Compiled by
Mavis Uhlmansiek
Celebrating the history of
Ohio County and Rising Sun
50 YEARS AGO
February 17th, 1966
Records are made to be broken, but the Hoosier Boy holds a Speed Boat record on the Ohio River, established in 1924, that still stands. The Hoosier Boy will be on display at the Cincinnati Sports, Vacation and Boat Show at The Cincinnati Gardens, February 18th-27th. This boat belonged to the late J. W. Whitlock of Rising Sun and is still owned by the Whitlock family.
Rising Sun draws Patriot Thursday for the IHSAA Basketball Tournament February 24th, 25th, 26th. Aurora will play North Dearborn, Dillsboro versus Whitewater, and Moores Hill will play Lawrenceburg.
John G. Roeder will assume his duties officially as Superintendent of Rising Sun-Ohio County Community School on February 21st.
From the column of Scribblings by Dorotha Stegemiller: The Hoosier Boy’s racing days may have ended some 30 years ago, but the famous old boat still attracts much attention. This week, the powerful No. U-7 was hauled out of storage at the Whitlock factory for an exhibition at the Cincinnati Gardens Boat Show. The remarkable old green and white boat will bring back memories to many who may been among the crowds that lined the Ohio River banks to watch it perform in those early day free-for-all contests – the races which were the forerunner of today’s highly organized classified regattas. Those who remember will inform the younger generation of how the late J. W. Whitlock of Rising Sun built and raced the monstrous 24-feet long, single step hydroplane, powered by a 400-horsepower Packard Liberty motor. And how on October 9th, 1924 he accomplished a record that still stands, when he piloted the craft from Cincinnati to Louisville and returned without stopping – covering 267 miles in 267 minutes and 49 seconds. This was before the tie of river lock and dams. But the speed, within 49 seconds of a mile a minute, was something of tremendous wonder then.
Gary Siekman and Linda Weiss were crowned King and Queen of the Sophomore Sweetheart Dance at Rising Sun High School.
Additional information regarding the old landmark on Main Street, which collapsed after the heavy snow, has been furnished by Miss Jane North and Miss Ethel Palmer. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the building was the Corner Drugstore, owned by Frank Buchanan. He was assisted in the store by one of his five daughters, Edith, who was also a pharmacist. In later years, Edith worked at the Hemphill Drugstore. Miss North recalls that Mr. Buchanan was a taxidermist and had stuffed animals in the window. She especially remembers a stuffed lion on display. The druggist was not too well having suffered sunstroke, and spent much time in a living room at the store. This is where he wrote the book “Bogus Hollow” published in 1901. The story concerns the legend of how that section of the community received its name after counterfeiters were supposed to have lived there and dealt in “bogus” money.
100 YEARS AGO
February 11th, 1916
A constitution and by-laws have been adopted for the Rising Sun Athletic Association, which plans to build a gymnasium. Officers have been elected with W. M. Green, Jr., president; J. L. Wessler, vice president; Ben Moore, recording secretary; Frank Newman, financial secretary and Lucian Harris, treasurer.