Above: the object of their desire, a 1960 Plymouth.
On July 2, 1960, a crowd described by Summerville Police Chief Griffin Pledger as the "biggest crowd we've ever had in this town" pushed their way to a platform in front of the courthouse to witness the drawing for a new 1960 Plymouth to be given away by the Summerville Retail Merchants Association. Tickets were available at dozens of merchants including Western Auto, Garnett's for Furniture, and the State Restaurant.
If Chief Pledger had a riot squad in 1960, he would have called them out for sure. Cars were parked along West Washington Street past Summerville First Methodist Church.
A cement mixer tumbled the tickets. Young Gene Cordle reached inside and handed the winning ticket to the merchant's representatives standing on the platform. There is a piano sitting on the platform so perhaps there was entertainment as a build-up to the grand finale.
And the winner is... Mrs. Emmett Clarkson. Harold Shavin, president of the Summerville Retail Merchants Association, is shown raising Mrs. Clarkson's hand. She stated she was surprised, felt wonderful, and that she had never won anything before in her life.
Here's hoping that Mrs. Clarkson received many carefree miles of travel in her new 1960 Plymouth.
Photographs by T.Emmett Nunn. Courtesy of Chattooga Library. Three of the above images appeared in the Chattooga Democrat newspaper. This short-lived publication was also the source of the above information.