Yesteryears -
Checker Tournaments
(on the large pictures you
may click mouse on left margin and drag picture over contents so you can
see all players)
(front) Jim Truitt of Marietta, GA
of Sanford, NC. James B. Truitt was born in 1908, and originally from
Texas. A peach farmer who would bring a basket of peaches
to the tys, recruited
Jerry Ingram & Harvey Kelley. He was our D4 Mgr before Clint, then Larry
(Clint Pickard photo in 80's)
Palomino Motel and Restaurant
US #1-15-501 Bypass South Sanford
1939 postcard of
Palomino Motel
Let's identify all 32 of these players, Kneeling L to R:
1979 GAYP National Tournament in Sanford, NC
at The Flame Steak House (right of Dairy Bar)
Let's identify all 40 of these players, Kneeling L to R:
QT East, Wayne Milhado, Beril Smith, Raleigh Johnson?, unknown?, Joe Schwartz,
Lloyd Castello, KD Hanson, unknown?,
John Webster, Clint Pickard, unknown?, unknown?,
Back row L to R: WH Amos, HM Jackson, unknown?, Elbert Lowder, EW
McConnell, Paul Davis, Wayne England, Sidney Misner,
Bill Levine, Les Balderson, Jim Morrison,
Vic Defenderfer, EG McQueen, unknown?, Tim Laverty, WC Greene, Bernard Ross, RE Stinnett,
WE Williams, Frank Walls, Ira Hinson,
King D Williams, Doyle Pearson, Waldo Barton,
James "Sawmill" Sipe, unknown?, unknown? (Clint
Pickard contributed group photo)
Elbert Lowder vs Angus Simpson then Harry Anderson vs Ed Scheidt
& Grover Swinney at end of table, (bkgd) L: Tony Bishop & R: Jerry Ingram & John Webster. This picture was taken at the 1975 NC State Ty
at Sanford Moose Lodge which I cut/pasted it from
a Southeastern - District 4 - Checker Tournament flyer. The text above picture
read as: "36 years of NC State Championships are represented in the picture below"
however, Elbert Lowder has expanded that! (count'em - currently 34 times
by himself)
1925 Hallman wins title: Sam Hallman vs Ed Scheidt 8-3-9 at Spartanburg, SC., in a challenge for the Southern Championship.
Lancaster, SC Checker Tournaments
JC Little reviews a position on
sidewalk curb of parking lot at a Lancaster tournament to the Winston-Salem
group (Fred Church, LW Newsom, & Joe McClellan).
Ira Lee Hinson a route salesman of Lancaster,
SC and Ty Director always put on great checker tournaments there.
Typically, the South Carolina Open a 3-day tourney
was held in Mid-May at the Carriage Inn in Lancaster,
SC. Tourney would have 50-60 players from 9-10 States with Master playing
6 rounds (2 Fri. 3 Sat. & 1 Sun) and
Majors playing 8 rounds (3 on Fri, 4 on
Sat, & 1 on Sun) over Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. Bob Cooper, Pat Berry, Harvey Kelley, Jerry Ingram, Elbert Lowder,
Tim Laverty, Jim Truitt, &
Rev. RT Jones are a few you would expect to see there, and of course a horde of other SC & NC checker players. Harvey Griffin gave
me this picture he took in mid '80s. 1989 SC Open Ty
Two Checker Friends - Dick Fortman vs Marion Tinsley