniture for the colored school.

1903: The Middlesboro Distilling Company opened a large wholesale liquor store sin the Gormon Building on 19th Street.

1918: Ninety members of the Women’s Club met at the home of the president, Mrs. J. T. Alderson, to plan work for the upcoming year. Projects include addressing the appearance of the town, collecting books for the library and working for a better program in the schools.

1920: The local tannery had 500 employees.

1930: The Boy Scouts were collecting old toys and repairing them in order to provide Christmas gifts for the less fortunate.

1944: T/Sgt. James Templin Easton was cited by the English government for ground support rendered during the invasion of the Greek Islands. He was already the recipient of many honors including the Distinguished Flying Cross with eight oak leaf clusters and the Presidential Unit Citation. He had completed 72 air missions.

1951: The Brownie Theatre was closing. Commercial Bank was planning to open in their location.

1953: The city having voted to return to the Mayor-Council form of government, the Commissioners turned over city government to Mayor Whalin and the 12 persons named to the Common Council by the governor. All of the members of the Council were Democrats.

1968: William S. Tribell was elected president of the Kentucky Association of Rescue Squads.

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.