News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
Bethany Robinson was crowned as the 1998 Edelweiss Princess of the Swiss Wine Festival on Saturday night, officially kicking off this year’s festival events. She is the daughter of Donna Faber and Ed Robinson, both of near Patriot, and was selected from a field of six contestants.
In a letter to Indiana Gaming Commission executive director Jack Thar dated August 10th, Casino America officially withdrew its bid to locate a riverboat casino complex in Crawford County. The decision now leaves Switzerland County as the lone applicant for the final license that the commission is expected to award at its meeting on Monday, September 14th. But it’s not a done deal.
Switzerland County schools will begin a new school year next week, and as all four buildings prepare for students, administrators are looking at growing numbers.
Tiffany Hankins and Aaron Thomas were united in marriage on Saturday, June 13th. The wedding took place at Vevay Church of Christ. The bride is the daughter of Marty and Jonnie Hankins of near Vevay. The groom is t he son of Larry and Donna Thomas of near Florence.
Nick Buchanan, son of Patti Buchanan of Madison and grandson of Kay and Russell “Johnny” Smith of Fairview, has been notified that he has been named to the dean’s list at Rose Hulman Institute of Technology for the spring semester.
Danner’s Hardware in Vevay is the subject of an article that appears in the September issue of “House & Garden” magazine. Danner’s Hardware was selected to be featured in the magazine as a result of it being in business for 161 years – 101 of those by the Danner family.
Switzerland County High School agriculture teacher Greg Curlin has been elected vice president of a state agricultural teachers association, preparing him for the group’s presidency next year.
15 YEARS AGO
Mary Kathryn Schwanholt of Switzerland County is among 10 Americans selected to receive the 1993 Honor Award from the national Soil and Water Conservation Society. The awards were presented by Soil and Water Conservation Service at a luncheon Wednesday in Fort Worth, Texas.
Jonathan Sandidge, 18, of Vevay passed away Sunday, August 8th, at University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville from injuries sustained in an auto accident early Sunday morning. He is the son of Ron and Jean Sandidge of Vevay.
20 YEARS AGO
Navy Lieutenant Henri Chase, son of Donald and Vivian Chase of Tapps Ridge in Switzerland County, participated in “Operation Seamark,” a surveying and cataloging project in Pearl Harbor this June. He is the officer in charge of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 1 stationed at West Lock.
John Coryell has completed a nine-week training mission in Gulfport, Mississippi with the Sea Bees. He will now be stationed in Cuba for two years. He is the son of Jackie Wainscott of Vevay.
Keri Works, 11, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Works of Scipio is a member of the Jennings County traveling softball team for girls 12 and under. She is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Works of East Enterprise, Mr. and Mrs. Paul D. Hankins of Vevay.
40 YEARS AGO
Five Switzerland County young men traveled to Louisville, Kentucky induction center Tuesday for induction into the U.S. Army. Inductees included Harold M. Peelman, Jeffrey Lothridge, Kenneth Owings, Richard McClellan, and Michael Stivers.
Reverend Velma H. Manuel of East Enterprise has been reappointed to the district board of education as Wesleyan Methodist and Pilgrim Holiness churches are being merged. Roy H. Manuel was elected to the Wesleyan Church District Board of Administration of Southern Indiana which now includes 13 members, five of which are laymen.
U.S. Army Sergeant Robert Williamson, killed in Vietnam combat January 31st, was decorated posthumously Tuesday with the nation’s second highest military award. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Emerson Williamson of Lawrenceburg, accepted the Distinguished Service Cross Tuesday at Ft. Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis. A 1963 graduate of Vevay High School, Sergeant Williamson served 28 months in Vietnam, over three different hitches.
Electrician’s Mate First Class Jackie D. Boswell, U.S. Navy, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dallas Boswell of Bennington, is serving aboard the amphibious assault carrier USS Princeton off the coast of South Vietnam.
50 YEARS AGO
Elbert Gray of Vevay has purchased a plot of land on the Ohio River front near Florence from Mr. and Mrs. William Brameier. Ground is now being cleared for a camp and boat dock. The sale was made by Charles W. Patterson, realtor.
Nelson Graham, local agent for the Woodmen Insurance Company, is one of three company salesmen in Indiana who won an all expense trip for two to Washington, D.C.
The 50th anniversary of the Florence Church of Christ will be observed Sunday, August 17th, with a homecoming and basket dinner at noon. A program will be given in the afternoon and the speaker will be Reverend W. R. Mains of Hyde Park, Massachusetts, a former pastor of the church.
Lloyd Allen Bierle, 45, a construction foreman at the Markland Dam construction site near Warsaw, Kentucky, is dead of injuries which he received Friday night when he was beaten with a shovel by an irate worker who had been accused by Bierle of “soldiering” on the job.
Cecil B. DeMille’s production “The Ten Commandments”, the mammoth dramatization of the life of Moses, will open August 28th at the Alps Auto Theatre in Vevay, for a two week run according to owner Charles Scott. The movie will play an exclusive engagement at the Alps until September 10th and will not be shown elsewhere in this area.
60 YEARS AGO
Quite an uproar was created on the river road below Vevay about 11 o’clock Saturday morning when Paul Dailey of Aberdeen, going to Madison, reported that he had been met by a car coming toward Vevay and the driver clad only in an undershirt, stopped the auto and jumped into the roadway, forcing Dailey to run his truck into the ditch to avoid hitting him.
Miss Barbara Rucker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Rucker of route 4, Vevay, has been named Switzerland County Farm Bureau Queen for 1948 in the annual Queen Contest sponsored by the Social and Educational Department of the Indiana Farm Bureau in cooperation with the Farm Bureau Insurance Companies.
R. D. Slawson, part owner of a flying service at Evansville, announced the purchase by his company of the Culver Flying Service in that city. The new addition will add several planes to the Midwest Air Transport, Inc., now owned by Mr. Slawson, Mrs. Martha Hall of Madison and Jerome S. Leeds of Evansville.
Raymond Gregory of Patriot was one of 240 candidates for degrees at Butler University’s annual summer commencement exercises held last Thursday afternoon in the Butler Fieldhouse.
70 YEARS AGO
Word has been received at this office that the Switzerland County Road project has been approved and that $51,069.00 has been allotted by W.P.A. for use on the county roads here.
H. G. Kolb, county agent, suffered a broken leg, when he slipped on the pavement on Ferry Street and was thrown to the gutter.
Paul Sullivan has completed negotiations for the purchase of the cleaning and pressing business owned and operated by Burroughs O’Neal.
Edward Olds, son of Mr. and Mrs. Turner Olds, received severe injuries Tuesday when a low hanging wire caught him across the throat inflicting a huge gash. The youngster was riding on his father’s milk truck and his head and shoulders were slightly above the cab of the truck.
Seventy-six women entered the Adult Women’s Canning contest held in connection with the girls 4-H club show and sponsored by Ball brothers of Muncie. Mrs. William O. Protsman won top honors in the two jar exhibit. Mrs. William E. Ogle was second and Mrs. Edward W. Tilley was third.
A contract has been let to the Tibbets Hardware Company of Union City to construct new public restrooms and a heating plant in the Courthouse.
A 7 1/2 pound son was born Wednesday to Mr. and Mrs. John Lock.
80 YEARS AGO
Airplane mail service between Cleveland, Ohio, and Louisville was inaugurated last Wednesday, the planes passing directly over Vevay.
The great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company will open its new store in Vevay Friday and Stacey Cole will be the manager.
The people’s favorite showboat “Cotton Blossom” will be at Vevay August 10th.
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Teats are erecting a five room dwelling on Main Street. Ollie Gridley is the contractor.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. John Olds of Jacksonville August 5th, a son.
A daughter was born July 31st to Lawrence Chase and wife of Florence.
Mrs. Shirley Sample and Miss Alberta Hart of Indianapolis are the guests of H. W. Sample and family of Bennington. The ladies made the entire trip on horseback and expect to return the same way.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Fay Hartman of Moorefield, a son.
90 YEARS AGO
The contract for the new Carnegie library to be built in Vevay was let Monday to the Dunlap construction company of Columbus. It will be of brick colonial structure with a fireplace in the adult reading room. It will cost $12,500 and will be the first county library established under the new law. Wilson B. Parker of Indianapolis is the architect.
Reverend Montgomery of near Moorefield underwent a throat operation last week to save his voice. His 15-year-old son who lives with his grandparents near Evansville is critically ill with infantile paralysis.
Howard Allen has moved his tin ship from Pike Street to the room on Main Street vacated by the Adams Music Shop.
Spencer Anderson has been appointed engineer inspector at Dam 38 and began work August 1st. He received his engineer training at Purdue University.
Schenck Mills has been accepted for officers training at Camp Pike, Arkansas and left for that place Wednesday.
A daughter was born Thursday to Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Wakefield.
Miss Isabella Tardy is the new assistant at the O’Neal and McKay garage since the resignation of Miss Gertrude Wahl.
100 YEARS AGO
Lawrence Boyle committed suicide in Chicago, Illinois last Tuesday by shooting himself in the head. No reason for the act can be given.
William Burton has been appointed mate on the steamer Cincinnati succeeding William Howard who is sick.
Charles Seymour has sold his farm of 80 acres to Ben Bersot and William Morrison has sold his farm to Charles Knigga. Both pieces of property are located near Fairview.
Dr. W. H. Cunningham has purchased property in Fairview and will soon open an office there.
Mr. Ben Bersot has sold his property on Park’s Ridge to Mr. Joseph Leep.
Captain Clouser began Tuesday with his steamer Bouquet to run in the Patriot and Vevay trade.
110 YEARS AGO
Charles Pleasants of Vevay, a member of the 10th Pennsylvania, was in the battle near Manilla on the night of July 31st.
Leslie Hart of Craig is suffering from a crushed arm having had it caught in the barn door.
Miss Mollie Gray who has been in Michigan for the last year is visiting her parents at Moorefield.
A merry crowd of cyclists went to Sanders Thursday.
Dwight Smith left Tuesday for New York City.
120 YEARS AGO
Honey men say the crop is little better than a failure again this year.
John F. Meginney and family are moving from Moorefield to Maryland to make their home.
Young George Shafer suffered serious injuries last week when he fell from a pear tree. He fell on his neck and shoulders so severely injuring him that he was unable to move.
Dr. Lefever of Jennings County will locate in Florence in about a month.
W. R. Johnston has formed a law partnership with H. D. McMullen at Aurora and has gone to that city.
While placing in position a new piece of machinery in the furniture factory last Saturday, C. Demann cut four fingers on his left hand severely.
130 YEARS AGO
While on his way to Madison last Monday Wesley Anderson of Craig Township suffered a sun stroke. He was in critical condition but is somewhat improved now.
Last Thursday night lightning struck the barn of Julius Detraz in Craig Township destroying the barn and contents, the loss being about $1,700.
Samuel Shuff recently went to West Virginia and purchased a raft of very large logs for the sawmill of Shuff and Waldo.
Amount of toll collected at the gate near Vevay during the month of July is $138.48.
140 YEARS AGO
Miss Susan, daughter of Frank Dufour, aged 17 years, was severely burned by burning oil Friday night. She and a girl friend had started to leave a store with a can of oil when it ignited from a lamp and a clerk in attempting to throw the can outdoors struck an object, spreading the burning oil on Miss Dufour. The flames were smothered by some bystanders who threw a coat around her, but she suffered painful burns and for a time her life was despaired of.
The tobacco store of Henry Schewe was entered twice last week and about $25 worth of goods taken.
Robert Graham has built a new ferryboat to ply between Ghent and Vevay.
150 YEARS AGO
George Anshutz of Pleasant Township lost two good horses last Saturday. While returning home from Vevay he was caught in a storm and drove under a tree which was struck by lightning, killing both horses.
Sunday evening E. Shuff near Center Square lost his barn, hay, and grain by lightning.
Since our last issue a fight was staged by a man named Lock and a youth named Henry.
152 YEARS AGO
Francis Adkinson has announced as a candidate for prosecuting attorney for the first Judicial Circuit.