News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
Mary and Todd Fredenburgh of Florence celebrated their 73rd Wedding Anniversary on February 5th. The couple is aiming toward 75 years and they think they can make it.
This Saturday is Valentine’s Day, a time when romance is in the air and couples stop to share their feelings for each other. For many couples, Valentine’s Day holds an even deeper meaning. Several couples living in Switzerland County chose Valentine’s Day as their wedding day, using the special day as a way of making their wedding even more special. For Red and Patty Chase of Florence, they came to be married on Valentine’s Day by accident – 40 years ago. Their blood test didn’t come back in time to get married on February 7th as planned so the bride-to-be decided to make it Valentine’s Day since it would be very romantic.
Ralph Wentworth, formerly of Switzerland County and now living in Canaan, will celebrate his 96th birthday tomorrow (Friday), February 13th. He would enjoy hearing from friends for his birthday.
15 YEARS AGO
Airman Matt May has graduated from Air Force basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He is the son of Mike and Kathy May. He is a 1992 graduate of Switzerland County High School.
Ryan Redmon of Vevay will be performing in French playwright Moliere’s classic comedy “The Imaginary Invalid” at the University of Indianapolis Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Ryan, a graduate of Switzerland County High School, is a freshman at the University of Indianapolis.
The Patriot Town Council has a new president for 1993. Teresa Parker was named president at last Wednesday’s Town Council meeting.
20 YEARS AGO
Markland Baptist Church is celebrating its 100th anniversary Saturday, February 13th, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, February 14th, at 10:45 a.m. The church was organized Thursday, February 16th, 1888 with 12 charter members.
A Switzerland County man will represent dairy producers from southern Indiana as a director for one of the region’s prime milk marketing cooperatives. Russell Weaver of route 2, Vevay has been reelected to the board of directors for Milk Marketing, Inc. (MMI). He will represent District No. 25 — those in the entire southern portion of Indiana.
A reception will be held Sunday, February 21st, in honor of the 50th wedding anniversary of George and Dorothy Boulton of route 3, Vevay.
Sixth grader Jared Hill was the winner of the “Scripps Howard” preliminary competition in the Cincinnati Post Spelling Bee and earned the right to advance to the regional spelldown which will be held March 22nd in Cincinnati. Jared is a sixth grader at Jefferson-Craig Elementary School and is the son of Bill and Jackie Hill of Vevay.
40 YEARS AGO
U.S. Army Sergeant Robert J. (Bobby Joe) Williamson, 22, became the first Switzerland County service man to meet death in the Vietnam War as he was killed January 31st. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Emerson Williamson of Lawrenceburg and the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Brady of Vevay and Mrs. Naomi Williamson of Vevay with whom he lived for many years. Honored with many citations and medals, he was proudest, according to his parents of a Bronze Star presented him September 1st, 1967, by General William Westmoreland.
Burley tobacco growers will vote this month on marketing quotas for the next three crops, Wilford Buchanan, chairman, Switzerland Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation County Committee, reminded farmers today.
The annual Purdue University Extension burley tobacco school will be held at the 4-H Community Building Friday, extension officials have announced.
Committees for research into Switzerland County history were formed last Monday as the Junior Historical Society of Vevay High School met in the school gymnasium.
The first meeting of a newly organized Girl Scout Troop will be held at Fairview Methodist Church next Thursday with Mrs. Sherman Callahan as troop leader.
50 YEARS AGO
Vevay High School music students were given awards for their performances in the regional music contests at Franklin Saturday. The local youngsters were honored in vocal and instrumental music, in both individual and group participation. Carolyn Danner and Eugene Fredenburgh won second division awards for vocal solos, Dawn Boggs won a second division award for piano solo, and Evelina Coker received fourth division award. A mixed vocal ensemble won a second division award for their rendition of “Alleluia.” The group consisted of: Jackie Skirvin, Alma Meeks, Nora Hall, Sundra Penick, Marsha Ricketts, Larry Boggs, R. D. Slawson, Shirley Wentworth, Jerold Forwood, and Kenneth Pavy., Sue Sieglitz and Linda Detraz received awards as accompanists.
A baby daughter was born Saturday afternoon in the Madison hospital to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Varble of Vevay. She weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces and has been named Lea Annette. Mr. and Mrs. Varble are now parents of two girls and three boys.
A son was born February 1st in a Cincinnati hospital to Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Kelley of that city. He has been named Jeffrey John. Mr. and Mrs. Kelley are also parents of a son, Douglas Paul. Grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. John Maloney of Cincinnati and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kelley of Florence.
Herman Roland has sold his crushed rock and gravel hauling business and equipment to Nathan Littrell of Vevay who will continue to operate it along the same lines. Julian Shadday has been retained as driver of one of the delivery trucks.
60 YEARS AGO
A nine pound son was born January 13th to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Butters of Madison. The young man has been named John Frederick. Mrs. John Butters of Vevay is the young man’s grandmother.
James M. Glatz of Rising Sun has purchased the outstanding controlling interest in the Recorder, Inc., and will devote his interests to the publication of the two newspapers, the Rising Sun Recorder and the Ohio County News.
70 YEARS AGO
On Sunday, February 6th, the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a few friends gathered at the home of Mrs. Merritt Scruggs to remind her that it was her 71st birthday.
Louis Dupraz, formerly of Vevay, but now a member of an Indianapolis drug store was held up by a bandit and robbed Friday night.
Charles Pangburn sustained a broken leg and body bruises Friday when his car collided with a school bus near Seymour. After treatment in the Seymour hospital he was brought to his home in Vevay.
80 YEARS AGO
Vevay High School won the invitational tourney at Aurora over the weekend and by trouncing Milan, Osgood and Aurora.
The office of Dr. Clarence Shaw in Patriot was robbed of a quantity of narcotics last week but it was not discovered for some time. Mrs. John W. Johnson entered the office to get some medicine which Dr. Shaw had left for her and found a man coming from a rear room. He left and several days later the theft of the physician’s entire supply of narcotics was uncovered. The man answered to the description of one of the men who robbed Dr. Fred Bakes in Vevay the same day.
Peters R. Lostutter, former Switzerland County resident, died Friday in Taylorsville, Indiana. At one time he was county school superintendent here.
90 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Amelia Raschig, 79, died at her home here Friday morning from horrible burns which she received Thursday evening when a lighted coal oil stove which she was filling caught fire and ignited her clothing.
City Council has curtailed electric service still further because of the fuel situation.
The current will be shut off at 10 o’clock each night and will not be turned on in the mornings.
The huge ice gorge blocking the river at Sugar Creek, below Rising Sun, continues to hold in spite of the increasing pressure of the water against it. The gorge is more than 12 miles long, apparently rests on the bottom of the river and rises 60 feet above the low water line, causing the country to be flooded nearly 100 miles back of it.
Last week all the boats except the convict boat, Success, and the Ash ferry were swept into the Ohio and are now scattered from Carrollton to Louisville. The crew of the Island Queen bravely rode it out and succeeded in landing the boat at 18 mile Island above Louisville.
At Cincinnati the steamers Cincinnati, Louisville, Loucinda and Greenland were sunk. The Carrollton wharf boat and pleasure boat Martha E. from Madison went over the falls at Louisville.
John L. Tinker, Civil War veteran, died Thursday at his home near Allensville.
John Shanahan of Florence has received word that his daughters, Lula and Mae, Red Cross nurses, have arrived safely in France.
“Pupils at St. Mary’s school were startled last week when Master Lawrence Higgins let out a shriek and the teacher discovered a crochet hook imbedded in his thigh. A number of pupils have been taking their crocheting to school and this little fellow had not removed his work from his pocket. He has renounced his knittin’ forever.”
100 YEARS AGO
A branch of the state grange was organized at Moorefield last week.
A son was born January 26th to Mr. and Mrs. Ed Rayles of Florence.
Edward E. Kelso, ex-county clerk, died at his home in Vevay Saturday night.
Fire companies were called out Monday afternoon to extinguish a slight blaze on the roof of the residence of Dick Ridgway.
Bryon Tilley, son of Wallace Tilley, fell while skating on the ice Tuesday evening and broke his left leg between the knee and ankle.
A daughter was born January 26th to Abijah Brindley and wife of Sugar Branch.
Janet Harris of Patriot is ill with diphtheria.
Miss Harriet Tandy has returned to school in Clifton, Cincinnati.
110 YEARS AGO
Fred Haskell who has been under the doctor’s care, is able to eat a hearty meal once more.
A son was born to Henderson McCreary and wife of Hard Scrabble last week.
120 YEARS AGO
Bud Golay of Craig Township fell on the ice and cut his face.
Fire which broke out in the G.P. Nash dry goods store on Main Street early Friday morning destroyed three other buildings and set fire to a fifth. The burned district commenced on the northwest corner of Main and Liberty streets, the three story brick built by the Odd Fellows in 1850, now owned by Thomas Delaney. Business rooms were occupied by the saloons of B.W. Simmons and Henry Roberts and J.S. Girard. The second and third stories were occupied by W.S. Tower and hotel. Adjoining the Tower House was a two-story frame owned by J.J. Thiebaud and occupied by the Nash store. Adjoining was another small building owned by Mr. Thiebaud, occupied by Nick Hirtz as a cigar shop.
Continuing along the row was a one-story frame building of John Melcher, occupied by saloon of Phillips Brothers, one-story frame building of C. Goldenburg and Sons tin store, one story frame building of Carrie Griffith, front room occupied by William Dement, boot and shoe shop, rear room by Boggs and Keith restaurant. This last building was demolished to stop further spread of fire. The row of brick buildings opposite, containing the Henry House, J. L. Thiebaud’s store, Pleasants and Son’s Clothing Store, and Dufour’s block became intensely hot, blistering paint and firemen were on the roofs to extinguish sparks as they fell. Burning debris fell on Haskell Brothers stable at the rear of the burning buildings and on Sheriff Simpson’s home. A square away the roof of the livery stable of Mr. Shadday caught fire twice.
At the height of the fire gun powder in the Nash store exploded creating near panic. The probabilities are the entire burned district will soon be covered by substantial brick buildings with iron fronts. Many persons staying in the Tower House narrowly escaped with their lives during the fire.
Hamilton Lewis, veteran of the Civil War, died January 30th, at his home in Pleasant Township.
Samuel B. Miller, 77, died in Vevay January 26th. After operating the mill of Schenck and Teats he formed a partnership in 1860 with U.P. Schenck and built the present brick mill. He later sold his interest and engaged in the tin and stove business.
130 YEARS AGO
Enyard, small son of James Marsh of Markland, fell last Friday and broke his thigh.
The boiler in Williams’ mill at Carrollton exploded yesterday. No lives lost.
The amount of toll collected at the gate near Vevay on the Vevay, Mount Sterling, and Versailles turnpike for January was $230.18.
A little blue eyed girl has brought joy to the home of C.O. Thiebaud.
140 YEARS AGO
During the last year, 1867, the citizens of this little city made the following improvements: U. P. Schenck, three-story brick business house costing, $6,000; Vevay Furniture Company, four-story factory, $3,000; J. W. Banta, frame house, $1,600; M. D. Fuget, frame cottage, $1,000; Dr. T. M. Danglade, frame cottage, $500; F. L. Grisard, frame office, $500; G. W. Teats, frame house, $1,000; H. Schroeder, frame cottage, a$1,000; F. Bristow, frame cottage, $300; William Kiesel, frame cottage, $600. Total, $15,500.
A great religious revival is being held. The following are the number of accessions to the various churches: Methodist, 41; Universalist, 22; Baptist, 40; Presbyterian, 4; Christian, 3. Total, 110.
After the close of the Vevay Public Schools, the Superintendent, R. F. Brewrington, will open a private school lasting two months.
A lodge of Good Templars was organized here last week by H. Downey.
150 YEARS AGO
F. J. Waldo has been appointed as agent for the Phoenix Insurance Company to cover this territory.
It is whispered that Captain Howe of the packet Kate French, who is a general favorite with the ladies, has serious pretensions toward matrimony.
152 YEARS AGO
The Temporances Forces in Switzerland County will meet at Mount Sterling on February 9th to elect delegates to the state convention at Indianapolis on February 22nd.
A son was born January 23rd to John and Katherine Jackson of Vevay.
A son was born last week to Montgomery and Sarah Patton.
A son was born January 30th to Samuel and Rachel Cox of Vevay.