Waggener High School - RingBrothersHistory.com

The Voice of St. Matthews, January 2, 1958: New in 1957 almost a carbon copyNews in 1957 almost a carbon of former yearsSt. Matthews still into it with Louisville, more churches and schools were built, butsports scene was really outstanding(Article in very bad shape, many paragraphs missing or unreadable. Edited.)Although 1957 was a year of growth and progress in St. Matthews, the news reads almost like a carbon copy of formeryears.The City of St. Matthews was still tussling with Louisville, new churches, places of business and schools were going up,and the population was increasing.The City was still ruled by the same men who organized it seven years ago and in the smaller cities on its fringes, therewere still many familiar faces.By the end of the year, the St. Matthews business district still belonged to the City of St. Matthews, and the public was stillwaiting to see whether the Court of appeals could let St. Matthew keep it or turn it over to the City of Louisville.St. Matthews grew considerably in size as ordinances annexing stores, churches and other institutions along ShelbyvilleRoad, Browns Lane and Hubbards lane were passed.A move to incorporated Middletown failed, but another move to incorporate part of Lyndon seemed certain of success.The sixth class Cities of Broad Fields and Briarwood were incorporated.Several attempts to rezone major portions of the East end for commercial and industrial use were made, the most conspicuousfailure being the request for rezoning of 524 acres near Lakeland to build a Reynolds Metals research center and plant.Residential building slowed down, but non-residential construction was high. John Walser finished a quarter million dollaroffice building on Westport Road, and the quarter-million-dollar Plantation Swimming club was open by July. The FairfaxBuilding was constructed on Frankfort Avenue by A. J. Eline, housing two stores, a dance studio and several offices.About $2,344,000 worth of new school buildings opened in December, including the Catholic Country Day school and twonew elementary schools, Shryock and Wilder.??? ??? Church buildings were ????, not counting a major expansion at Bethel E & R, and one of these, St. John Lutheran,was wrecked by a gas explosion and fire.In politics, St. Matthews remained Republican by a margin of more than nine to seven, while the rest of the County wasgoing democratic in the race for County-wide offices.The incumbent George Washington Party easily retained control of the six St. Matthews City council seats.The drama continued to flourish, as the Heritage Theatre, the St. Matthews Y Players and the St. Matthews CommunityTheatre maintained full and varied schedules.Two new fraternal organizations sprang into being the High Twelve club and the Elks.But most important to the youngsters here was the sports scene, and this formed one of the brightest chapters in the historyof St. Matthews for the year.The Eastern High Eagles completed the best season they ever had by winning the District and Regional Basketball titlesand going on to the finals of the State Tournament before they were beaten.The St. Matthews Merchants team won the Metropolitan Amateur Baseball Federation championship, and the Eastern Highfootball team won the County championship. And finally, the Trinity High cross-country track team won the State championship.St. Matthews Little League ???? expanded from its two ???? ???? four teams each, to four team ???? 16 teams, and anAmerican Legion League was formed.Circuit Judge Lyne Smith electrified the community. At the beginning of June, he ruled that Louisville’s April 1 annexationof the St. Matthews business district was null and void on the grounds that Louisville was barred by the failure of the MallonPlan from annexing the area for five years.Under the Mallon Plan the previous November, Louisville attempted to annex the suburbs. The plan was defeated by thesuburban vote. According to State law, a City may not attempt to annex the same territory twice in five years.Louisville immediately took the case to the Court of Appeals and there the matter rested at the end of the year.