News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
Katie Riley, daughter of Kenny and Margaret Ann Riley of near Moorefield was crowned as this year’s Switzerland County 4-H Fair Queen during festivities held Saturday evening.
Natalie Gray, daughter of Leon and Alice Gray, was elected vice president of the state FFA, delaying plans to enter Purdue University until after she completes her term. Natalie said it was probably the best birthday present she could have given to her dad.
Judy Kappes has graduated with honors from the College of Mount Saint Joseph in Cincinnati. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in business administration. She maintained a 3.94 grade point average out of a possible 4.0.
Switzerland County native David Hall, the son of Beverly Houze of Vevay, recently completed a fellowship in the Washington office of Congressman Lee Hamilton. He is currently pursuing graduate studies in history at Harvard University.
15 YEARS AGO
Trooper Stanley B. Tressler of Vevay was presented an Indiana State Police Silver Star Award for heroic action taken in helping to rescue the driver of a tractor-trailer which had crashed and was on fire.
Joi Gibson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Gibson, won the designation of Switzerland County’s Trig-Star for 1991 in competition in Rick Weales’ trigonometry class at Switzerland County High School.
20 YEAS AGO
Claude and Dorothy Roland quietly celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
Greg Curlin is the 1985-86 Indiana FAA treasurer. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Curlin, were recently presented with an Honorary State Farmer Degree during the Indiana FFA State Convention.
The children attending summer school at Jefferson Craig Elementary School were given a fun history lesson last Thursday. Claudia Crump came to visit the children and she presented an informative program in such a way that the kids didn’t even realize they were being taught something very important.
30 YEARS AGO
The second annual Patchwork Fair, designated this year as one of the Vevay-based celebrations of the Bicentennial, will be held this Saturday on the Courthouse lawn.
gay Hastings, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Amos Hastings, of Center Square, and Russell Felch, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Felch, of Newport News, Virginia, were united in marriage June 26th in a double-ring ceremony held on the uniquely-shaped porch of the Hastings home.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry (Jim) Reed of Vevay celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary June 20th at their home on Pike Street in Vevay.
Mrs. Geraldine Banta, Parks Ridge, received a certificate at the annual Program Assistants’ Banquet at Purdue University during Homemakers’ Conference. Mrs. Banta was recognized as a first year Program Assistant in the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program of the Cooperative Extension Service.
Mr. and Mrs. Claude Roland will celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary with an open house at their home.
Back in June it was disclosed that the Bennington Post Office would close down for good on August 13th. Forget that. It won’t be — at least not for a while. The powers-that-be in Washington have decided to keep the Bennington Post Office open, along with 230 other small post offices across the nation that had also been scheduled to shut down in August.
40 YEARS AGO
Miss Terry Schornick reigns as queen of the 1966 Switzerland County 4-H Fair in Vevay.
Eddie Hazeldean is among the approximately 400 young musicians attending the 20th annual Indiana University High School Music Clinic July 9th-17th.
Pfc. Donald Wayne Wood, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Wood of Florence, left California July 3rd for Vietnam as a military policeman.
Loren E. Lamson of Vevay and Miss Nora L. Breeden of Indianapolis were married Friday in First Baptist Church of Greenwood.
50 YEARS AGO
A fine view of the construction of the new locks at Markland greets the visitor at the present headquarters of Dam 39 on the Indiana shore of the river. About 25 cells of the coffer dam have been built by the Dravo Corporation, and work is progressing rapidly.
The Corps of Engineers at Louisville, in drawing the plans for the Markland Dam, will incorporate the base structure for a future bridge roadway, it was learned Tuesday by this newspaper.
A son was born July 6th to Mr. and Mrs. George Halco of Streator, Illinois. the baby weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and has been given the name of Allen Bruce. The mother is the former Miss Maxine Scott, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Scott of Vevay.
Chester Kiesel has been reappointed by the town board to the Vevay school board for a term of three years. Other members of the board are Mrs. Helen Danner and Harry Truitt.
60 YEARS AGO
In a double ring ceremony performed Saturday afternoon, July 6th, by Reverend Ralph Gronseth at the Baptist parsonage in Madison, Miss Helen Brown became the bride of Delbert A. Clements and Miss Lavon Brown became the bride of Jewel Giltner. Both brides are the daughters of Chester Brown, Dayton, Ohio. Mr. Giltner is of Madison route 2, and Mr. Clements of Vevay route 4.
Born Saturday, July 6th, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Ray Carlton of Bennington. He has been named Ray Wayne.
Born Thursday, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Gregory of Posey Township.
Born Saturday, June 29th, a daughter, Judith Lynn, to Mr. and Mrs. Howard Dunning.
Born July 5th, a daughter, Frances Colleen, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Stivers of Vevay.
70 YEARS AGO
About a thousand people journeyed to Patriot on Saturday and enjoyed the day at the big celebration of the Fourth of July in that little city.
Mr. Charles Sieglitz was painfully injured Wednesday evening while watching a softball game on the municipal diamond in Vevay when Carroll Dox accidentally let loose of his bat while swinging at the ball.
Charles W. Mead, native of Patriot, and well known newspaper man of Vevay, died at his home in Hempsted, near New York City, on Wednesday, July 1st. At one time he, in partnership with his son Edwin, now deceased, owned and published the Vevay Democrat.
Lights will soon be installed at the new softball field and supervisor Harold Benedict expects to start playing night games next week.
Herman Thies of Rising Sun and Lois Margaret Carragan of Aurora were married here Saturday by Squire Edward Rosenberger.
Edgar Mitchell of near Vevay and Beatrice Breadon of Patriot were married by Reverend Fred S. Griffith at his home in Vevay Friday evening.
80 YEARS AGO
Sam Smith was appointed city marshal last week to succeed Justi Banta who resigned.
Born July 7th, a daughter Ethel to Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Burroughs.
Born, a daughter Greta Lee to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pratt.
Born July 9th, a son Robert Vernon to Mr. and Mrs. Everett Kinman of Posey Township.
Mrs. Laura Koons of Posey Township and George Hysell of Markland were married Tuesday in Vevay.
90 YEARS AGO
Elmer Stephenson, former Patriot boy, was killed in a gun duel Saturday in Richmond, Indiana. He was a member of the Richmond police force and with a fellow officer was attempting to arrest E. S. Carr when the latter opened fire, killing Stephenson and wounding the other officer.
Born, a son, Charles Dale, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Shanahan of Florence.
Sam Richardson, driver of an auto bus between East Enterprise and Aurora, sustained a broken arm last Friday when cranking the car.
100 YEARS AGO
John F. Plew and a force of men are now engaged in putting in cement gutters on Ferry and Main streets.
J. W. Gibbs is completing his 29th year as a traveling salesman.
Farmers have been requested to refrain from hitching their teams too near the fire engine house on Market Street. Several times recently when the fire bell at the No. 2 engine house has rung, the horses have become frightened and have run away.
Miss Carrie Haskell is substituting for Miss Nellie Reser as a telephone operator at the Farmers’ Exchange.
Amie Todd and Fred Lanham of New York, who are employees of “Billboard” theatrical magazine, are spending their vacations in their “old home town” of Vevay.
Dick Ridgeway caught two fish Saturday which totaled 130 pounds.
John Andrew of near Vevay has raised 1,292 bushels of wheat on 50 acres of land.
Coroner James S. Knox on Tuesday returned a verdict of “justifiable homicide” in the case of Charles Sutton who was fatally shot on July 4th at Patriot by Deputy Marshal Jake Smith when he is alleged to have interfered with the latter while he was attempting to arrest another man.
A cloud burst, the heaviest storm in the history of Vevay, visited the town Saturday evening and resulted in heavy damage to corn and other crops in the area. Two inches of rain fell in an hour’s time.
110 YEARS AGO
A 10-pound son was born Sunday to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Mills.
Licensed to marry: Brownie Green and Mattie Morton; Rod C. Hussung and Alice Furnish; William Cook and Mary Dibble; W. H. Raisor and Oniskey Adams.
Albert Price participated in the bicycle race at Louisville July 4th but he bursted a tire at the five mile turn in the 10 mile track and had to leave the race.
A 12-pound son was born on July 34th to Mr. and Mrs. Loring Ricketts of East Enterprise.
A. P. Dufour and Nat M. Fallis were seriously injured Monday while returning home from Florence when the bits on the bridle of the horse which Mr. Fallis was driving broke and the animal became unmanageable. Both men jumped from the buggy and Mr. Dufour became caught in the lines and was dragged some distance.
130 YEARS AGO
George S. Pleasants, son of J. K. Pleasants of Vevay, graduated from Buchtel College of Akron, Ohio last week. He stood among the first in his class.
Honorable H. W. Harrington of Indianapolis was in Vevay last week.
Julius Black and A. Mayer started for the Centennial Exposition last week.
Joseph Belch has been visiting his father, H. Belch, at Austin, Indiana.
Married, at the residence of the bride July 1st, 1876 by Esquire David Lee, Heram L. Richmond to Mrs. Mary Willis, all of this county.
Last Sunday night a horse was stolen from a Mr. Mathews residing near Moorefield. the horse was found at Aurora last Tuesday.
Reverend W. H. Williams of Ghent, Kentucky, will preach in the Vevay Baptist Church next Sunday.
Married, at the Baptist parsonage, Vevay, July 11th by Reverend T. Warn Beagle, Dawson Fortner and Emily Dawson, and S.S. Chandler and Dillie Jones.
The LeClerc House will run a hack to the river to meet all the boats and will take passengers to and from the boats in any part of Vevay for 25 cents.
J. D. Harwood has removed his store from the corner room in Shaw’s building on Ferry Street to the room next to the corner.
George E. Patton, an employee of the Reveille, has been spending a week in Cincinnati seeing the sights.
140 YEARS AGO
The Vevay Theatre, corner of Main and Liberty streets, will be opened July 4th.
Last Saturday a Masonic Lodge was organized at Florence.
Married in Vevay, Miss Eliza Campbell to Alex H. Henderson of Mattoon, Illinois.
150 YEARS AGO
The ferry boat Rosalie, plying between Natchez and Vidalia, Louisiana, was destroyed by fire last week.
In 1824 there were 100 families in Indianapolis, 72 voters among the number.
Seven wagons with emigrants from Indiana and Illinois have arrived safely in Lawrence, Kansas.
We understand that counterfeit $10 bills on the State of Indiana are in circulation.
152 YEARS AGO
Married May 5th by James McHenry, Esquire, Jacob Harper and Nancy Ann Miller.
Married June 6th by Martin Higgins, Esquire, William H. Vincent and Elizabeth Stagg.
Married in Cheviot, Ohio, July 6th by Reverend L. Bailey, Oliver H. Hogue and Abigail C. Bateman.
One of the distilleries in Carrollton, Kentucky, belonging to Root and Company, was destroyed by fire Thursday night.
We are informed by persons just from Madison that cholera prevails to a considerable extent at that place.
In another column will be found the advertisement of the steamer Ben Coursin. This boat has been chartered by the Madison and Cincinnati Packet Company to run during low water.
The weather during the last three weeks has ranged from 90 to 96.5 degrees in the coolest shade in our town.
The low water notwithstanding, the splendid steamer David White is still making trips between Cincinnati and Louisville.
Owing to the low water the mail boat Alven Adams is laid up and the steamer Tishomingo is now running in her place.
J. DeHart, agent on the Madison and Indianapolis road, was robbed of a package of money containing $1,000 on Friday afternoon.
John Woods will resume his school on Monday, July 10th, in the Upper School House in Vevay. Mrs. Woods will resume her school in the White Hall on Monday, July 10th. She will also give vocal lessons to all who desire, it, gratis.