Newspaper Page Text
a Prize-Winning
Newspaper
1953
Better Newspaper
, Contests
VOLUME 90
Lockheed Aircraft Payroll Boosts Local Economy
Newton Aircraftsmen Go
120 Miles Daily To Work
Covington and the four counties of Newton, Rockdale,
Walton and Henry are receiving thousands of dollars weekly
in income from Georgia’s biggest industrial plant—the giant
Lockheed Aircraft Corporation-operated government air
craft factory at Marietta. This surprising fact was discovered
by a member of the NEWS staff.
It is 60 miles and a good hour
and-a-half drive from Covington
through the Atlanta metropolitan
area to the 2,830-acre federal
reservation where the world’s
largest integrated airplane plant
under one roof operates. It is
further than that from other
points in the four-county area.
Despite the distance and the
several hours of commuting
time, the fact is the* 33 workers
commute five times a week from
their homes in this area to Lock
heed where they help build six
jet B-47 bombers and the revolu
tionary C-130A turbo-prop n '-
itary freighter for the U. S.
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PWKTOH. THf MAGICIAN AND HYPNOTIST, is shown
above as ho io presented cm Honorary Doctorate by Con
way Boatman, president of Union Coliege. Preston win
present his world-famous stage show at the Junior High
School Auditorium, October 22nd and 23rd at 8:00 P.M.
The feature of the show wM be Preston's demonstration
of hypnotism, during which he will actually hypnotise vol
unteers from the audience, causing them to perform many
strange and unbelievable antics.
The Preston Show is guaranteed to be the finest and fun
nieet show you have ever seen — or your money wiH be
— *—-Ml- J
I' ”^wßeWew’^m.
Sponsored by COVINGTON ROTARY CLU«
CHRISTMAS IS
JUST WEEKS AWAY!
W
It's not too early to start , ,
shopping for that Christ- _
mas bike. Be sure it is
, /
H. W. DUKE BICYCLE AND AUTO SUPPLY
PHONE 3711 114 Monticello St. COVINGTON, GA.
Force.
Thirty-three does not sound
like many workers from a total
of 14,800, but these 33 workers
add more than $150,000 in per
sonal income annually in this
area. They increase bank deposits
by some $90,000. They spend at
least $120,000 yearly at local
stores.
When the workers’ families are
added and the service people
who provide the necessary house
hold services to them are count
ed, this factory 60 miles away
directly affects some 264 per
"ons in the area.
\ctually, Lockheed employees
She (Umnugtnn Nms
Local Aircraftsmen Help Build Stratojets at Marietta
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FOUR NEWTON COUNTY AIRCRAFTSMEN—These four residents, in k r inset, of the Covington
area ride together some 60 miles every day to work in the Lockheed aircraft plant at Marietta— a
daily round trip of approximately 120 miles. Five other Newton county residents perform the same
daily commuting feat. In the picture, made in front of Headhouse 2 at the plant, are, left to right,
C. W. Henderson, Rt. 1, Oxford, an expediter in the B-47 assembly and stock control department;
M. R. Edge, Rt. 2, Covington, a wire fabricator in the electrical and precision assembly depart
ment; J. H. Branham, Rt. 1, Oxford, a fuel cell installer in the final assembly and checkout depart
ment, and R. M. Budd, Oxford, a production flight supervisor in the B-47 production flight line de
partment. Slogan on headhouse (dimly seen in background) reads "Through These Gates Passes
the Best Aircraft Team in the Business." In the upper portion of the picture is the "final line" in
the 70-acre main factory of the Lockheed-Georgi a aircraft plant at Marietta, showing a B-47 Sirat
ojet being readied for delivery io the Strategic Air Command. Workers from the Covington area
help produce the arrow-winged, six-jet bombers for the Air Force, as well as the new USAF C-130A
turbo-prop military freighter, a revolutionary plane powered by four jet turbines harnessed io pro
pellers. Complete building is 1,024 ft. wide by 2,0 45 ft. long.
commute to work from a total
of 36 counties, officals disclosed,
and spread a payroll each week
of $1,400,000 through North
Georgia.
Aside from direct payroll ben
efits, the Lockheed plant and the
Air Force contracts it is fulfill
ing are indirectly sending thous
ands of other dollars into Cov
ington and the surrounding ter
ritory.
Sinee the plant went into pro
duction in 15)51, more than S4O
million has been spent in Geor
gia for a variety of items and
services. Millions in state taxes
paid by the company and its
employees likewise benefit every
county in Georgia.
Another way the infant-m
--age, giant-in-size industry is put
ting economic wealth in the
pockets erf people living within
its 36-county employee area is
through training them in aircraft
skills. In the past three years,
more than two million hours of
specialized training has been
given. The air craft know-how
taught in these classes has an
incalculable value in both dol
lars and sense.
By counties, the following are
Covington's ONLY HOME - OWNED and HOME - OPERATED Newspaper
the numbers of workers listed in
the four-county region: Henry,
7; Newton, 9; Rockdale, 6; and
Walton, 11. While this is what the
Lockheed records show, officals
said surveys indicate that many
more workers who are listed
under Atlanta, Marietta, and oth
er nearby addresses, actually
come from home communities in
areas outside the metropolitan
district. This means that prob
ably as many as 100 families in
the four-county region around
Covington are represented in the
big aircraft factory at Marietta.
While the extreme distance
from the plant would seem to
encourage workers to move clos
er to it, the trend in the four
county area is the other way.
A year ago, there was only 1
Lockheed employee commuting
from Rockdale county, 8 from
Newton, 3 from Henry and 7 from
Walton —a total of 19, as com
pared to 33 at present.
Aside from the remarkable
fact that Lockheed-Georgia em
ployees continue to commute
from nearlv one-fourth of the
state's counties, another plus
value is the increasing amount
of community-building the com
pany and its employees are doing.
Its unique employees’ Buek-of
the-Month organization, where
by nearly every worker contri
butes 25 cents a week for wel
fare and charity purposes, con
tributes annually some $135,000
to support various recognized
community agencies.
In a recent M-month period,
the aircrafters gave 7,200 pints
of blood to Red • Cross blood
banks in the area. On the thrift
side, they are the largest U. S.
Savings Bond buyers ki Georgia
by the payroll deduction plan.
This year they set a postwar
national record with 99.2 per
cent of all employees participat
ing in bond purchases.
The most tangible evidence
seen in this vicinity of the big
aircraft factory was on Septem
ber 1, 1953, when the big mock
up of the USAF C-130A turbo
prop airplane was towed through
the Covington square, enroute
from Savannah to the Marietta
factory. Occasionally, residents
may see the ‘‘con’’ trails of the
B-47 Stratojets on production
COVINGTON, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1954
test flights at altitudes of 35,000
feet or more.
Today, just a little more than
a year later, officials point out,
the C-130A —a Lockheed de
signed, four-engine military car
go carrier — is entering quan
tity production stages. All pro
duction versions of the new
type plane are scheduled to be
built in Georgia. The factory has
three quantity contracts and ex
pects more. The C-130 is powered
by jet turbines harnessed to giant
three-bladed propellers.
The plant is making the latest
type B-47 jet bombers and has
major modification contracts to
modernize early-model B-475, as
Newton Pastor
JOHN T. PARKER, newly ap
pointed pa*ior of the Newton
Circuit of the Methodist Church.
He and his family, Mrs. Parker
and two children, Marie (4) and
Sylvia (1), live at 1328 Floyd
Street, Covingion. Presently in
his second year at Candler School
of Theology, Emory University,
Mr. Parker graduated from the
University of Alabama in 1053.
The Newton Circu< is composed
of the Lovejov, Red Oat Austin
Chapel and Gaithers mdhodist
churches. The Parkers arg na
tives of Mobile. Alabama
Dungan McKinsey
Speaks to Lions
On Landscaping
The Covington Lions Club will
have Dungan McKinsey as it’s
speaker Thursday, October 14, at
7:30 p.m. at the Legion Hall. He:
is a landscape specialist, will give
home owners information on this
timely subject, as this is the
month to set out trees and shrub
bery.
Mr. McKinsey is an authority
on landscaping, having about 28
years experience. Some of his re
cent projects are: Ford Motor
Company in Hapeville; The
Jones-Glancey Memorial Clinic in
Duluth; The General Tire and
Rubber Company in Atlanta; and
many apartment units in and
around Atlanta. Mr. McKinsey is
a citizen of Newton County.
well as perform overhaul and
maintenance work.
Present backlog of orders at
the plant approximates S6OO
million and orders extend into
1957.
The importance of the 60-mile
distant airplane factory to Cov
ington, Newton and the surround
ing counties is another example
of Georgia’s increasing indus
trial power and the network of
economic benefits that take place.
It is similar to bringing new
power lines into an area. The
source of power — the generat
ing plant — may be dozens, or
even hundreds of miles away —
but the electricity brought by the
lines is a benefit to everyone
who is wired in, regardless of
the distance of the power plant.
County judging in this year’s
community development pro
grams will begin in late Octo
ber, according to R. E. Smith,
Extension Service community de
velopment specialist.
ANNOUNCING
THE OPENING OF
COVINGTOK
REALTY company
Development, Financing and Sale of Residential,
Business and Farm Property.
TODAY'S SPECIAL LISTINGS
FOR SALE
1. One new 6 room brick dwelling with full basement lo
cated just off Floyd Street
2. One 8 room relatively new house, with two baths suitable
for apartments, excellent condition, located on Wash
ington Street at edge of business district.
3. One 6 room house, exceptional buy, located on North
Emory Street.
4. One new 6 room brick house located in N. Covington.
FOR RENT
Three Apartments located on Conyers Street.
LAWN WOOD MEMORIAL PARK LOTS
Offices: Star Bldg. - 38 W. Square - Tel. 2145
3730—Walker Harris
■ r kizx Luruim ~a i i 2707—Donald Ballard
IF NO ANSWER CALL —-4117—Charles King, Jr.
4000—Dungan McKinsey
Layman's Day At
Porterdale Baptist
Sunday, October 17
PORTERDALE — “Layman’s
Day” will be observed at the
Porterdale Baptist Church on
Sunday, October 17, as a climax
to the Missionary Conference
which has been held the week
of October 10-17. At the eleven
o’clock service on that morn
ing, the guest speaker will be
O. T. Kitchens, of Atlanta.
Wendall Kitchens, the son of
the guest speaker and also the
FOR COMPLETE GAS SERVICE
We do any type gas installation, Natural
Gas or L P Gas.
Our service man is licensed and rnd
he has had 12 years experienc;. Ah ork
and prices guaranteed.
’T US MAKE AN ESTIMATE ON.
• Gas Installation
• Gas Cook Stoves
• Gas Water Heaters
• Gas Heaters, vente ?nted
• Gas Floor Furnace?
We will trade for your oL -love or heater.
Covington Furniture Co.
Low Prices —o — Easy Terms
THIS PAPER IS COVINGTON'S
INDEX TO CIVIC PRIDE
AND PROSPERITY
nephew of the Rev. Allen Redd,
will be the guest soloist.
Everyone is cordially invited
to attend this service.
The Rrotherhood of the church
will be in charge of this service.
Employment Service
Representative Here
A representative of the Georgia
State Employment Service will
be in Covington on Friday, Octo
ber 15, at the Courthouse at
9:30 a.m. to discuss job insurance
with applicants.
NUMBER 42