1897 :: Death of Mrs. Finnie Davis

Austin, Tex., July 26. -- Mrs. Finnie Davis jumped from the south-bound International train about a mile and a half this side of Rockdale this afternoon while it was running about thirty-five miles an hour and was instantly killed. She was being conveyed from Reisel to the insane asylum in this city, and, according to the officer's statement, had been very restless all day. A gentleman had been standing in the rear door of the train and had left it open when he stepped out on the platform. Mrs. Davis, seeing it open, jerked away from her guard and bounded out through the door and off the platform. The train was stopped and went back and picked up the unfortunate woman, who was dead. Justice Johnson held an inquest here this evening. The remains were embalmed and shipped to the husband at Reisel to-night, accompanied by the guard, Mr. Lowry. Dallas Morning News, July 27, 1897

1897 :: Death of George Chambers

Rockdale, Milam Co., Tex., July 24. -- News reached here of the death of George Chambers last Wednesday. He was dragged by a mule several days ago, and death resulted. Dallas Morning News, July 25, 1897

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Died of His Injuries. Rockdale, Tex., July 24. -- (Special.) -- News reached here of the death of Geo. Chambers last Wednesday. He was dragged by a mule several days ago, and his injuries were not supposed to be serious. He was hurt internally, however, and death resulted. Austin Weekly Statesman, July 29, 1897

1913 :: Death of John Whiteley

Rockdale, Tex., July 18. -- John Whiteley, a prominent citizen and Farmers' Union official of this county, died here. He had just mounted his horse to return home from a Farmers' Union meeting when he was seized with an attack of apoplexy and fell dead. Dallas Morning News, July 19, 1913

1913 :: Four Hurt in Explosion

Rockdale, Tex., July 17. -- A boiler at the Vogel lignite mine, three miles east of Rockdale, exploded at noon today, wrecking the plant and injuring four men. No one was in the engine room at the time. W.H. Castleberry was the most seriously injured. He has a broken collar bone, three broken rigs and was otherwise cut and bruised. He will recover. The property damage was heavy. Dallas Morning News, July 18, 1913 

1927 :: Rockdale Highway Bridge is Opened

Rockdale, Milam Co., Texas, July 5. -- The State Highway bridge on West Cameron street, which spans Ham Branch, the stream that separates the town proper from College Hill, was opened to traffic Monday, when hundreds of autoists passed over it out to Fair Park to participate in the Fourth of July festivities. 

The City Council recently let the contract to the Pace-Davis Company for the building of two new concrete bridges over the stream, one to be on West Bell, the other on North Ackerman street. Work will begin within the next few days. The estimated cost of the Bell street bridge is $3,000 while the new Ackerman bridge work will run close to $2,000. Dallas Morning News, July 6, 1927

1943 :: Death of Claud Drake

Claud F. Drake, 77, of Rockdale, Milam County, chamber of commerce manager and assistant night editor of The News, from 1911 to 1913, died at a Cameron hospital Thursday. Born in Macon, Ga., in 1866, he served newspapers in the capacity of reporter and editor in Alabama before coming to Texas. He wrote extensively for the Manufacturers Record and other trade journals and was active until his death in promoting oil development in Milam County. Drake was in chamber of commerce and newspaper work at Weatherford and Rockdale in his later years. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at the Elmwood Cemetery in Weatherford, where he will be buried beside his wife, the late Mrs. Annie Grace Drake, widely known newspaper writer and clubwoman. He is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Quintus T. Witte, Long Island, N.Y.; three grandchildren and three stepchildren, Mrs. Dunwoody D. Wier, Dallas; Austin E. Burges, Dallas, and Mrs. Grace Baldwin, Ventura, Calif. Dallas Morning News, July 2, 1943