10 YEARS AGO
Deaths this week: William Lawton, Vernon Clark, Leroy Brammer, Dolores Klein, Leland Jackson, Helen Stewart, Marquita Johnson, Verna Carpenter, Bill Cole.
Donna and Jim Cole were crowned Mr. and Mrs. Switzerland County.
Rori Ware and Ethan McClellan were crown Little Miss and Mister Switzerland County.
Kail Avery Parker was born on May 22, 2012. He is the son of Jacob and Julie Parker, and joins big sister Cheyenne at home.
With little precipitation falling last winter and even less rainfall this spring and summer, Switzerland County farmers and other producers around the state and action are facing serious shortfalls in crop production.
20 YEARS AGO
The Switzerland County School Board officially welcomed two new teachers to the school system Monday night — but both have strong Switzerland County ties and are both graduates of Switzerland County High School. Tony Spoores will teach sixth grade science at the middle school; while Mark Boggs will teach special education classes. The 2002-2003 school year begins in less than a month.
Lowell Wayne Sullivan of the Edwin C. Danner Post #185 in Vevay was sworn in Saturday as the State Commander of the American Legion. Also at the convention on Saturday, Switzerland County High School teacher Sharon Wright was presented with the “American Legion Educator of the Year” award for the State of Indiana.
Jill Andrew of Vevay and James Richards III of Indianapolis have announced their engagement and approaching marriage. Jill is the daughter of John and Jeanette Andrew and James is the son of James and Darlene Richards of Indianapolis. The couple will be married Saturday, July 27th, at Aberdeen United Methodist Church.
30 YEARS AGO
Switzerland County eighth grader Suzi Kinman received a gold medal in the shot put and a silver medal in the discus at the White River Park State Games.
Gary Stogsdill, Jr., competed well in the recent American Dirt Bike Association national races. He placed third in the race for 500cc bikes on the short track and sixth in the face for 250cc bikes on the short track. In the half-mile event, Gary placed ninth.
40 YEARS AGO
Dr. Donald Roney of Vevay was recently honored with an award of appreciation from local Boy Scout Troop 714. Darin Gullion, senior patrol leader, presented the award.
Switzerland County Farm Bureau Insurance agent Mike Clerkin was recently honored with a plaque for selling $1,248,636 worth of life insurance in 1981. Clerkin has worked for the company since 1968, and has lived in the county the past 11 years. He and his wife Ida, and four children live in Vevay.
Tom Davis has opened a law office in the Callis Law Building on Pike Street in Vevay.
50 YEARS AGO
Norman Earls was elected to succeed former trustee Warren Works as president of the board of trustees of Switzerland County School Corporation as the board held its July meeting with two new members seated for the first time. With new trustees Arnold Cutter and Mrs. Thelma Tinker seated for the first time officially, Jesse J. Riley served as acting president until Earls was elected by acclamation in the annual board reorganization. Robert Gregory was elected vice president and William Olds was elected secretary, both by acclamation. Mrs. Sandra Jo Konkle, superintendent office secretary, was reappointed corporation treasurer with a bond of $100,000.
Dale Smith, retired chairman of Switzerland County Republican Central Committee, will be saluted at an honorary dinner in Vevay July 29th with Governor Edgar D. Whitcomb expected to attend. Louis Teats, who succeeded Smith this spring as county G.O.P. chairman, announced the 7 p.m. dinner at the 4-H, Community Building to honor Smith for 20 years service to the party. Nathan Schwanholt of Aurora, Ninth District chairman, is in charge of the meeting with over 300 persons expected to attend the ham supper.
60 YEARS AGO
“Somebody ought to build a better mouse trap” might well be the thought of the candidates of the 1962 battle for the Democratic nomination for trustee of Posey Township. Candidates Marshall Cook and Jon Hankinson have both had possession of the elusive prize only to see it slip away from their conventional traps. Now, Cook thinks he has the nomination after the election’s second recount.
The East Enterprise Volunteer Fire Department answered three alarms in its area Sunday and Monday, two during the severe electrical storm early Sunday morning. Lightning struck barns on the farms of Wilbur Tinker near Fairview and Avery Jones near East Enterprise, burning them to the ground. Monday night’s fire, of undetermined origin, badly damaged a house on Henry Ford’s farm near Fairview now occupied by Wilmer Newman.
Miss Eva Graham, 81 years of age, has resigned her position at the Sieglitz Jewelry Store after 22 years of continuous work. She has been associated all her life with the river, having lived in the Ferry House on the banks of the Ohio until 22 years ago when she moved to the home of her sister, Mrs. Clara Furnish in Vevay.
70 YEARS AGO
A “flying saucer” or a meteor of unusual brilliance which was reported visible to residents of Indianapolis, Cincinnati and St. Louis Saturday night was also witnessed by several Switzerland County residents. The first to report the incident to this newspaper was Mrs. John Truitt of Vevay who, with Mr. Truitt saw the spectacle while they were attending the Alps drive-in theatre west of Vevay.
John Truitt, owner and operator of the Truitt Flour Mills, narrowly escaped death Monday morning when he was caught in a line shaft on machinery on the third floor of the mill. About 40 years ago Mr. Truitt’s father, W. A. Truitt, figured in a similar accident when he was caught in a line shaft at his flour mill in East Enterprise.
According to Civil Defense Director Forrest E. Brown, Switzerland County is beginning its part in the groundwork for the possible “round the clock” Sky Watch that will give warning of any Soviet attack to our vital supply centers.
80 YEARS AGO
Farmers of Jefferson and Switzerland counties, made desperate by losses running into the thousands of dollars and the destruction of prize flocks by sheep killing dogs, met at Vevay last week and formed a protection organization to combat this growing menace to the sheep industry. So grave has become the situation that several have disposed of their flocks at a sacrifice rather than operate in constant fear for their animals. The organization will be known as Jefferson and Switzerland Counties Sheep Growers Protective Association, with the following officers — James David Heath, president; Stanley Andrew, vice president; Eugene Spencer, secretary-treasurer.
The Vevay girls softball team will play the opening game at the Kiwanis Park tonight, when they meet the girls’ team from Carrollton, Kentucky.
90 YEARS AGO
Bodies of two men, one white, one colored, were taken from the river this week.
Evelyn Gardner, Mary Jo Krummel, Geneva Briggs and Marguerite Brameier, received scholarships to Hanover College on the basis of their excellent grades during the past year.
George Alexander, 28, resident of Madison and well known to many Vevay people died at the Madison Hospital following a leg injury sustained several months ago.
100 YEARS AGO
Oliver E. Seymour, native of East Enterprise, died at Olney, Illinois, of pneumonia.
Two cases of typhoid fever have been reported in the county.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Stevens, a son, Dale James.
A Maxwell truck owned and driven by Jesse Taylor of Quercus Grove, was burned with its contents near Aurora. Mr. Taylor jumped to safety when the flames began to rise from the gas tank.
110 YEARS AGO
Born to Edward Kincaid and wife, a daughter.
G. W. Johnson’s motor boat, “Jonah” will be launched in a short time.
Thomas Gordon and Jacob Detraz began experimental work to the lower Indian Creek bridge in an effort to ascertain the method of repairing same.
Mrs. Martha McKenzie died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Nancy Lock, on Indian Creek this week.
120 YEARS AGO
The Union Furniture Factory has started up again after a short lay off.
The two-year-old child of James Brindley and wife of Five Points died Monday.
Milton C. Boerner left Monday for Indianapolis to accept a position as a traveling salesman for a wholesale jewelry firm of that city.
Joe Kiesel, who has been traveling for the Deering Harvester Company in Ohio and Kentucky is now located at Springfield, Illinois, with the same company.
J.D. Froman delivered lawn swings to the following people last week, Captain J. J. Cox, T. Spillman, Captain Hissem and Charles Sieglitz, Vevay.
140 YEARS AGO
Will S. Garber of Madison and Miss Agnes Smith were married July 6th at the residence of the bride’s parents at Mt. Auburn, Ohio.
Clifford Siebenthal, aged two years old, son of J. A. and Aime E. Siebenthal, died July 5th at the parents’ home in Center Square.
Marriage licenses have been issued to William B. Wainscott and Sarah J. Ballard; Joseph T. Stewart and Nellie Hunt; John S. Brown and Eliza Russell; Maberry Stephenson and Anna B. Lee.
160 YEARS AGO
A notice was published this week by John M. King, first County Auditor, giving the following assessments: For county purposes, on each $100, 25 cents; For paying for the poor farm on each $100, 5 cents; and for road purposes on each $100 valuation of real estate, 15 cents.
Joshua Smithson advertises this week that a girl bound to him has absconded and refuses to return. Reward is offered.