News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
Hilary Lanman and Evan Fisher were crowned as the Little Miss and Little Mister of the Switzerland County 4-H Fair Monday night. Hilary is five years old and is the daughter of Pat and Jacquita Lanman of Vevay. Evan Fisher is also five years old and is the son of Jerry and Lisa Fisher of near Patriot.
P.J. Jackson, son of Pete and Terri Jackson of Quercus Grove, has enlisted n the U.S. Navy. He left Thursday, July 9th, for basic training at the Great Lakes, Illinois training center.
Clinton and Lucille Scott of Tapps Ridge celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, July 8th. They both retired from U.S. shoe Corporation after more than 40 years of service.
The Moorefield Community Volunteer Fire Department has received grants totaling $90,000 toward the purchase of a new firetruck. The state’s “Build Indiana” fund provided $75,000 and the Rising Sun Regional Foundation awarded $15,000 to the project.
15 YEARS AGO
There is a possibility that riverboat gambling might be coming to Switzerland County sometime in the future. The Indiana General Assembly voted last week to permit riverboat gambling at 11 sites, with five sites along the Ohio River. No sites have been named yet.
Dr. Jerry Wright is Switzerland County’s newest medical professional. He is a chiropractor – “The Country Chiropractor,” he calls himself, since his office is located as far out in the country as a doctor’s office is likely to get. It’s on Garland Road, off Spring Branch Road, in the wide open spaces of Craig Township.
Stephanie Leap, a 1993 graduate of SCHS, has been chosen to receive a four-year Reliance Electric Company scholarship to Indiana University. She is the daughter of Robert and Barbara Leap of Mount Sterling.
Jason Browning, son of Dicky and Bonnie Browning of Vevay is attending Louisville Technical Institute. He is a 1993 graduate of SCHS.
20 YEARS AGO
New school board members Ronnie Hayes, Scott Gregory, Mark Archer, and Mike Thieman were sworn into office Friday night. Bill Roeschlein, John Haskell, and Ken Briggs will continue to serve on the board.
The Switzerland County Council approved a new county position Saturday morning. Mark Reed of Vevay was hired as Plat Maintenance Supervisor, as requested by the County Board of Commissioners. In this position he will be responsible for correcting errors in the county plat maps as well as updating the maps and providing assistance to the public.
Folks from all around came out to the 29th annual Moorefield Ice Cream Social held each year on the Saturday before the 4th of July. As could be seen by the decoration on some of the fixtures at the firehouse, the Spirit of ’76 lives on in Moorefield.
40 YEARS AGO
Switzerland County Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service and Switzerland County Soil Conservation Service moved into new offices this week. The new building is owned by Joe Ricketts and is located on Main Street across from the County Courthouse in Vevay.
Switzerland County School Corporation remained without a superintendent Wednesday after the county school board met Monday night but did not discuss the administrative vacancy. Resigning Tuesday morning was Stewart Brown, Vevay High School head coach and potential Switzerland County High School coach who plans to accept another position after the local board rejected his bid for a two-year contract.
Vevay’s Russell Pickett has accepted an appointment to serve as a member of a branch banking study committee under direction by Indiana Bankers Association. Russell is president of Vevay Deposit Bank.
Boilerman 3-C Robert W. Carver of the U.S. Navy, 20-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Carver of route 1, Patriot, has returned to the United States aboard the guided missile destroyer USS Lawrence after more than four months in the Mediterranean Sea.
Cabell McKee, son of Mr. and Mrs. Morris McKee of Vevay, just returned from Australia after spending 16 months in the “down under” world. While there he taught school and served as a reserve assistant in entomology at the University of Queensland in Brisbane.
50 YEARS AGO
Two prominent Switzerland County citizens have celebrated birthdays of interest during the past few days. Dr. L. H. Bear, Vevay physician who retired after 63 years of medical practice, was 90 years old on July 2nd. On July 5th Mr. James Aldred Sr., well known retired farmer of near Vevay, was 91 years old.
One of Patriot’s oldest landmarks is being torn down to be replaced by a new building. The building known to all of the older generation as the Olcott Drug Store was built in 1875 by Dr. William Olcott and had remained in the Olcott family until about eight years ago when it was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Ted Waters.
Paul Ogle of Jeffersonville and Vevay is the new owner of the 30-acre farm west of Vevay known as the Scott farm, which was sold recently at auction to settle the estate of the late Mrs. Mollie Scott Haskell. Mr. Ogle has no immediate plans for the farm but should business expansion in Vevay and vicinity justify the need he would be interested in developing it into a residential subdivision.
A large barn on the farm of Eddie Purnell near Five Points was totally destroyed by fire last week.
Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Scudder of Fairview are parents of a girl born Tuesday night at the Madison hospital. The new arrival weighed 9 pounds, 6 ounces and has not yet been named.
60 YEARS AGO
A son was born on Saturday, July 3rd, at King’s Daughters’ Hospital, Madison, to Mr. and Mrs. Ray Lock of near Vevay. The youngster has been named Charles Earl.
Dr. Kelly Buford Cornelius, 33, Carrollton, Kentucky, dentist who was well known in Vevay was killed instantly and his passenger, Mrs. Edgar Adams, his office nurse and receptionist, was fatally injured Wednesday afternoon of last week, when his airplane plunged into the lake at Butler State Park near Carrollton. Mrs. Adams, also of Carrollton, was taken to King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison where she died several hours after the accident.
Switzerland County honored its first World War II dead Sunday afternoon, July 4th, when a full military burial was conducted for Sergeant Oscar L. Rosenberger. Sergeant Rosenberger, who gave his life on October 3rd, 1942, while serving as a tail gunner on a bombing mission over Africa was returned to his native town of Vevay Friday after his remains were first interred in Egypt.
Robert Gaudin left Monday to take up employment on the Steamer Robert F. Brandt. The Brandt is piloted by Captain Russell Riley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Riley of Vevay.
70 YEARS AGO
Russell Gullion, formerly of York Township, has been appointed to a position as guard in the state prison at Michigan City and assumed his duties there this week.
It is reported that the old steam ferry, Robert T. Graham, will soon be replaced with a modern steel craft carrying side wheels and being propelled by diesel-electricity.
Haskell and Morrison has received possession of their new funeral hearse and ambulance which was finished in Cincinnati last week.
The Vevay Masonic Lodge is moving from the Dittgen building to the 3rd floor of the Vevay Deposit Bank building. The K of P Lodge, former tenants of the bank building, have removed to the K. L. Hastings building.
County Treasurer Walter Herndon was seriously injured near his home at Center Square Tuesday evening when he fell from a bicycle. The accident occurred when Mr. Herndon swerved his bicycle to avoid hitting a barking dog.
Nell Stoops of near Vevay was severely injured Monday when her right hand became caught in an electric clothes wringer.
Bonnie Lee, small daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Lee of near Fairview suffered an injury to her eye Thursday when a knife with which she was cutting a kite string slipped and entered the eye.
Charles W. Long, foreman in charge of construction of the new electric lines in Vevay was seriously injured July 4th when a light pole broke hurling him to the ground.
Marshall Scudder has been elected president of the Young Democrats Club of Switzerland County.
Joe Brady recovered the body of Marvin Rouch of Petersburg, Kentucky from the Ohio River at Lawrenceburg Thursday evening after diving about two hours.
A crowd estimated at more than 4,000 people attended the games and fireworks display here on July 4th.
Mr. James Aldred, Sr., celebrated his 71st birthday by arising at 3:30 a.m. and driving a truckload of livestock to the Cincinnati market.
80 YEARS AGO
Miss Georgia Bondurant has been elected to teach in the Vevay Schools succeeding Harold Benedict.
Two cows belonging to Scott Rayl were drowned Friday morning when a downpour of rain caused Plum Creek to overflow its banks. The cows were grazing in a pasture and the flood came so fast they could not escape.
The motor on the linotype in the Reveille-Enterprise office burned out last Saturday morning and through the kindness of James L. Pendry, editor of the Democrat, enough type was set on his machine to enable us to issue a paper this week.
Professor E. S. Furnish will leave on Wednesday for New York City, traveling by bus. His is the first round-trip ticket to New York to be sold by the local Greyhound agent.
90 YEARS AGO
Professor Anton H. Wegener of North Vernon has been employed as superintendent of the Vevay schools to succeed Professor R. N. Tirey.
The rebuilt steamer, Indiana, now christened the America, made her first trip down Sunday.
Ten of the recently organized Girl Scouts, under the leadership of Miss Julia Tandy, are camping for a week at the camp at Terrace Park, Ohio. They are Miss Tandy, Celestine Dahmen, Mary Bear, Irene Cheever, Mary Tandy, Margaret Shaw, Florence and Lillian Schirmer, Garnet Shirley and Edmonia Coleman.
H. D. Tinker of East Enterprise narrowly missed an artery in his arm while cutting binder twine with a knife. A vein was cut causing a painful injury.
A daughter was born last week to Mr. and Mrs. Artie Chase of East Enterprise.
Little Eleanor Lee, five-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lee of near Fairview, fell into a well Monday. While her mother went to call the father the child managed to climb out by clinging to the pipe of the pump and the side of the wall. The well is 25 feet deep and contains over 15 feet of water.
Gary Welch, who is stationed at Camp Sherman, Ohio, is making a record as a marksman in target shooting. He made a record of hitting the bulls eye 73 times out of a possible 75.
O’Neal and McKay have on display the first Ford tractor brought to this county.
100 YEARS AGO
Last Saturday night the family of Mitchell Detraz living on Main Street were chloroformed by burglars and but for the timely awakening of Mrs. Detraz would have been robbed. The burglars were evidently after a bag of money which Mr. Detraz had brought home with him from his store that night.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Riggs last week, a girl.
Born to Perry Garnet and wife of Goose Creek last Tuesday, a daughter.
The merchants of Patriot have begun a crusade against the stores being open so late and after July 1st, the Patriot Mercantile Company, S. V. McHuron and William Jockel and Son will close their stores at 7 p.m. standard time, except Saturdays.
110 YEARS AGO
Those desiring to take part in the bicycle parade next Tuesday evening are requested to be at the Presbyterian Church with their wheels decorated in red, white, and blue, or flags.
Tuesday morning Miss Abbie Beleman, employed by Mrs. James Brown, attempted to commit suicide by the use of Paris Green. Her condition was discovered and a physician sent for before serious results.
Harry Knox and wife are rejoicing over the arrival of a little daughter.
120 YEARS AGO
Last Monday the stockholders of Vevay, Mount Sterling and Versailles Turnpike Company, elected the following directors for the coming year: David Lee, C.S. Tandy, Asa Newton, A.J. Schenck, David Shull, David Armstrong, W. A. Protsman, Philander Morrison, Theo Livings.
John Bair has left Center Square and last Monday commenced blacksmithing in Ghent, Kentucky.
Reverend E.C. Trimble completed his labors as Pastor of the Vevay Presbyterian Church last Sunday and will become assistant pastor of Warren Memorial Church, the largest Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky.
Born to Dr. and Mrs. W.S. Woodside of Markland June 29th, a son.
Switzerland County has a large crop of wheat safely harvested and in good condition.
130 YEARS AGO
James Gibbs has the largest bouquet we have ever seen and it is tastefully arranged too. Jim has not lost his popularity among the ladies even if he is married.
While visiting in Vevay last Thursday afternoon, Marion Lyons of Posey Township was overcome by heat and had to be removed to his home where he was very ill for several hours.
Amount of toll collected at the gate near Vevay on the Vevay, Mount Sterling, and Versailles turnpike during the month of June was $11.09.
The members of the Archery Club have received a fresh supply of savage looking arrows, having mended up their bows and are determined to hit something if they have to shoot all summer.
140 YEARS AGO
Dr. R.E. Mullet, formerly of this place, but now of Dayton, Ohio, is visiting old friends in Vevay.
Hot, Hotter, Hottest! Down go paper collars.
150 YEARS AGO
James R. Harris of Posey Township lost two fine horses by drowning at his river landing last Monday.
We had a fine Fourth of July celebration here last Saturday. John G. McCallum of California, but formerly of Vevay, made the address and it was well received by a large audience.
B. F. Schenck, editor of the News, received a caning at the hands of John G. McCallum in front of the post office Wednesday. Schenck had published a scurrilous attack upon him and McCallum, took this method for revenge.
152 YEARS AGO
The new steamer, Moderator, sank at Rising Sun a few days ago. She is in shallow water however and can be raised.
The Madison Banner, daily and weekly, has been suspended. It was one of the oldest papers in the state, having been published 30 years.