OZONA HISTORY

August 2, 1934

A five-day delay in shipping of cattle in the government’s drought relief cattle buying program, occasioned by strikes in the livestock shipping centers, was lifted Monday of this week and movement of cattle from parched ranges of Crockett County was resumed. The appraisal of herds and the killing of condemned cattle continued during the interim, however, and between 1500 and 1800 head were started on the road to the shipping points immediately upon receipt of the lifting order. With approximately 11,000 head signed up in Crockett County, a total of 8,504 head had been appraised up to Wednesday night with 3,289 of that number condemned and killed. The money value of the cattle appraised to date is $95,000. Checks already received by Crockett County growers from government sales total $56,344, according to records in the office of J.S. Barlow.

August 3, 1944

The rodeo fans who come to Ozona August 12 and 13 for the first revival of western sports in Crockett County since the outbreak of war will have opportunity to see twirling talent unexcelled in Madison Square Garden or any other show is emphasized this week in announcement by rodeo officials that a matched calf roping contest has been arranged for the local show between two of the nation’s top rodeo hands. Toots Mansfield of Big Spring, world champion calf roper, and James Kinney, recognized as one of the strongest contenders for the title, have been matched in an eight-calf event for the Ozona rodeo, it was announced this week. Kinney is from Marathon. Both Mansfield and Kinney are considered among the nation's top ropers, and Kinney a few years ago at Colorado City gave Mansfield one of the toughest tussles he ever encountered in a matched event wherein final time was less than a second a calf in Mansfield's favor. 

July 29, 1954

Responding to a letter of request from the Civic Committee of Lima community and a petition signed by parents of students, the district school has ordered that pupils in the seventh and eighth grades be transferred from the South Elementary school to the Junior High School, effective with the opening of the 1954-55 term in September. At the same time, the board adopted three other changes in the school program for next year which seek to equalize facilities and training program in all schools of the system. One of these changes will be the discontinuance of band training in the fifth grade effective with the next school term. So that pupils of last year’s fifth grade who had band training may have the benefit of an uninterrupted program, band training will begin in the sixth grade in the 1954-55 term but after next year, band training will start in the seventh grade. Another change was the designation of the seventh and eighth grades only for Junior High athletic program. This does not mean that there will be no athletics or physical training in the lower grades, but Junior High intra-city competition will be confined to the seventh and eighth grade pupils.

July 30, 1964

Architect Jack McDurmitt of San Angelo was authorized to proceed with the preparation of preliminary plans for the construction of the new Ozona Civic Center when he met with the Commissioners Court and members of the citizens advisory committee here Friday afternoon. Mr. McDurmitt predicted that it will be six weeks before final plans can be perfected and specifications prepared in readiness for asking bids from contractors. Projecting planning into advertising and opening of bids, awarding of contract, construction period, it was estimated that the new civic center building will be complete probably sometime in February. Deed to the 200x200 foot lot at the corner of First St. and Avenue H. across from the football field to the north and east from the county medical building, has been secured by the county from Mr. and Mrs. Dick Henderson, who gave the tract without cost to the county as a memorial to the pioneer citizens of Crockett County.

August 1, 1974

William Herbert Aaron, 26, was killed in this pickup wreck early Friday morning north of Ozona. The pickup went out of control on a curve, sheared off a tree two feet thick, overturned several times and came to rest on its top in a pasture several yards from the highway. 

August 1, 1984

The Tri-Cities Shrine Club hosted the Suez Temple Shriners over the weekend, getting the meeting off with a parade Saturday morning and ending the day with a dance at the Country Club that night. Over 175 attended with their wives.