News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
The first-ever Little Miss and Little Mister contest was held as a part of the Switzerland County 4-H Fair on Monday night. Winners were Little Miss Brittany Bennett; Little Mister Sam Chase; first runnersup Sam Auxier and Kaleesa Archer; and second runnersup Jordan Hewitt and Lauren Goddard.
Switzerland County athletes competed in the Special Olympics festival that was held in June at Indiana State University in Terre Haute. Those competing included Maggie Mullins, Erin Schmitt, Darrell Yocum, Sherman Leap and Steve Turner. Tony Spoores was the coach for the students.
This year’s Swiss Wine Festival will be the 25th celebration held here in Vevay. It kicks off on Thursday, August 15th, and organizers are making final preparations. Many of the Festival’s events have been expanded and improved, organizers say. The always popular Little Swiss Polka Dancers will be performing all four days of the festival and they will be joined this year by the Edelweiss Dancers, a group of older children who will be performing their own shows.
15 YEARS AGO
Michelle Moll was chosen Friday night as the 1991 Switzerland County 4-H Fair Queen. Liz Simon was named first runner-up, and Amy Haskell was named Miss Congeniality and second runner-up.
The rededication of the Switzerland County Courthouse will follow the parade, ceremonies for the Desert Storm veterans, and pitch-in picnic Thursday in celebration of the Fourth of July. The work on the $1.1 million renovation/restoration of the Courthouse began last October and, except for minor touch-ups, was completed in May. County officials moved back into their offices the beginning of June.
20 YEAS AGO
Tammy Jones was crowned Queen of the 1986 Switzerland County 4-H Fair. Her court included Angie Harlow, Miss Congeniality; Stacy Hocker, first runner-up; and Sherry Rowlett, second runner-up; Ginger Jewell, third runner-up.
The LeClerc House, formerly the Swiss Inn, officially opened on July 4th. Owned by Mark Miles, the restaurant at the corner of Main and Ferry streets in Vevay is an old favorite of many county residents who will now again be able to enjoy the friendly atmosphere and good cookin’. The menu sums it up: “Not fancy, just good,” it says.
Barbara E. Firth, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Firth, route 2, Vevay, has been awarded a freshman academic scholarship to attend Butler University in the fall.
30 YEARS AGO
Switzerland County’s 4-H Fair enjoyed the biggest opening night in its history Monday as about 1,500 fairgoers flocked to the fairgrounds to kick off the 1976 county celebration. Nancy Hall, 17-year-old daughter of H. William and Beverly Hall of Vevay. Hall was crowned Miss Switzerland County 4-H Fair in a jampacked Community Building Monday night.
Duke League of Vevay has been awarded a scholarship at Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky. He is a 1975 graduate of Switzerland County High School and is the son of Mrs. Betty Schirmer League of Vevay.
40 YEARS AGO
Denver Markland has been elected by Switzerland County Park and Recreation as president of that newly formed body. Fletcher N. Hufford was elected vice president and Kenneth Clemons was named secretary-treasurer. Robert Briggs is the board’s fourth member.
Mrs. Florence Williams, well-known correspondent for Vevay Newspapers and numerous area dailies, died last Wednesday night at King’s Daughters’ Hospital after a long illness. Mrs. Williams wrote “Vevay News in Brief” for many years for The Vevay Reveille-Enterprise and The Switzerland Democrat, devoting nearly 70 of her 86 years to newspaper correspondence.
50 YEARS AGO
A Boy Scout troop is being organized in Vevay, sponsored by the Switzerland Baptist Church. Robert Strausbaugh will act as Scoutmaster.
Miss Carolyn Dean Van Tyle, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oren Van Tyle, and Grover Elmo Baldwin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Grover Baldwin, both of near Patriot, were united in marriage by Reverend Forest Taylor at the Rising Sun Baptist Church Saturday evening, July 21st.
60 YEARS AGO
Miss Goldie Taylor of Cincinnati, daughter of Mrs. Maude Taylor of Vevay, was married Friday, July 12th, in Cincinnati to Mr. Herbert C. Taylor of that city.
Miss Dora Beldon of Vevay died suddenly Sunday night of a heart attack. For many years Mis Dora had served the community as an expert seamstress following a period of time spent as saleslady in various Vevay stores.
Clyde Bright of Rising Sun, veteran of World War I, and a former resident of Vevay, died in Veteran’s Hospital, Indianapolis on Saturday.
Emerson Williamson resigned his position as Athletic Directory of the Kiwanis playground here Tuesday evening and John Collier has been appointed to take his place.
In a transaction concluded Saturday, Clyde Culbertson sold his three story business on Ferry Street to John Middleton of Louisville and R. H. Middleton of Buffalo, Kentucky.
The U.S. Army Signal Corps Weather detachment at Lexington, Kentucky will soon have back an escaped weather balloon, thanks to a young Switzerland County man. Larry Kinman of Patriot mailed the collapsed balloon and its attached equipment from the post office in Vevay Wednesday, following the instructions found tagged to the instruments. The young man found the balloon Monday in the top of a tree near his home.
A baby son was born in King’s Daughters’ Hospital, Madison, Saturday, July 21st, to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Varble. The baby weighed nine pounds at birth and has been named Charles Brian.
70 YEARS AGO
In order to keep in the front rank with modern newspapers the Vevay Reveille -Enterprise several weeks ago purchased an Autocaster stereotyping machine, which was installed last week and is now in operation.
Uncle Bill Sanders died at his home in Vevay Friday morning. The deceased, who was born in slavery, was old. After his death, his guardian, Frank Riley, found $1,156 hidden in a book. The bills were of five, ten and twenty dollar denominations and were old and musty.
An Overland sedan was stolen from Leon Buschmann last Sunday in Cincinnati.
Fire of unknown origin early Sunday morning burned the W. H. Sample store, his warehouse and dwelling house in Bennington.
Born, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. John Shaw of Hopewell.
Miss Pauline Lambert and Truman Fry, both of Ohio County, were married in Vevay Saturday night by Reverend F.E. Hammel.
80 YEARS AGO
John Stewart succumbed to the extreme heat Monday while working in the garden at his home at Center Square. Mr. Stewart, who was 81 years of age, fell ill while working in a 95 degree temperature and died a little while later.
Joshua Howard and Mrs. Cullie Lock, both of this county, were married in Osgood last week.
Born, July 12th, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Campbell of Fairview.
Born Monday, July 17th, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Whit Turner of Markland.
A young man from Louisville, while on the Carrollton wharfboat last Sunday, tossed a cat belonging to Captain John Cox into the river. A second later Captain Cox threw the young man into the river and told him not to swim ashore until he brought the cat with him. And the order was obeyed.
90 YEARS AGO
John Anderson, a member of the firm of Anderson Brothers Liverymen of Vevay, is critically ill.
Miss Celestine Dahmen who has been attending school in Chicago is home for the summer.
“Queen,” the fine Scotch collie dog belonging to William Heady, crawled into a culvert on Walnut Street to escape the heat and become caught. A force of men dug into the culvert and rescued her.
A daughter was born on July 17th to Mr. and Mrs. Whit Turner of Markland.
100 YEARS AGO
Miss Lora Knox and Frank J. Brockschlager were married on July 4th in Warsaw, Kentucky.
Miss Anna Brindley and Henry Dittgen were married in Vevay Saturday and will reside in Vevay where Mr. Dittgen is employed as a carver at the Union Furniture Company.
The shop built in Braytown in 1867 by John Weaver and used by him and later by William H. Weaver as a wagon shop is being torn down for a new store building.
Professor Bush is conducting a dancing class of over 40 pupils here.
Egypt Bottom reports the best wheat crop for 28 years. Henry Schroeder leads in production with 34 bushels to the acre.
A daughter was born Friday to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Montanye of Mount Sterling.
A daughter was born Wednesday to Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Phillips of Tapps Ridge.
110 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” died last week at her home in Hartford, Connecticut.
Dr. T.J. Griffith of Washington, D.C., who is employed in the office of the Surgeon General, is visiting his parents, Reverend and Mrs. J. D. Griffith near Moorefield. On Monday a family reunion was held with all 10 children and their families, 25 in all, present for the first time for 20 years.
Fifty young people were guests of Pem Pleasants and his sister, Miss Anna, at a party at the Pleasants home Thursday night.
Miss Mary Henry of Pleasant has returned from school at Terre Haute.
There is a dangerous hold in the gravel road near Hunt’s Creek bridge and the County Commissioners or whoever has charge of the road, should have the dangerous break repaired immediately.
The Sunday Schools of Vevay have united in a steamboat excursion and picnic up the Kentucky River on a covered barge towed by the steamer Ghent, leaving Vevay Friday morning at 7 and returning to Vevay about 8 at night. Fare, round trip, 20 cents, children under 15, 10 cents.
C.J. Thatcher of East Enterprise has a bicycle track, fast riding not allowed — impossible to make the turn.
130 YEARS AGO
Dr. T. M. Danglade who has been in poor health for several months, has so far recovered as to be able to ride out each day.
The following teachers have been employed to teach in the Vevay Schools next year: P. t. Hartford, superintendent; James R. Hart, Principal of High School; Mary Latham, Maggie Northcott, Bettie Bell, Kate Ward, Kittie Dickason, Maggie Cole, Mary C. Patton, and Hattie Whallon; German Department, A. Hilderbrand.
Addison Works is again out on the roads as a Special Agent for the Niagara Insurance Company.
Lum Stepleton who has been South has returned home.
Colonel W. D. Ward is attending court in Versailles.
140 YEARS AGO
A few days ago Mr. and Mrs. C.W. Bunger of Posey Township celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary.
Married by W.T. Saunders, Miss Ella Faulkner and George W. Fechner.
150 YEARS AGO
Married on June 22nd, by F. Poston, Justice of the Peace, Mrs. Martha Wycoff to Jacob Poland.
the Madison Banner, Daily and Weekly, has been suspended for want of patronage.
152 YEARS AGO
A few days since a man by the name of John Ransom was knocked down and paralyzed for a short time by he effects of a flash of lightning.
E. Barret would respectfully inform the inhabitants of Vevay that he has returned to his old quarters on Ferry Street and again opened his Bread and Cake Bakery.