10 YEARS AGO
Deaths this week: Earl Tingle, Norma Skrynek, Hattie Leap, Leschal Wright, Jr.
The bill to create a new circuit court district for Switzerland County has been resurrected, and after passing out of a conference committee last week, the measure has now passed both houses of the state legislature — and is awaiting the signature of Mitch Daniels.
Braden Burk, Hunter Jordan, Chase Ritch and Justus Powell were the winners last weekend in the Ronald McDonald 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.
20 YEARS AGO
Members of the Switzerland County EMT unit will begin an 18-month program on April 7th that will lead to this county having the only certified and qualified paramedic unit in southeastern Indiana. A total of 10 EMTs from Switzerland County will begin the program and will spend more than 250 hours in classroom study to achieve this level of emergency responder. They will spend another 350 hours riding in a paramedic ambulance.
The Community Foundation of Switzerland County has awarded grays totaling $30,533 to eight community organizations. They are: Switzerland County Emergency Unit, $5,000; Switzerland County Step Ahead/First Steps Council, $5,000; Historic Vevay, Inc, $2,255; Switzerland County Elementary PTO, $5,000; Switzerland County Youth Center, $2,278; Switzerland County High School After Prom Committee, $2,000; Switzerland County 4-H Program, $5,0000.
Jonnie Hankins of near Vevay will be honored by Phi Theta Kappa for her outstanding academic performance and leadership. The ceremony will take place in Indianapolis today (Thursday). She currently attends Ivy Tech State College in Madison and is working toward an associate’s degree in nursing, and hopes to earn a bachelor’s degree and work as a registered nurse in obstetrics.
25 YEARS AGO
Four months ago, there were two power plant projects proposed for Switzerland County’s near future. Three months ago there was one. Now there is none. On Monday, the Indianapolis Power & Light Company announced it has postponed the power plant it had considered building in the Mexico Bottom area of Switzerland County, two miles north of Patriot. Three months ago, the Cincinnati Gas & Electric Company announced its postponement of plans to build a power plant in the Egypt Bottom area of Switzerland County, two miles south of Patriot.
Mike Jones was reelected 9th District chairman of the Democratic Party for a four-year term last Wednesday.
Chester Russell “Chet” James, 80, of Vevay, passed away Thursday, March 11th, at King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison. He had served as a Switzerland County Councilman since 1978.
30 YEARS AGO
Young vocalists from 10 area high schools, including Switzerland County, presented an inspired and entertaining program of music last Thursday night at the Conner K. Salm Gym in Madison in the 50th anniversary Ohio Valley Choral Festival.
Gary S. Cain, route 3, Madison, and Amy Haskell, route 2, Vevay, were named the winners of the Switzerland County Farm Bureau Essay Contest. The contest is open to all eighth grade students and a young lady and young man is selected as the winner from each county. The winning essays then proceed to the state competition.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bradford of near Fairview will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary at a reception to be held in their honor March 27th at the Mount Sterling Baptist Church.
Mr. and Mrs. Howard Hall, route 1, Vevay, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary at the 10:30 a.m. worship service of the Caledonia Presbyterian Church on April 10th. There will be a carry-in dinner at noon followed by a reception until 4 p.m.
50 YEARS AGO
George E. “Eddie” James of Vevay was among 490 full-time students named to the dean’s list at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Chester James of Vevay and is a graduate of Vevay High School.
A possible solution for construction of a highway bridge over Markland Dam has been proposed by U.S. Congressman M. Gene Snyder of Kentucky’s Fourth District. Snyder’s proposal calls for the U.S. government to take over construction of the roadway from one side of the dam to the other with the two states, Kentucky and Indiana, being required to furnish money for the approaches.
A strong indication that wounds from Switzerland County’s long school controversy are healing satisfactorily came Monday night as the county school board unanimously approved and signed a new contract with Harold C. Benedict as county superintendent.
Mr. and Mrs. David Means, lifelong residents of Switzerland County, will observe their 50th wedding anniversary Saturday, March 23rd, at the home of Mrs. Margaret Dickason in Vevay.
60 YEARS AGO
The Lions of Rushville will take the regional title to the semi-state games at Indianapolis this Saturday after eliminating the Warriors of Vevay in the final game of the regional, 48-43. The local squad ran out of steam in the final period of the low-scoring game. In spite of the final defeat, the Vevay team recorded the best tourney record in the school’s basketball history. Although Vevay has won three sectional tournament titles previous to this year, the Warriors had never been able to get past the first game of the regional. This season, Dan Kile’s men defeated Versailles in the Saturday afternoon session before losing the night contest. Their season record, including all tourney games, is 18 won and 7 lost.
Fire of undetermined origin destroyed a barn and its contents on the farm of Lee Knaus on the Markland-East Enterprise Pike Saturday evening. Contents included a quantity of hay, tractor, two calves and farming implements.
Thieves carried away a safe, three guns and miscellaneous merchandise from the store of Ed Bliss at Markland sometime during Tuesday night, after forcing open a side door to the building.
The stone facing on the three-story Deposit Bank building has recently undergone a “face lifting” and presents a handsome appearance. A sand blasting technique used by a commercial company has removed years of dirt and grime and has restored the stone to its natural whiteness.
A daughter was born March 1st in the Madison hospital to Mr. and Mrs. Earl Lucas of Fairview. She weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces and was named Marcia Dean.
The 94th anniversary of the First National Bank of Vevay as a banking institution will be celebrated Saturday, March 15th, with open house in the newly remodeled and redecorated banking rooms on Ferry Street.
70 YEARS AGO
Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair M. “Sink” Boggs, long-time residents of Switzerland County, will quietly celebrate their Golden Wedding anniversary at their home on West Turnpike Street in Vevay next Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. George Woodfill of Greeley Avenue, Vevay, are quietly celebrating their 58th wedding anniversary today at the home of their son Charley and wife of Brooksburg.
80 YEARS AGO
An addition to the filling station operated by William Dickason on the corner of Main and Walnut streets is now under construction.
A grass fire originating from burning leaves at the home of County Agent McNary was extinguished before serious damage was done. Mrs. McNary had her hair and eyebrows singed during her efforts to conquer the blaze before help arrived.
Miss Hazel Roberts of the Moorefield community has been elected by the Vevay School Board to fill the vacancy in the elementary school faculty caused by the disappearance of Miss Georgia Bondurant.
A committee representing the Switzerland County Historical Society presented a petition containing some 60 signatures, seeking to obtain the use of a portion of the Courthouse basement, to the County Commissioners at their meeting Monday.
Work is rapidly nearing completion on a few additions to the Southern Indiana Light and Power Company plant on state road 156 near Markland.
The Indiana State Highway Commission, according to recent reports, will start construction of one mile of state highway directly west of Vevay the first week of April.
Judge William D. Ricketts of Rising Sun was injured at Lawrenceburg Wednesday of last week when the swivel chair in which he was seated collapsed.
Mr. and Mrs. Freeman Phillips celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary Sunday at the home of their son Orville and wife.
Dyer Bakes who has been confined to the Waverley Hills Sanitarium for sometime underwent a major operation Tuesday morning.
A daughter was born Sunday to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Donner of Aurora at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Turner Olds.
A seven and one half pound daughter was born Wednesday, March 2nd, to Mr. and Mrs. Ernie Lock.
90 YEARS AGO
Hopes of Vevay fans were shattered Friday afternoon when the local high school basketball team dropped the first game of the sectional tourney at Madison to Austin by a score of 19 to 26.
At their regular meeting Monday the County Commissioners ordered a new power shovel on a bid of $5,200 for use on the county roads.
Suit of the City of Vevay against the heirs of John Francis Dufour to quiet title to the block of ground in Vevay, known as Market Square, was decided in favor of the city Tuesday by Judge Edward Roberts.
Switzerland County has received its share of the state gasoline tax amounting to $19,073.76. The city of Vevay received an additional $568.24.
The new home of the Roy Negley family on the Clifford Stewart farm near Lamb was destroyed by fire Saturday afternoon. Mrs. Negley and her four children barely escaped with their lives.
100 YEARS AGO
Vevay lost the basketball tournament to Columbus Saturday afternoon by 17 to 16. Columbus won the tournament that night by defeating Aurora 31-13. Vevay lost only one game during the season — and that by one point. The team was accompanied to the tournament by Misses Rebecca Cole, Leona Slawson, Elizabeth Brockschlager, Helen and Merriam Protsman and Messrs Carroll Butter, Dilver Benedict, John Brockschlager, Winfield English, Edward Tilley, Nelson Haskell, Russell Pickett, Tom Teats and Dilver Pangburn.
Two barges of coal have been received by Culbertson Brothers. One was unloaded at Ghent and the other at Vevay.
W. L. Fisk last week purchased the home of E. P. Anshutz on Market Street.
John Hartman of Moorefield is raising fine Shorthorns. A calf he raised this year sold at the International Livestock sale for $1,000. Two years ago he bought a cow, with a calf by her side, for $622. He has the cow left and has received $1500 from her calves.
Herbert Archer has been sent from Kelley Field to Carnegie Tech Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for 10 weeks of training.
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Beach of Rexville, formerly of Vevay, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary March 9th.
110 YEARS AGO
Charles Peelman, aged 41, met his death in the waters of the Ohio on Tuesday night and his body has not been recovered.
Newton H. Waltz will leave for California the first of next week to make his future home.
The Keene Drug Company had their store burglarized last Friday night, the fourth time in eight years.
Paul Voris of Pleasant in an oratorical contest at Hanover College won first prize of $50 and the honor of being the best elocutionist in the college.
The Crescent theatre opened up Tuesday night to large audiences. Vevay now has two of the five cent shows.
Clarence Otter of this city has signed a contract with the Springfield, Ohio baseball club for the season of 1908 at a salary of $100 per month.
Amy Osborn of Bennington left this week for Kansas where he will join his brother Mort in an extended stay in Pueblo, Colorado.
120 YEARS AGO
The new “Hotel Vevay” opened its doors to the public last Tuesday morning.
A daughter was born Saturday, March 12th, to Walton Schoonover and wife of Long Run.
It is rumored that Cole & Hall, attorneys of Rising Sun, have dissolved partnership and that Mr. Hall will locate at Vevay about April 1st.
A son was born recently to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tait of Jefferson County.
130 YEARS AGO
John P. Porter, near Vevay, has contracted with Mr. Truesdale, Quercus Grove, to bore on his land for coal, work to commence as soon as weather permits.
Joseph Burrows started for New York last Tuesday where he will be a salesman in the grocery of his son John.
The entertainment given under the auspices of the Vevay Presbyterian Church at Grisard’s Hall last Thursday night was a success in every respect.
The barge J. K. Pleasants belonging to J. K. Pleasants is at Madison in charge of Captain Volney Peelman and is being loaded with lumber and bone dust.
You can buy improved land in Switzerland County cheaper than out West in California. Boom Switzerland County.
At the regular meeting of Charles W. Heath Post G.A.R. at East Enterprise March 10th a beautiful silk hall banner was presented to the members by Mr. and Mrs. Luther, Cherry Vale, Kansas.
140 YEARS AGO
Last night about 11 o’clock lightning struck the barn of Henry George II of Plum Creek, igniting it and burning it to the ground in a few minutes.
R. F. Grisard died March 7th at his home here, death being due to injuries received when he saved a child from the path of a runaway horse.
The river mail proves a great addition to the mail facilities of our citizens. It is carried every day in the week except Sunday. Time of closing the river mail is 7 o’clock p.m. The post office will be opened each Sunday morning from 7:30 to 8:30 for the purpose of distributing and delivering the Saturday night mail.
150 YEARS AGO
David Schoonover and Timothy Danglade recently caught a barge containing 400 bushels of coal. As yet no owner has been found.
L. W. Gordon is erecting a frame dwelling house near the foot of Washington Street.
There is a fine prospect for a large fruit crop.
Reverend J. C. Keeney, agent for the Orphans Home in Lauderdale, Mississippi, is here soliciting money, food and clothing for the children here.
160 YEARS AGO
The steamer Lady Pike lost overboard a hogshead of sugar at Ghent last Saturday night.