News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
Jessica Gaudin placed third in the District competition for the Voice of Democracy contest sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. She is the daughter of Bernie and Joanne Gaudin of near Vevay.
Sandra Sue “Tootie” Girton of Vevay earned inclusion on the chancellor’s list for the fall semester at Indiana University Southeast. Angela Marie Brockman of Vevay and Tiffany Hankins of Vevay were both named to the dean’s list at IUS. The chancellor’s list student must have attained a perfect 4.0 grade point average and for the dean’s list a student must attain a 3.5.
Robin Marie Turner has earned a place on the dean’s list at Indiana State University for the fall semester. Students named to the dean’s list must have attained at least a 3.75 grade point average.
Max Rosenberger will receive the Spotlight Award for “Going the extra mile” from the Area 12 Council on Aging and Community Services. He is the director of the Senior Nutrition Activity Center program in Switzerland County.
15 YEARS AGO
Bob and Jean Linkmeyer of Switzerland County were featured on the nationally telecast Oprah Winfrey show last Friday afternoon. They told of surviving last November’s tornado disaster that destroyed their home – and several others – on Florence Hill Road. Oprah Winfrey invited the Linkmeyers to appear on her show after learning they had videotaped the approach of the tornado. The tornado tape was shown on the show and the Linkmeyers described their harrowing experience.
Carl and Ruth Moll celebrated their 50th anniversary last Saturday, February 27th, at their home on Grants Creek.
20 YEARS AGO
Jim Phipps was the recipient of an award for service to agriculture in Indiana by the Indiana State ASCS Committee.
Elizabeth Simon, a freshman at SCHS, brought home the school’s only gold medal for a piano solo at the solo-ensemble contest held at New Albany High School. Receiving silver medals for vocal solos were freshman Katee Hoskins, senior Andrea Lieland, senior Ted Murray and senior Katie Richards. Gina Simon, a fifth grader at Switzerland County Elementary also received a silver medal for a piano solo.
Corrine and Bill Gutjahr of near Florence raise registered Corriedale sheep on their farm. On Valentine’s Day triplets arrived at their home. Two of the three sheep weighed nine pounds and the third weighed 10 pounds.
Emerson C. Cole of near Fairview was presented a certificate of retirement and certificate of achievement by Jefferson Proving Ground Command Officer, Colonel Carl V. Glover. Emerson recently retired from federal service after a 34-year career at the proving ground.
30 YEARS AGO
The winter of 1978 will long be remembered as one of the most devastating in Switzerland County. People have suffered many inconveniences due to the ice, snow and arctic-like temperatures, and livestock in this largely agricultural area have been prime victims of old man winter.
Electricity was the current topic at Monday night’s regular meeting of the Switzerland County School Corporation of School Trustees. And, due to the inability of the corporation to meet the mandatory cutbacks imposed by the Indiana Public Service Commission this month, students at Allensville Elementary School and Switzerland County Junior-Senior High School will have a holiday this Friday as both facilities will be closed that day. Allensville and SCHS are both heated electrically and schools were originally ordered by the PSC to cut their electrical usage by 50 percent.
The Markland Dam is now open again to river traffic. Closed because of ice floes jamming the locks and flood gates, the Dam and Locks have provided passage for Ohio River traffic since the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cleared the jammed locks about three weeks ago.
Next week the Switzerland County School Corporation’s Adult Education Department will begin a door-to-door canvassing of the county’s adults without high school diplomas. Four employees of the school corporation will be conducting the interviews in two two-person teams. The interviewers will be gathering information that will assist the school corporation in creating a program that will better serve the adults in Switzerland County who wish to continue their education.
40 YEARS AGO
Miss Catherine Ackerman, daughter of Brad Bromwell and the late Mrs. Mildred Bromwell of Vevay, was among 37 students at Indiana Central College receiving nurses caps February 18th. The ceremony symbolized completion of the first semester of the two-year, associate degree, nursing education program.
Because she ranked first in a written homemaking knowledge and attitude test given senior girls at Vevay High School December 5th, Deborah A. Shrode becomes 1968 Betty Crocker Homemaker of Tomorrow for her school.
William F. Wahl of Vevay has been awarded a gold button from Indiana Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons for more than 50 years as a Mason.
Darrell McKenzie, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dwight McKenzie of Tell Street, Vevay, is among 1,285 students qualifying scholastically for degrees in Purdue University’s mid-year graduating class. He qualified for a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy and pharmacy science at the Lafayette University.
50 YEARS AGO
William Harvey Rea, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Rea of Patriot, was recently elected president of Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity at Indiana University, for the second semester. He is a senior to be graduated in June. Rea was also raised to the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the Indiana University ROTC brigade in a recent promotion order.
The Ohio River is apparently in no danger of freezing over, as feared last week, as warmer temperatures and spring-like weather invaded the valley. All ice has disappeared from the river and boat traffic has been resumed.
Miss Mary K. Duvall and Mike Scott of Vevay survived the regional Rock and Roll dance contest at Madison Tuesday night and with seven other couples will compete for final honors. Completing also from Vevay were Miss Mary Inez Lockwood and R. D. Slawson, Jr. Finals in the contest will be judged March 5th.
60 YEARS AGO
A baby daughter was born Wednesday, February 18th, to Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Moreillon.
Twin sons were born February 17th at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Mr. and Mrs. Billie Bob Dilts (nee Rebecca Maxine Rolland) of Rising Sun. Mrs. Dilts is the sister of Mrs. Emerson Hickman of Vevay. The baby has been named Kathy Anne.
70 YEARS AGO
The Vevay school board has unanimously agreed to proceed with negotiations for a new gymnasium and has selected the playground west of the grade school as the site. It will require several weeks to obtain necessary federal aid.
Mrs. Justi Banta of Vevay suffered a stroke Wednesday and is in critical condition.
80 YEARS AGO
Wilford Works, truck driver for H. W. Samples of Bennington was held up and robbed of $9 on state road 56 near Rising Sun one night last week.
Thomas Leep and Thomas Clements received word last week that 20 acres of grapefruit orchard which they own in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas were destroyed by fire. It appears that an irrigation company was burning dry grass and weeds and the fire spread to the orchard, burning every tree.
George McClanahan was stricken with paralysis Saturday while working in the barn at his farm near Center Square. His condition is serious.
Francis Cole who is employed on the U.S. dredge boat C. B. Harris injured a hand last week when it was caught in machinery.
A son was born February 19th to Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Chase of Quercus Grove.
90 YEARS AGO
Vevay grocers are now compelled to keep a list of their sugar sales and punishment may be forthcoming if people insist on going from one store to another to get an extra allowance.
Miss Melvina Welch, 79, who has been blind since she was 8 years old, has finished knitting her 12th pair of socks for the Sammies, through the Red Cross. She makes her home with her sister, Mrs. Barney Klenburg but this winter she is the guest of Miss Emma Welch near Bennington.
Ernest Griffith has bought the Schewe property on Market Street and will remodel it into a modern home.
The Carrollton-Lamb ferry which was damaged in the ice has been repaired and is now running again.
A daughter was born February 21st to Mr. and Mrs. Bee Clements of Moorefield.
Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Danglade have received word of the safe arrival of their son Kirby in France.
We learn that the Navy boys at Great Lakes training station have learned to knit and take their knitting bags while making calls upon young ladies in Chicago.
100 YEARS AGO
While operating a gear cutting machine in a factory in Connersville Thursday Tracy Adams, former Vevay boy, lost a finger on his left hand.
J. C. Webb of Mount Sterling sustained painful injury to his leg Monday while bulking tobacco and is now going about on crutches.
Albert Morrison and family of Sugar Branch have moved to Ghent where Mr. Morrison has opened a barber shop.
A daughter was born February 17th to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Boone of Florence.
A 10-pound son was born February 14th to Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Mead.
110 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Eloine Patton Knox left Tuesday for San Diego, California, where she will join her husband, Charles D. Knox, who has a drug store there. Her mother, Mrs. Amelia Patton, and brother accompanied her as far as Cincinnati.
Miss Lulu Ward is home from DePauw to spend the holidays.
Julius Dufour who has been ill has recovered sufficiently to take passage on the steamer Guiding Star for Lake Providence, Louisiana, to spend the winter with his daughter, Mrs. William Rous. His daughter Mrs. Del Vecchio and her daughter accompanied him.
120 YEARS AGO
A son was born February 22nd to Mr. and Mrs. Durbin Miller.
John Bledsoe and family of Mount Sterling left this week for Topeka, Kansas to make their home.
L. L. Froman of Sugar Branch left this week to locate in Colorado. His family will follow later.
Mrs. N. Worrell of Mount Sterling is very ill with diphtheria.
William Anderson of Craig Township received a badly cut foot Tuesday while splitting wood.
Wages at the mill in Patriot now are $1 per day; at the Cooper shop for making whiskey barrels, 33 cents; at the machine shop $1 per day.
David McClure of Madison and William F. Hall of Rising Sun will be the mail agents on the river route which will be restored March 1st.
A son of George Armstrong of East Enterprise is very ill with pneumonia.
130 YEARS AGO
The steamer J. D. Pratt, with Captain E. Martin in command, left Vevay Tuesday for New Orleans with three barges loaded with 1,050 tons of hay belonging to J. K. Pleasants and Company.
The steamer Argosy arrived here Sunday and took on board a shipment of furniture from the Vevay Furniture Company, hay and potatoes.
Professor Brewington and several other teachers in the county left Tuesday to attend the meeting of the State Teachers Association.
Wooden legs cost the government last year $35,206.50. Wooden heads cost the government much more than that.
140 YEARS AGO
Last week J. W. Hudson of this place shipped a cow to Cincinnati weighing 1,465 pounds for which he received $116.
Vevay markets: wheat $2.30 per bushel; rye $1.25 per bushel; barley, $1.60 per bushel; eggs 15 cents per dozen; butter 30 cents per pound.
152 YEARS AGO
We have learned that two flat boats loaded with hay from this place sank near Memphis last week. They were owned by Hall and Lindley and Henry McMakin.
This week horses and mules cross the river here on the ice.
The entire length of the Mississippi River is closed with ice and cold weather.
“Our friends on Tapps Ridge are debating the expediency of our present naturalization law or the propriety of permitting foreigners in this state to vote before they can become citizens of the United States or take the oath of allegiance. The fact of debating societies taking up American principles proves to us that they have an abiding place in the hearts of the people.”