News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers.
10 YEARS AGO
A surprise party will be held in honor of the 90th birthday of Velma Scudder Smith of Fairview this Sunday, January 6th, at the East Enterprise Firehouse.
Can you believe that it’s 2002? As Vevay Newspapers prepared this year’s “Year in Review” section, I was astonished at all of the things that have happened in this “sleepy little county” in the span of just 12 months.
One year ago we had signs on the west edge of Vevay telling us where our new medical center and our new YMCA would someday be located. Today we have the full use of those facilities, and we are a better county because of them.
One year ago we drove by the Ogle Haus and were saddened that it was no longer the facility that Paul Ogle envisioned it to be when it was constructed. Today we look toward the spring of this year, when the Ogle Haus is once again expected to be back in operation as a hotel thanks to Belterra.
One year ago w e talked about the mold growing on the walls at the high school and how it was making staff and students sick. Today we are awaiting the beginning of the grant that will completely replace the roof on the building, and that should correct that mold problem.
One year ago we had no idea that terrorists would use aircraft as weapons and destroy the World Trade Center towers. We couldn’t foresee that a plane would strike the Pentagon; or that another would be headed for the White House before a group of brave passengers decided that such a plan couldn’t happen.
We sit and look ahead at a year that is about to be, and all the time we also look back at what has come to be. Enjoy 2002 – it will be filled with many mysteries and joys and sorrows.
20 YEARS AGO
I remember Grace Aldred’s flowered gardens. I’d drive by them every day on my way to work, 20 years ago. I lived on Bennington Pike, and she lived on the road to Vevay. I remember her white frame farm house shining bright and neat in the sun of a summer morning. Since then she’s moved to Vevay, and I’ve gone away and come back. We’re neighbors now, on Market Street. I learned the other day – to my astonishment – that she had turned 96 years old. I would have guessed she was a full 20 years younger. (By Don Wallis).
Marine Corporal Scott Sublett of Switzerland County has been presented the Air Medal by U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle for “meritorious achievement” while on duty with the Marines during Operation Desert Storm in Iraq and Kuwait, January-March, 1991. He is the son of Carol Ann Otter of Vevay.
Switzerland County Junior-Senior High School and Jefferson-Craig Elementary School have won Indiana Department of Education awards for improving their students’ academic skills and attendance rates.
30 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Marjorie M. Frazier, 62, who lived near Moorefield, died Saturday morning at Christ Hospital, Cincinnati, after an extended illness. She was a former county treasurer of Switzerland County.
Jeff Smith, a sophomore at Franklin College and son of Mr. and Mrs. Russell E. Smith of Bennington, will be serving an internship with the Vevay newspapers this month. He will be writing a few feature stories and taking some pictures throughout the county. He is a 1980 graduate of Switzerland County High School.
Monday was the first day that candidates could file to run in the May 4th primary. Karen Hambrick filed for a spot on the Democratic ballot in the race for auditor Sandra Althoff, clerk of the circuit court, is the only Republican to file so far.
40 YEARS AGO
Eddie James was named Town Attorney Monday night as the Vevay Town Board met to make 1972 town job appointments. Remaining to be named to fill all town jobs are two new workers under a new federal employment grant. James succeeds Chester Callis as Town Attorney after recently becoming associated with Callis in the latter’s Vevay law office. Callis is continuing as Switzerland County Attorney.
James R. Whitham, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Whitham of East Enterprise left December 27th for Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, where he will complete basic training and A.I.T. training for a National Guard motor division. He is a 1971 graduate of Switzerland County High School.
Frank Michael Bye, son of Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Bye of Vevay has enlised in the U.S. Air Force and is in six weeks of basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. The 1971 graduate of Switzerland County High School has entered the electronic aptitude area of the service and will go to a technical school for training.
Emphasis this week in Mardi Gras fund raising activities of Switzerland County High School band is on obtaining items for two planned auctions, the first of which will be Saturday, January 15th.
A policy allowing Switzerland County High School seniors to graduate at the end of seven semesters of study after completing all requirements has been adopted by county school trustees.
50 YEARS AGO
Fire believed to have been caused by a faulty flue destroyed the two-story frame home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Johnson on Tapps Ridge about midnight Tuesday. Everything in the home was consumed by the flames, and Mr. and Mrs. Johnson and the latter’s father, Robert Lockridge, who resides with them, narrowly escaped with their lives.
The opening gun in the 1962 political campaign was fired Tuesday as Hilbert Cole of near Fairview announced his candidacy for Auditor of Switzerland County on the Democratic ticket.
The Switzerland County school reorganization plan will now apparently be submitted to county registered voters in the May 8th election. A report dated Saturday from the Switzerland County School Reorganization Committee to Circuit Court Judge Paul R. Schnaitter stated that no petition for creation of the school corporation was received within the specifications set by Indiana law.
60 YEARS AGO
Jack Sullivan, Jr., sustained a painful injury to the cornea of his eye this week while playing with one of his small sons.
The Randolph Township Fire Department and the Moorefield Fire Department were called to the farm of William Schirmer at Center Square on December 23rd to extinguish a fire in a tobacco stripping room. Mr. Schirmer suffered the loss of a quantity of tobacco.
Joe E. Ricketts, who served as an apprentice watch repair man at the Sieglitz Jewelry Store, has opened his own jewelry store and repair shop in a room in the John Heady building on Main Street.
William Dickason, elected last fall to the office of Town Clerk-Treasurer, assumed his duties here Monday, relieving Roy L. Branham who had served in the office for the past 12 years.
Nearly every year there is a story of the “meanest thief” and this time it happened at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Loren Banta, who live halfway up the Long Run Hill. Monday evening Mr. and Mrs. Banta and family returned home from a trip to Aberdeen and found that most of the Christmas toys given their children had been stolen and the loot included baby shoes, air guns, a big doll and a lot of other things that made the kids cry themselves to sleep because they were gone. The Bantas are only bewildered that people can do such a thing.
Narcotics thieves came to Vevay in a big way on the night of December 19th when they entered a west window of the Sullivan’s Pharmacy here and obtained nearly a hundred dollars worth of drugs including delaudid and other morphine derivatives.
70 YEARS AGO
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Boulton have announced the marriage of their daughter, Miss Elizabeth, to Mr. Clyde Lewis.
Old automobile license plates are being collected by Marshall H. F. Jennings as a part of the defense program.
Chester R. Callis, Director of Switzerland County Civilian Defense, has announced the following permanent chairmen for the local Defense: Clem Ambrose, County Commissioner; Dr. L. H. Bear, County Health Officer; Gretchen H. Cole, Women’s Division; Charles Noble, County Superintendent of Schools; C. H. McNary, County Agricultural Agent; Eugene T. Broadwell, County Welfare Director; Perry Phillips, Sheriff; James S. Wright, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney; Edward W. Tilley, Civilian Defense Director of the Town of Vevay; Merle Allen, Civilian Defense Director of the Town of Patriot; James K. Danglade, Director on Subversive Elements and Intelligence.
80 YEARS AGO
Rellie Calvert, well known merchant of Aberdeen, has sold his business at that place to his brother-in-law, Freeman Phillips of near Florence, and possession has been given.
At a meeting of the County Commissioners, which was held Monday, Chester R. Callis was appointed County Attorney to succeed F. M. Long.
A five-foot-long black snake was found Thursday morning on a hillside at the Indian Creek home of William E. Poston, by Eugene Spencer. The reptile had responded to the unseasonably warm weather and had emerged from a winter sleep, full of pep.
Nelson Omer Dunn, aged 65 years, died suddenly at his home in Florence December 24th of a heart attack. Mr. Dunn had suffered a first attack the week previous and was thought to be greatly improved.
90 YEARS AGO
Dawson Bakes left this week for Davenport, Iowa, to enter a chiropractic school for training.
William Waltz, living near Vevay, suffered cuts on his face and head last week when the horse which he was driving hitched to a buggy ran away, and he was thrown out.
Edwin R. Ferguson was installed as County Treasurer and Lincoln Clark was sworn in as new County Commissioner, giving Republicans control of the board. Frank Long was appointed County Attorney.
The Ohio River reached flood stage with a crest of 56 feet at Cincinnati. This is unusual for December.
Emerson Hickman, accompanied by Misses Josephine Rolland and Avis Fisher, all of near Moorefield, had a narrow escape from death last week when the steering wheel on his car locked causing it to plunge over a bank into a creek near Long Run. Miss Rolland and Mr. Hickman were thrown into the water but were not seriously hurt.
An electric light plant belonging to Howe Brothers of Carrollton is now being used to light up the town of Lamb, the plant being loaned to Grant Rittenour, who is operating it.
Herschel Lorch last week sold his interest in the Lorch and Lock meat market to Chester Lock, and Mr. Lock is now sole proprietor.
William E. Ogle has purchased the stock of groceries and fixtures at the city market house of Bruce B. Banta and has put Bern Jones in charge.
100 YEARS AGO
F. M. Griffith of this city was reelected Democratic Chairman of the Fourth District at the North Vernon Convention last week on the second ballot.
Ohio County has 26 school houses, Dearborn 96 and Switzerland 79.
The Mt. Hope school house on Tapps Ridge has been completed and Miss Gertrude Houze is now teaching there.
120 YEARS AGO
Circuit Court opened Monday with Judge A. C. Downey on the bench and Honorable R. L. Davis Prosecuting Attorney.
Louis Park, the 13-year-old son of Mrs. Susie Park, residing on Park’s Ridge last week accidentally shot himself with a shotgun, and is in serious condition.
Mrs. Lorain Wilcox was 95 last Monday, and a large number of friends assembled at her home on Liberty Street and helped her celebrate.
The Vevay Dramatic Club will present its very popular play “The Woven Web” in Ghent tomorrow night. They should have a large audience.