April 18, 1991
* Three hikers from the “Happy Hikers Club” were injured by a fallen tree and were rescued from the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock portion of the wilderness. The injured hikers were transported to boats, then ambulances for transport to the University of Tennessee Hospital. A dead oak tree – 18 inches in diameter – fell from the top of a rock cliff onto the hikers.
* Jay Stewart agreed to be the coordinator of St. Jude Children’s Regional Hospital Bike-A-Thon in Robbinsville. The 1991 program was dedicated to Brooke Simon, a 6-year-old tumor patient at St. Jude.
April 18, 1975
* Cases of beer were taken from people transporting it illegally and were stored in the Sheriff’s office. It was court ordered that all 96 cases be taken to the landfill and destroyed by sheriff Melvin Howell (shown operating the bulldozer); along with deputies Sam Shope and Noah Shuler. The trio also burned 10 pounds of marijuana.
* The Graham County Railroad was forecasted to have a “grim outlook,” after 5-7 inches of rain slammed the area in less than 24 hours. The downpour led to the railroad losing two bridges and two miles of track. General Manager Dan Ranger publicly assured that, “everything possible is being done to keep the road in operation, but if the government cannot help out or emergency money raised elsewhere, then it is most likely the end will come to the rail service into Robbinsville.”
April 18, 1969
* The body of 13 year-old Reba Debty was found in Fontana Lake by the Nantahala Rescue Squad. The girl and a companion drowned when the 12-foot boat capsized. The body of Douglas Ray Watkins of Bryson City was located about three days later by a Graham County Rescue Squad boat. Four other individuals on the boat survived.
* Robbinsville was recognized in the newest edition of The 1969 Mobil Travel Guide. Out of the entire United States, only 4,208 were considered to have enough “tourist appeal” to be represented in the guidebook – and Robbinsville made the cut. The books listed over 23,000 places to eat and sleep.
-Compiled by Diane West and Kevin Hensley