News compiled by Ginny Leap from past
issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
The Switzerland County School Endowment Corporation voted Tuesday night to pay all of the textbook rental fees for all students in the Switzerland County School system for the 2004-2005 school year.
Russell and Vera McSwain of Vevay were surprised with a party in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary on Sunday, July 26th.
Logann Brooke Bovard won the Ohio “Supreme Miss Teen Hawaiian Tropic” pageant held on July 18th.
The annual “Pacer Pride” car show sponsored by the Switzerland County High School cheerleaders was held Saturday afternoon at the Paul Ogle Riverfront Park. Visitors had the opportunity to view a wide variety of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, ranging from restored classics to customized hot rods.
The 2004 Swiss Wine Festival will be held August 26th-29th at the Paul Ogle Riverfront Park, but the Prince and Princess of this year’s festival will be crowned this Sunday evening at Belterra Casino Resort and Spa. The program will get underway at 6:30 p.m. (slow time) in the Center Stage Showroom. Scholarship money will be paid o the winners of the program and also to the runners up.
20 YEARS AGO
A 100th birthday celebration was held Saturday, July 23rd, for Gladys Moreillon at Old Bethel Methodist Church in Indianapolis. Her sister, Mary Christman from Pleasant and brother Ross Jackson of Pendleton attended. All the Moreillon and Jackson niece and nephews were also there, making it a great reunion. All her grandchildren and great-grandchildren attended, some coming from California, Washington, D.C. and Texas. There were 100 people to celebrate her 100th birthday.
Paul and Ruth (Bryant) Higbie of New Washington will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary with open house August 7th at Clifty Inn in Madison. Ruth Higbie is formerly of Bennington.
There is about to be a new way of throwing things away in the Town of Vevay. The town has adopted a community program for recycling and waste reduction that will take effect in November of this year. The program is called volume based waste collection. It’s a program with an economic incentive that helps to convince people to recycle.
30 YEARS AGO
Attention Ladies and Gentlemen! Sooner is returning to Switzerland County! That’s right, the movie that made Switzerland County and many of its residents famous is coming home to a 10th anniversary return engagement in conjunction with the Swiss Alpine Festival. Sponsored by the Vevay Newspapers, Inc., the showing will be held in the courtroom in the County Courthouse. The show will begin at 8 p.m. with the doors opening at 7:30.
After a lengthy negotiation of over 8 1/2 house, the Switzerland County School board declared an impasse in their negotiations with the Switzerland County Classroom Teachers Association on a master contract for the upcoming school year. The matter will now go to mediation.
Charles and Frances Sigmon, route 1, Florence, announce the approaching marriage of their daughter, Gwen, to Joseph Hite, son of David and Shirley Hite of Patriot. The wedding is set for August 18th, in the Markland Baptist Church at 7:30 p.m.
40 YEARS AGO
“We got a big decision to make,” said Delbert Mann, director of “A Girl Named Sooner.” His staff was gathered around him, anxiously awaiting the statement of the problem. “We’ve got to decide,” said Mann, “what to do about the chiggers.”
Chiggers?
“Right,” said the director. “You know that mule we used in the scene at the fair? Well, Switzerland County’s got chiggers as big as that mule!”
The Edelweiss Princess Contest is the first of many events planned for this year’s Swiss Wine Festival – a celebration that holds promise of being one of the very biggest of all the Wine Festivals in the event’s six-year history. We’re looking forward to a big, big crowd this year,” says co-chairman Mike Danner.
Switzerland County’s Egypt Bottom area is no longer under consideration as a possible future site for a power plant, Public Service Indiana officials announced last week.
Vevay’s American Legion baseball team entered the coveted “Sweet Sixteen” on the Indiana American Legion baseball tournament Sunday. The local Legion team became one of the 16 remaining teams alive in the statewide tourney by beating host Batesville 2-1 to win the Batesville Sectional Sunday afternoon.
The School Bell Award for 1974, presented by the Indiana State Teachers Association in recognition of outstanding newspaper coverage of education news, was presented this year to the Vevay Reveille-Enterprise and The Switzerland Democrat and the editor Don Wallis. Kenny Harrell, advertising manager for the two Switzerland County newspapers, accepted the award during the ceremonies at French Lick Saturday night.
50 YEARS AGO
Vandals reportedly broke into Vevay High School last week, breaking several panes of glass, and stealing an undetermined amount of supplies.
The temperature was headed above the 90-degree mark for he 144th straight day in Vevay Wednesday morning as the present July heat wave persisted.
Confirmation of a $759,000 Farmers Home Administration loan to Patriot Water System was announced this week.
Switzerland County’s 1964 cancer drive has reached a fund of $1,232 to move within a very few dollars of its goal, Ruth Jackson, fund chairman, announced.
Miss Shirley Ann Pickett, 21, daughter of Tilley and Mary Pickett of route 2, Vevay, will graduate from School of Nursing of Jewish Hospital at 2 p.m. August 9th at Jewish Community Center, Cincinnati.
60 YEARS AGO
In the presence of near relatives, Mr. Clarence Marshall of Vevay, and Mrs. Goldie Mitchell of Franklin, Indiana, were united in marriage at the home of the bride’s sister, Mrs. Ben H. Banta, near Vevay Sunday, August 1st, at 2 p.m.
Fire of undetermined origin consumed three farm buildings at the William Scott farm on State Road 56, west of Vevay, Friday afternoon and caused damage estimated at $10,000.
John Partain of Vevay sustained a dislocated shoulder last Friday when he fell while attempting to stop his parked automobile which rolled backward on a slight grade at his farm near Patriot.
Twin sons were born prematurely early Tuesday morning to Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Wagner (nee Laverne Callis) of Jasper at Dubois Memorial Hospital there. Dr. and Mrs. Wagner are also parents of a 14-month-old son, Arthur Leo III.
Ray McKay of Lamb will captain a crew of seven on the newly launched steel-hulled towboat, “The Kentuckian,” which will be used to haul sand from Carrollton to Frankfort, Kentucky.
70 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Hattie Manuel of near Bennington received a telegram last week from the War Department announcing that her son, Roy, had been seriously wounded in France on July 6th.
Word has been received that Private Charles J. Martin is in a hospital in England suffering from wounds caused by a gun bullet through the left leg above the knee.
Mrs. Charlotte Jackson of Patriot celebrated her 98th birthday Sunday, July 30th. She has been bedfast for the past two years but spends her time piecing quilt blocks. On Thursday, Mrs. Emma Powell, 100 years old, was her afternoon caller. Both have good memories and they enjoyed the visit together.
Born, July 26th, a son, William Earl to Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Craig of Hominy Ridge.
Mr. and Mrs. Will Smoot of Aaron celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Wednesday with a family dinner.
80 YEARS AGO
The temperature varied from 49 to 109 during the month of July, records at Dam 39 show. The low mark of 49 was reached on the first day of the month while on the 25th it mounted to 109. The 109 mark was the second highest in the United States on that date.
Reverend Armand Calvert, formerly of the Florence neighborhood, and Miss Jewell Cunningham of Nashville, Tennessee were married in that city July 28th.
90 YEARS AGO
The Switzerland County Historical Society was formed here Friday evening with about 40 persons registered as charter members. The following officers were elected: President, Mr. A. V. Danner; vice president, Ed Lamson; secretary-treasurer, Mrs. L.H. Bear; stenographer, Mrs. H.M. Thiebaud.
Willis Jackson and Jesse Fulton have purchased a Schauct truck and have started a freight line to Cincinnati, making two round trips weekly.
Interested citizens who reside on Plum Creek, have been soliciting funds the past week for the building of a new Baptist Church in that community.
Dr. O.M. Webb left last week to accept the position of meat inspector in Chicago.
Miss Mabel Berkemeier of near Markland and Roy Brown of Vevay were married in Lawrenceburg last Thursday.
W.R. Beall, new Switzerland County agent, arrived Tuesday from Portland, Oregon, and will begin his duties here Friday.
Sheriff John F. Butters Tuesday purchased the Haskell and Morrison Aurora bus line, one car being included in the sale.
100 YEARS AGO
A large barn belonging to the George Lohide near Aberdeen was destroyed by fire when struck by lightning.
Albert S. Wollen was employed as editor of the Switzerland Democrat to succeed John F. Patton, who will enter the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
A petition for a free gravel road from Fairview to Alloensville was filed before the commissioners by W.P. Truitt and others.
Married July 25th at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. W.W. Fry in Vevay, by Reverend Barrett, Mrs. Isolene K. Mills of this place and Mr. G.S. Stemmons of Prairie Home, Missouri.
Ed Buchanan is night man at the Vevay Ice Plant.
Bern Jones is the new clerk at the Riggs Grocery.
A windstorm tore the roof off of Charles Lorch’s hay barn in Craig Township.
A new metal ceiling has been placed on the Baptist Sunday School room.
A. S. Humphrey is painting his residence in Mexico Bottom.
George Miller of Patriot saved Lulu Wickman from drowning after she had fallen from a skiff into the Ohio River.
110 YEARS AGO
J. A. Works of Vevay took the first prize in the pacing race at the North Vernon Fair with his horse Emma Y.
James Johnson of the Swain-Karmine Lumber Company severed a toe from his foot while cutting timber on the Elisha Brown farm below Vevay.
Coal diggers on the bar here are getting as much as 75 bushels per day.
120 YEARS AGO
Mr. Fred Schlerp of Cincinnati has removed to Vevay and resides with his family on Ferry Street. Mr. Schierp is an expert on building cement sidewalks.
Licensed to marry: William O. Smoot to Oliver F. Horton and Bayard F. Leap to Orphia McKay.
Born, July 15th, a son, to C.O. Thiebaud and wife at Peru, Indiana.
Jordon Olcott, 20-year-old son of Dr. W. A. Olcott, of Patriot, was accidentally drowned while swimming in the Ohio River Sunday morning.
Herberet, 14-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. John Cox was drowned in the river while swimming with a group of friends.
140 YEARS AGO
Burglars stole $125 worth of merchandise from the Fletcher Clothing Store in Patriot.
William Green has started a new general store in Patriot.
The horse racks have been removed from the Vevay Market Square.
O. D. Fry opened a new blacksmioth shop in Pleasant.
A new Methodist Church will be built in Cross Plains, 48×32 feet.
The storm last Sunday night was very destructive . Creeks rose higher than ever before and much property was carried away and stock drowned.
150 YEARS AGO
On last Tuesday, about 2 o’clock in the morning the steamer Lady Walton came in collision with another steamer about three miles above Florence, sinking the Walton instantly. No one was injured.
Civil War news: Captain Siebenthal’s Company is now stationed at Louisville at the military prison.
The 3rd Indiana will be mustered out soon, their term of service having expired. Companies A and C of this regimenbt are from this county. Company D, 93 Indiana, from this county was with General Smith in his late expedition from Memphis against the rebels. They were in the three day battle. William Steele was wounded and is now in a hospital in Memphis.