Local Knowledge: What was Macon like in 1925?

Ah, 1925. It was a busy year. 

Mount Rushmore was dedicated. Johnny Carson, Margaret Thatcher, Paul Newman, Dick Van Dyke, B.B. King and Richard Burton were born.

And lest we forget the Scopes Monkey Trial in the summer of 1925.

A science teacher named John Thomas Scopes was found guilty of teaching evolution in a nationally publicized trial in Dayton, Tennessee.

I feel a kinship with the Scopes trial. My wife was born in Dayton. (I should probably point out it was many years later.) And part of my assigned reading in high school was the play “Inherit the Wind.” (I have committed Proverbs 11:29 to memory ever since.)

But what was going on in Macon in 1925? “Local Knowledge” takes a century-long step back in time to test you this week.

1. The world’s first crop-dusting company, Huff-Daland Dusters, was founded in Macon in 1925 and formed the foundation for a company that would later become what?

A — Tesla.

B — Dust Busters.

C — Delta Airlines.

D — Nike Air.

2. Which of the following is not true about the Macon City Auditorium, which opened in 1925 and has been a venue for graduations, proms, concerts, sporting events and funerals?

A — It has one of the largest copper domes (152 feet in diameter) in the world, giant Doric columns on three sides and a mural above the stage that depicts Macon’s history from Hernando de Soto’s visit in 1540 to World War I.

B — It provided shelter for Macon residents during the solar eclipse of 2017.

C — Oprah Winfrey taped her TV show there when she visited Macon in November 2007. 

D — The two largest funerals in Macon history were held there, including services for heavyweight boxer W.L. “Young” Stribling in October 1933 and singer Otis Redding in December 1967.

3. The autobiographical novel “Plume” was written by Laurence Stallings, who was born in Macon. It was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1925 and adapted later that year for the silent film epic, “The Big Parade.’’ The movie is considered one of the greatest films about World War I and later influenced other war films, including “All Quiet on the Western Front.” It was MGM’s top-grossing film for 14 years until what movie classic was released in 1939?

A — “The Wizard of Oz.”

B — “Wuthering Heights.”

C — “Gone with the Wind.”

D — “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

4. This week marks the 100th anniversary of the first game Mercer played in its new 12,000-seat Centennial Stadium on Sept. 26, 1925. The Bears lost to Georgia 32-0. The stadium was torn down in 1995 and is now the site of the Hilton Garden Inn. It was renamed in 1941 after what local philanthropist?

A — James Porter.

B — Peyton Anderson.

C — William Fickling.

D — Jesse Mercer.

5. In December 1925, Macon announced plans for what to be installed on Cherry Street — a first for the city?

A — Roundabout.

B — Traffic signals.

C — Parking meters.

D — Zip line.

6. A polio patient rehabilitating at Warm Springs, Georgia, contributed nine guest columns to The Macon Telegraph in the spring of 1925. He used the columns as a platform to introduce ideas he would later enact as the governor of New York and President of the United States. What was his name?

A — Calvin Coolidge.

B — Harry Truman.

C — Teddy Roosevelt.

D — Franklin D. Roosevelt.

7. Veterans of three wars gathered for a centennial celebration of the Macon Volunteers at the Armory in Macon in the spring of 1925. Because of Prohibition, what beverage was served at the event?

A — Red Bull.

B — Green tea.

C — Soft drinks.

D — Juice boxes.

8. The winter of 1925 received 23.34 inches of what substance, the highest amount on record?

A — Rainfall.

B — Junk mail.

C — Cicadas.

D — Leftover holiday fruitcake.

9. Macon is home to the International Cherry Blossom Festival. But in 1925, it was touting itself as what?

A — Kudzu Capital of Georgia.

B — Rose City of the South.

C — Camellia Corner of Central Georgia.

D — Ginkgos ‘R’ Us.

10. Which of the following is a true statement about Macon in 1925?

A — A protest was held at Macon City Hall demanding that Mayor Luther Williams raise property taxes on senior citizens and approve the construction of a data center in Shirley Hills.

B — There were five bridges and 14 Waffle Houses.

C — There were 73 downtown hotels and 57 streets named after trees.

D — There were 89 churches and 11 denominations.

ANSWER KEY:
(1) C. (2) B. (3) C. (4) A. (5) B. (6) D. (7) C. (8) A. (9) B. (10) D.