News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
Many months of hard work and diligent planning have gone into this year’s Swiss Wine Festival. Over $65,000 has been spent to ensure this is one of the best festivals ever held here. More new activities and events have been scheduled, and this year’s organizing committee is anticipating 15,000 people will come to Vevay to enjoy the four-day event.
The Switzerland County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program drew to a close on Saturday, July 25th. This summer there were 98 children enrolled n the program and approximately 1,500 books were read at Vevay and Patriot locations.
The Reverend and Mrs. Grant Swartz of Vevay will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary on Monday, August 3rd.
Adam Gregory Curry graduated from U.S. Army basic training on Thursday, July 9th, at Fort Jackson Army base in South Carolina. He is the son of Greg and Cathy Curry of Pleasant.
Jonas and Corrine Keith will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary this Saturday, August 1st.
The children of Leonard and Nona Lock would like to invite all family and friends to attend an open house in honor of the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary on Sunday, August 9th, at the couple’s home on Dugan Lane off Tapps Ridge Road.
Karoline Kelly and Jamie Green have announced their engagement and approaching marriage. They will be married Saturday, August 1st, at Ruter Chapel, Vevay United Methodist Church in Vevay.
Jamie Smith, daughter of Rhonda Cutter and the late Boyd R. “Dickie” Smith, Jr., will graduate from Christ Hospital School of Nursing Friday, August 7th.
15 YEARS AGO
Ralph Biggs has been working toward getting a new senior citizens complex built in Vevay for the last two and one-half years. And now it’s going to happen. The Switzerland County Board of Zoning Appeals approved a special exemption to the zoning code that will permit the 24-unit apartment complex to be built on property west of the old concrete plant on Seminary Street.
Reverend and Mrs. Grant W. Swartz of Vevay will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary August 3rd. Reverend Swartz is the pastor of the Trinity Holiness Tabernacle in Vevay.
Barbara Heath, a former teacher in Switzerland County Schools, has returned from a month of study and travel in The People’s Republic of China. She is the daughter of Freda Heath of Madison
20 YEARS AGO
Anna Carlton of Mount Sterling had a good crop of yellow tomatoes this year despite the drought. The largest of the two she brought to the newspaper office weighed about 1 1/2 pounds. She said she had some even larger than these but the land turtles had helped themselves to several snacks along the way.
Danny and Betty Ray, both formerly of Switzerland County, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary July 9th at their home in Cincinnati with their children, Richie and Gina.
Dale A. Griffin has been promoted to the position of Assistant Foreman at Grote Manufacturing Company in Madison. He will be in charge of the 482 assembly department on second shift.
Patricia Works was honored Wednesday, July 20th, with a dinner at the Ogle Haus in Vevay. Mrs. Works will be retiring from the Vevay Deposit Bank this weekend after 28 years of faithful service. Ralph Tilley, president of the bank, presented Mrs. Works with a gift of a handmade quilt.
40 YEARS AGO
John D. Coleman, 64, long-time president of Vevay Newspapers, Inc., and associated with Jefferson County newspapers for many years, died at 5:30 a.m. Monday at King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison after an illness of about a year. Coleman was named president of Vevay Newspapers in 1959 and supervised operations of The Vevay Reveille-Enterprise and The Switzerland Democrat and a printing shop in the ensuing years.
Charles E. (Gene) Demaree, head coach at Aurora High School the past two seasons, has accepted the position this fall as first head coach of the new Switzerland County High School. Demaree will be head basketball coach and will direct the Swiss High cross country and track squads.
Vance Furnish and Laura Sieglitz were the boy and girl catching the biggest fish in last Thursday’s 4-H Fair fishing derby, pulling in fish of 946 and 116 grams respectively. Randy Ricketts won the prize for the first fish caught and Paul James caught the most fish (four). The youngest fishermen catching fish were 8-year-old Ronnie Otter and 11-year-old Rita Park.
Miss Joy Dunning has begun work as clerk in the records office at Georgia Southwestern College in Americus, Georgia. She is making her home with her mother, Mrs. Eva M. Cranford of Americus. A 1966 graduate of Vevay High School, she was employed the past two years by Cole’s Insurance Agency.
50 YEARS AGO
The efforts of a Switzerland County farmer to preserve a valuable hay grass that was quickly becoming extinct, paid off this week in honor and fame, when the timothy variety was officially named after him by the University of Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station agronomy department. The timothy seed will be called “Clair”, after Clair Andrew of near Vevay. The UK testing station has been developing the strain since 1950, when Andrew asked the university experts to look it over. Clair Timothy is a vigorous, early maturing variety, with excellent second crop characteristics, and at one time was in wide use in this county in its original form.
Auxiliary Lieutenant, George W. Baird, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Baird of Saylor Park, Ohio, and grandson of Mr. and Mrs. John Baird of Vevay is a member of the Lorain (Ohio) Company. Sheriff’s Air Patrol Lieutenant Baird, who resides at Avon Lake, Ohio, is leader of the emergency traffic control and rescue work team.
A son was born in the Madison hospital on July 24th to Wilma Jean and Alton Eugene Turner of route 3, Vevay. He weighed 7 pounds, 3 1/2 ounces and has been named Dale Wayne.
Mrs. Welby Jester of Tapps Ridge has bought the Vevay Grill on Main and Ferry streets from Mrs. Mavis McAllister and she took possession Saturday.
Officials for the 1958 Vevay Regatta expect the largest entry of boats in the six-year history of the local event according to information released here this week. The Regatta, August 10th, promises to be an outstanding event on the local riverfront.
60 YEARS AGO
Marshal Ray Leap has announced that he will return to duty here on August 1st to relieve Acting Marshal Ora Scudder. Mr. Leap, who underwent major surgery some time ago on account of an eye condition, considers himself sufficiently improved to again handle the duties of Marshal.
Some slick thief entered the real estate office of Kiesel Cole on Liberty Street here during the weekend and removed $140 in cash that had been placed in a filing case.
Graham Pesce, the 2 1/2-year-old -son of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Pesce, of Vevay, sustained painful cuts and bruises in a fall from an automobile Monday afternoon. The accident happened in Cincinnati as they were leaving the city. It is believed the little boy in some unexplained manner leaned on the door handle, tumbling him into the street. His injuries were dressed by a physician and he is now believed to be recovering nicely.
Superintendent Harold Benedict is spending the first of the week in Bloomington, Indiana, where he went to attend a conference of the Indiana Congress of Parents and Teachers on home and school cooperation. Superintendent Benedict was recently appointed state chairman of safety of the P.T.A.
70 YEARS AGO
New school auditorium for Vevay became a definite reality last week. The building will cost about $50,000 and construction will begin about August 15th.
Thomas King, an aged farmer living at the Ash home at Lamb, was fatally injured on Tuesday evening when a cow he was leading, became unmanageable and ran across a field dragging him at the end of a short halter rope.
A baby son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Brindley of near Moorefield Sunday, July 24th.
A daughter was born Monday, July 25th, to Mr. and Mrs. Schenck Ricketts.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Joe Wiseman Tuesday morning a baby girl weighing 8 1/2 pounds.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Romans of Parks Ridge a baby girl Monday, July 25th.
80 YEARS AGO
Manager Lackman, will give a special show at the Royal Theatre tonight, when the returns of the prize fight between Gene Turney and Tom Heeney for the heavyweight championship of the world will be heard.
A herd of five fine cows belonging to Clarence Ralston of near Pleasant were killed instantly Sunday afternoon by a bolt of lightning.
Frank Orr, aged 40, of North Vernon, formerly of this county, was killed Sunday near Quercus Grove, when a car driven by his father, J. B. Orr, overturned.
90 YEARS AGO
Dr. H. M. Thiebaud, federal food administrator for Switzerland County, has received instruction that no sugar is to be sold for the manufacture of lemonade or such drinks for sale at picnics, churches, lodges, fairs, etc. Manufacturers of bottled soft drinks are rationed on sugar.
Vevay is to have a flag pole to be placed at the intersection of Main and Ferry streets. It will be anchored in a concrete box at the bottom of an old well which is in the center of the intersection. The cost of the pole is being met by popular subscription.
Miss Mary Siebenthal of Bloomington, formerly of Vevay, is awaiting orders to sail for France to do work with the YMCA.
Miss Frances Culbertson, Latin teacher in Vevay High School, has resigned her position to take charge of the Latin department at Washington, Indiana high school. Miss Gertrude Wahl of Vevay who has been teaching at Orleans will succeed her.
Wilbur Houze and Robert Emerson left Monday for training camp in Syracuse, New York where they will join a company of firemen.
Little Lucille Haskell ran a rusty nail in her foot Tuesday while running across Main Street in front of her home. It was necessary to lance the injury.
The following births have occurred in the Moorefield community: a girl on July 14th to Mr. and Mrs. Ed Brooks; a girl on July 15th to Mr. and Mrs. Pete Leap; a boy on July 16th to Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Nay.
The moving picture films “Betty Takes A Hand” which were dumped into the river from the mail wagon, were recovered near the ferry landing last week in good condition.
100 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Susan Welty, after having lived apart from her people for 15 years, was reunited with her mother in Ohio by an article appearing in the Reveille. Mrs. Welty had been placed in the orphan’s home here and had lost all touch with her family. An appeal by her, published in our columns, resulted in locating her mother and the reunion took place.
A cloud burst which descended on Switzerland County Friday evening did thousands of dollars damage to the crops. This downpour of rain was heavier than ever known in this section of the county.
Notification Day ceremonies were held in Cincinnati Tuesday to advise William Howard Taft of his nomination for the presidency of the United States. Those attending from Vevay were William O. Protsman, Dr. J.P. Ward, William H. Pleasants; from Patriot Alfred Moredock, O. W. Olcott, Theodore Abbott, and Edgar Mottier.
Well drivers have been at work at the ice plant this week driving a new well.
Born to Albert Bradley and wife of Goose Creek July 18th, a fine boy.
120 YEARS AGO
Addison Works has bought from Lawrence Welch his house and grounds at the top of the hill just outside of Vevay and will build a fine residence.
The last examination for teachers before September will be held in Warsaw, Kentucky Friday, August 3rd.
Last Monday the steamer Tom Ross began making regular trips between Vevay and Rising Sun.
C. G. Boerner informs us that since the beginning of June 3rd, 92 to 100 inches of water has fallen. The heaviest rainfall was on the 17th and 18th which was 1.94 inches.
130 YEARS AGO
A little child of Charles Pavy fell head-first into a well containing about three feet of water. The mother descended into the well and saved her child’s life.
Frank Miller, aged about 14 years, was prostrated by heat last Saturday. He was unconscious for a time but is now recovering.
The machinery of Captain Robert Graham’s new steam ferryboat is being placed in position by John Jackman.
A daughter was born Saturday to S. R. Heath and wife of Fairview.
The preliminary trial of James Lemens, charged with poisoning his wife, closed last Friday and resulted in the acquittal of the defendant.
140 YEARS AGO
Last Monday night some burglars entered the clothing store of Julius Blach on Ferry Street and carried away about $450 worth of clothing, pistols, etc. They also entered the boot store of Benjamin F. Smith and stole a pair of boots and a watch.
The stockholders of the Vevay and Moorefield turnpike will meet at the Courthouse next Wednesday to elect seven directors.
The Democrats of the county will have a convention at East Enterprise August 15th for the purpose of nominating candidates for county offices.
150 YEARS AGO
A young woman named Sallie Baxter was arrested last week for stealing clothes from Mr. Banta and was sent to jail.
Died Tuesday morning Robert Drummond. Judge Drummond was one of the early settlers of Vevay having lived here 30 years or more. At the time of his death he was judge of the Common Pleas Court.
Since the death of Judge Drummond we have heard many of our citizens speak favorably of running Scott Carter, Esquire, as an independent candidate for Judge.
152 YEARS AGO
The following ticket was nominated at the county convention of the American party held at Enterprise last week: Treasurer, John R. Morerod; Sheriff, Harris Keeny; Coroner, J. D. Lowe; Surveyor, Cornelius Harris; Commissioners, 2nd district, Bela Herrick; 3rd district, Luther Hotchkiss. John W. Wright was chosen as a candidate for the legislature.
At the district convention James A. Works was nominated for Prosecuting Attorney and John Dumont for Judge.