News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
There will be 18 area church buildings on display this weekend during the Switzerland County Historical Society Tour of Churches. The churches will be decorated and open for the tour Saturday, December 2nd, from 12 noon to 7 p.m. and Sunday, December 3rd, from 2-5 p.m.
“We are in Vevay and we want to stay in Vevay,” Nine West representative Larry Mahoney said this past Monday. “Rumors that we are about to close the Vevay plant are simply not true and should be ignored.” The reaffirming of Nine West’s commitment to Vevay comes on the heels of the company’s announcement that it is closing the cutting and fitting departments at Nine West’s plant in Madison.
One year ago, the Switzerland County boys basketball team did what only two other Pacer teams had done — beat Madison. Last Saturday, this year’s Pacer squad went one better. For the first time in over 40 years, a team from Switzerland County has defeated Madison two years in a row. It marks only the eighth time ever that a Switzerland County team has beaten Madison, and for fans in the Pacer gym Saturday night, it was a sweet feeling.
15 YEARS AGO
County Highway superintendent Danny Hehe has received word from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that disaster relief funds will be released to Switzerland County that will enable the county’s highway department to purchase a computer.
The ISTEP (Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress) Writing Assessment for grades 3, 6, 8, 9, and 11 will be given throughout the State, including here in Switzerland County, on December 5th and 6th. This is not the primary test battery, but one segment of ISTEP in which student writing skills are graded.
Eighth graders Eric Ely of Bennington and Billy Joe Osburne of Florence are the Switzerland County winners of the Dick Lugar/Indiana Farm Bureau/Bank One Youth Essay Contest.
Carlton Gray, son of Carlos Gray of Vevay, was recently featured in an article in The Cincinnati Enquirer. He is a sophomore and a starting player for the UCLA football team.
20 YEARS AGO
Carla Jo Althoff, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Althoff of Fairview, and Michael Shane Armstrong, son of Mr. and Mrs. Basil Armstrong of Patriot, were united in marriage on Saturday, September 21st, at the Olive Branch Baptist Church.
The Gamma Delta chapter of Pi Lambda Theta of Indiana University Southeast announces the initiation of Debra Denise Archer of Vevay. She is the wife of Mike Archer of near Pleasant.
Paul J. Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Russell E. Smith of route 1, Bennington, has been named to the staff of WFCI-FM, Franklin College’s student-operated radio station. He is a senior at Franklin.
30 YEARS AGO
Switzerland County tobacco farmers at Monday’s opening sale of burley were variously disappointed, disgusted, resigned, rebellious, and just plain mad. Nobody was happy. David Leap of Vevay indicated his disgust by covering up his crop, withdrawing it from that day’s sales. He’ll put it back on the market later in Carrollton when it’s better, he hopes.
The federal government has decided to move most of the town of Vevay out of its official flood hazard zone, thus loosening up flood insurance requirements for mortgages on buildings in the town. A new flood hazard map for Vevay has been issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), replacing a prior HUD map that had about 80 percent of the town in the flood hazard zone.
A fire that lit up the Switzerland County sky for miles around early Saturday morning destroyed a tobacco crop, a hay crop, three calves, a barn, and some farm equipment on Pleasant Ridge, about five miles south of Fairview. Richard Mahorney, owner of the farm, said his barn was insured, but that its contents are a total loss.
Members of the local Community Activities Committee decided in a Vevay meeting Thursday night to seek a suitable site and ways of funding for a tennis court project. It is hoped that the Town of Vevay or the Switzerland County School Corporation may cooperate in solving the site problem, and it is a possibility that a drive to raise money through donations will be organized sometime in the future.
40 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Zella White celebrated her 87th birthday Thanksgiving Day at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry J. Swanson, Jr., of rural route 1, Bennington. Thirty-eight descendants attended.
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Bliss of Indianapolis are parents of a baby girl born November 11th. Named Linda Lee, the infant weighed 7 pounds, 1/2 ounce. The couple has another daughter, Lisa, 5 years old. Mrs. Nell Lee of route 1, Bennington, is the maternal grandmother. Paternal grandparents Mr. and Mrs. William Bliss.
Mrs. Leona Sullivan, president, Switzerland County Mental Health Association, was lauded last Wednesday night for her devotion to work in the field of combating mental health.
Mrs. A.J. (Florence) Williams, Vevay Newspapers correspondent, was admitted to King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison Wednesday morning for treatment of a broken hip received in a fall at her home in Vevay.
Two rural route carriers of the Vevay Post Office made their last deliveries Friday before retiring from the department. They are Bob Noble, rural route 3 carrier, who has been with the postal service for 42 years; and Bryan Curry, delivering mail on rural route 1, who retired after 30 years of service.
50 YEARS AGO
In and advertisement in another column of this newspaper, Mrs. Emma Wiley is announcing the opening of her new dress shop, “The Gerri-Lou”, on Friday, December 2nd. Mrs. Wiley, wife of county auditor Gayle Wiley, expects to stock the very latest styles.
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Osborn quietly observed their 54th wedding anniversary on Sunday at their home near Fairview.
Specialist Third Class George W. Skirvin, 22, son of Mr. Jacob Skirvin of route 3, Vevay, is assigned to the Aggressor Force in Exercise Sage Brush, the largest joint Army-Air Force maneuver since World War II, now being held in Louisiana. Some 110,000 Army troops are testing the latest concepts on bacteriological, atomic, chemical, and electronic warfare. The exercise will end December 15th.
Burley tobacco markets in an eight state area opened Thursday and the general average of $57.78 per hundred pounds set a new record for overall average.
60 YEARS AGO
Professor Austin T. Funk, superintendent of the Vevay Public Schools, was recently chosen Lieutenant Governor for the Kiwanis Ninth District.
Miss Helen Shaw of Parks Ridge and Harry Moore of Craig Township were married last Wednesday evening at the home of the Baptist minister, Reverend Gronseth, in Madison, who officiated.
Born November 22nd, a daughter, Nancy Carolyn, to Mr. and Mrs. Fenton Bunger of Quercus Grove.
Reverend Tom Jennings, former pastor of the Bennington Methodist Church, has been appointed Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs of Sullivan County.
70 YEARS AGO
For the sixth consecutive year, the Knights of Pythias local lodge will sponsor a community Christmas Tree to be erected in the Courthouse yard.
Harlin Goldenberry and Edith Gross, both of Ghent, Kentucky, were united in marriage Monday by Reverend F.E. Hammel at his residence in Vevay.
Born, November 22nd, a son, James Edward, to Mr. and Mrs. James Bruce, Jr.
Walter and Hubbard Furnish have rented the room in the W.J. Klein building on Ferry Street recently vacated by the Star Restaurant and will open a restaurant there soon.
80 YEARS AGO
At a meeting Monday of the stockholders of the First National Bank in Vevay, Mrs. E.P. Danglade, prominent Vevay businesswoman, was elected a director, succeeding Professor James K. Pleasants, deceased. Mrs. Danglade is the first woman elected to the directorate of any bank in Switzerland County.
George W. Johnson resigned his position as superintendent of the light and water works last week and Sunday left for Cairo, Illinois, where he has a position as engineer on a boat operated by the Standard Oil Company.
A new passenger bus line from Cincinnati to Louisville began operation last Friday and is running buses daily between the two cities.
Born, November 18th, a daughter, Mary Elizabeth, to Mr. and Mrs. Lucien Emerson of Patriot.
90 YEARS AGO
For 50 years, since 1865 to be exact, the Boerner family, living in Vevay, has been holding a position with the United States government, although not one of them has ever drawn a single penny in salary. The position referred to is that of “Cooperative Weather Observer” for Vevay, which was established in 1865. For 35 of those years the position was held by Charles G. Boerner, and since his death in 1890, his daughter, Miss Frederica, has taken his place. The record of the Vevay weather bureau is the longest unbroken record in Indiana.
Work on the new pike in Craig Township started Monday morning.
The disease known as “Black Leg” is taking its toll in the county, with several farmers having lost valuable cattle.
110 YEARS AGO
Last Tuesday the City Council contracted with Alexander Schulman of Cincinnati to light the streets with arc and incandescent for houses. Mr. Schulman will place the plant in complete working order at a cost of $8,250.
Eli S. Richmond, 63, veteran of the Mexican and Civil Wars, died November 17th at his home in East Enterprise and was buried in Allensville Cemetery. The Charles Heath Post of the G.A.R. conducted the burial ritual.
Robert A. Knox, Jr., town policeman, was shot and killed Thursday by a prisoner, Ed Taylor, whom he had arrested and was taking to jail.
Mr. and Mrs. Riley Land have a new baby daughter. A daughter, Emma, is recovering from an illness of diphtheria, and a son, Harry, is very ill with a stomach and bowel disorder.
William H. Pleasants has received word of the death of George H. Kyle at his home in Memphis, Tennessee. Mr. Kyle spent most of his life in Vevay, where he was an architect and carpenter.
Licensed to marry: Philander J. Riley and Lucretia Saberton; William Thornton and Mary E. Anderson.
William Shadday and family of Moorefield have moved to the two story brick house on Ferry Street, north of the National Bank, which they bought recently.
130 YEARS AGO
An old Bible, printed in 1643 and belonging to the Earl of Dartmouth, has turned up here in possession of John A. Smith, who brought it to this country in 1855.
The home of Robert Phillips was entered by thieves who entered the kitchen when the family members were eating supper and made away with a sack of flour and a set of silver spoons.
Triplet daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. John Tinker of Allensville.
Eleven new houses are being built in Vevay.
Aime Siebenthal is completing his new home on Market Street.
J.B. Tandy of Ghent is selling out his business and will retire.
John F. Doan is finishing his new home on Main Street here.
Married in Craig Township November 17th by Elder Robert Stevenson, Miss Helen Mennett and John R. Shaw.
Married November 25th by Esquire Perret Dufour, Miss Emma Golay and Perry A. LeClerc.
Married in Indianapolis on November 17th, Miss Tiozzie Phillips, formerly of this county, to Jason Ludlow.
The marriage of William Scudder and Amanda Gillion at Markland was celebrated by an Infair.
Superintendent O.C. Garman of the Patriot Schools reports an enrollment of 155 and said, “Tardy pupils are mostly kept home washing dishes.”
140 YEARS AGO
We learn that the citizens of Moorefield have purchased the Baptist church building of that place and are organizing a high school to be called the Moorefield Academy. There is already a very good school there under the direction of Mrs. Perdy.
Last Saturday night some person or persons blew open the safe belonging to the distillery of W.T. Pate and Company at Patriot, and stole $8,000.
Tosso and McCain gave two of their splendid performances to crowded houses Tuesday and Wednesday evenings in this place.
152 YEARS AGO
Dr. Fowler of New York is beginning a series of lectures in the Odd Fellows Hall here.
Flour is 50-cents per pound here. Eggs are 15-cents a dozen; hay is $12 per ton, and chickens are $1.50 per dozen.
Married in Patriot on November 23rd by Reverend E. Burrows, Miss Catherine Counell and James Faulkner, both of that town.
Married November 17th, Miss Lucinda Chase and Henry Bennett.