News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers.
10 YEARS AGO
The Switzerland County Medical Center will hold an open house and grand opening celebration this Sunday afternoon, November 18th. The event will be held from 2-4 p.m. and the clinic will open to the public for business on Monday. During the process of getting the riverboat referendum passed several years ago, Pinnacle Entertainment officials agreed to fund $1.2 million of the cost of constructing the medical clinic as part of he interlocal agreement with the county. The county also received $100,000 from the “Build Indiana” funds, thanks to the efforts of state senator Jim Lewis. Those two sources of income covered the $1.3 million projected cost of the facility. The Vevay-Switzerland County Foundation stepped in and donated the land that the facility sits on, which is west of Vevay on State Road 56 next to the YMCA.
Nikki A. Balolong and Russell W. Burley have announced their engagement and approaching marriage. The bride-to-be is the daughter of Ernesto and Thelma Balolong of San Diego, California. The prospective groom is the son of Dorothy Burley of Patriot and the late Nelson Burley. He is a major in the U.S. Air Force. The couple will be married Sunday, December 16th, at the Coronado Island Club, North Island Naval Air Station in San Diego
20 YEARS AGO
The Vevay Post Office will celebrate its 175th anniversary next week. There will be a birthday party, and everyone’s invited – on Wednesday, December 11th, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Punch and birthday cake will be served. December 11th is the precise anniversary of the Post Office. It has been in continuous operation since December 11th, 1816. That makes it surely one of the very oldest post offices in the state. To celebrate their move into a new building in the summer of 1927 – it’s still the Post Office building – the Vevay postal staff posed for a photograph. Posing on the steps were Postmaster James Wright, Falba Lyons, Sada Hall, Hubie Kincaid and Louis Teats, who for many years was the Vevay town mailman. The rural mail carriers are Emory Peters, Ben Welch, Perce Buschmann, Les Littlefield and Joe Danner.
The Mary Wright Log Home, one of the early pioneer residences in Switzerland County, will be rebuilt as a project of the Switzerland County Historical Society.
30 YEARS AGO
Switzerland County artist Donna Cole is well known throughout the tri-state for her pen and ink sketches. She has done the First National Bank annual calendar since 1971, as well a similar type calendar for Madison Bank and Trust. And, she has exhibits at many area shows. Now, she has opened a small art gallery on Pike Street, next to the Post Office, in Vevay. The gallery is called, oddly enough, Donna’s Art Gallery.
Wednesday was the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Shoe Corporation and in Vevay the celebration included cake for all employees and a commemorative mug. Tom Crabtree, plant manager, cut one of the many cakes, assisted by Glenda Sullivan, and Elmer Johnson, assistant plant manager.
Airman Phillip C. Riley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Phillip D. Riley, route 3, Vevay, has graduated from the U.S. Air Force aircraft maintenance training course at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.
You say only country folks can grow a garden, well Charlie Lohide, Indianapolis, and formerly of this area, grew a 9 1/2 pound turnip and a 7 1/2 pound radish.
40 YEARS AGO
Roger “Rocky” Hollingsworth, son of Mrs. Kay Brindley of Vevay, has received the Honorman Award while serving as educational petty officer in the U.S. Navy at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Illinois. The Honorman is elected by his fellow recruits. Hollingsworth is a 1970 graduate of Vevay High School.
The U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal was presented to T. Sgt. Bennie L. Macrander, a non-commissioned officer of the A.F. Orientation Group in ceremonies during the unit’s monthly commander’s call at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Sgt. Macrander distinguished himself as a reciprocating engine aircraft technician with the 460th Field Maintenance Squadron at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Republic of Vietnam from May, 1970, to January, 1971.
Vevay Newspapers, Inc., helped fund raising get off to a flying start this week toward raising $7,000 for the Switzerland County High School band to travel to New Orleans and march in the Mardi Gras parade February 13th. Stewart Hedger, editor-president of the newspapers, presented a $100 check to Tom Taylor, band director.
50 YEARS AGO
H. C. Benedict, superintendent of Vevay Town Schools, was Switzerland County’s representative to the Indiana University School of Education alumni association annual meeting Saturday on the IU campus.
Joe A. Roberts, aviation electronics technician third class, USN, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Roberts of Vevay, was promoted November 16th, while serving at the Chase Field Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Beeville, Texas.
Two Switzerland County selective service registrants who volunteered for military duty reported Monday at the induction center in Louisville. They were Larry Ward Haskell of Craig Township and George E. Gillispie of Patriot.
With the long battle of election difficulties finally completed, newly reelected Switzerland County Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service county committeemen settle down to assume their required duties this week. If expected approval is granted, W. T. Jones of Cotton Township will begin his fifth year on the committee, while Harold Forwood, Pleasant, and Jesse Riley, Craig, enter their third elected terms.
60 YEARS AGO
The ferryboat “Mary E. McKay” is now in operation between Lamb and Carrollton, Kentucky. The boat has a capacity of several large trucks and is equipped with a new diesel engine. According to Captain W. R. McKay, the boat is using the old Lamb ferry landing and a landing at the foot of First Street in Carrollton.
Ollie James, Cincinnati newspaper columnist, radio and television commentator, presented his informal program of “tall tales” before a joint dinner meeting of the Lions Club, the Kiwanis Club and the Vevay Business and Professional Women’s Club, which was held Tuesday night at the Swiss Inn.
Four more young Switzerland County boys left Monday for military service and were inducted at Indianapolis to supply the November selective service quota. They are Charles Earl Lohide, Ralph Louis Higgins, Harland Ray Scott, and LeRoy Stephenson.
The Golden Wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Osborn was observed Sunday at their home near Fairview. A family dinner was held at noon and open house was held during the afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Lester were very pleasantly surprised on Sunday evening with a number of friends and relatives gathered at the Lester home to help celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary. The surprise was planned by Mr. and Mrs. George Wood and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Barker, and a very delightful evening was enjoyed by all present.
70 YEARS AGO
August Brameier, resident of Florence, sustained severe injuries, including three fractured ribs, when he fell from a ladder at his home Wednesday.
Vevay’s new Boy Scout Troop will embark on a waste paper gathering campaign next Saturday.
Quite a number of tularemia cases have been reported in the county since the opening of the rabbit hunting seasons.
Colen Scott, of near Patriot, is a patient in King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison, receiving medical attention for injuries sustained to his hand when he caught the member in a corn shredder.
80 YEARS AGO
The long painful illness of Mrs. Minnie D. Waltz, wife of Elza Waltz, was ended last Thursday when she passed away at her home near Mount Sterling.
Clarence E. Lester, a well known farmer of Mount Sterling, died suddenly at his home there on last Friday.
Evidences of gas which were found in shale formation at 150 feet in the well being drilled on the Joe Krummel farm have strengthened the conviction of the promoters that their second effort to develop the local field will meet with success.
The Bennington neighborhood lost one of its fine old men last Monday evening in the death of Mr. George Hulley, who passed away at his home there after an illness of several months.
90 YEARS AGO
In the hardest fought election in the history of Vevay, Charles Lamson, Republican, was elected Mayor by a plurality of two votes, defeating O. P. Courtney, Democrat.
Oliver Peters, aged 64 years, passed away at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Ora Gullion in Markland, Saturday, following a stroke of paralysis suffered early that morning.
R. H. Harris of Allensville killed a large red fox while rabbit hunting last week.
Ted Carver and family of Florence left last Friday for Indianapolis where they expect to make their home.
100 YEARS AGO
Last week petty thieves raided various business houses in Patriot with a total value of goods taken estimated at less than $50.
The firm of Detraz and McCallum is running a dissolution sale.
Mrs. Charlotte Pleasants, the aged wife of Joseph R. Pleasants, one of the best known and best loved women of the city, died at her home just below town, December 6th.
Mrs. O. S. Johnson died suddenly at her home here December 6th.
Vevay was shocked this week to hear of the sudden death of Miss Nora Pleasants, that occurred in Cincinnati.
120 YEARS AGO
A house belonging to Mort Ethrington and occupied by Frank Wycoc near Bennington was destroyed by fire.
Mr. Lul Dupraz is attending commercial school in Louisville, Kentucky.
Milton Cole of Parks Ridge was severely injured when kicked by a horse.
Albert S. Woollen is a student of mechanical drawing in Washington, D.C.
Fred Taylor of Patriot was accidentally shot in the arm by Harvey Graham.
Circuit Court is now in session with Judge John G. Berkshire of Osgood on the bench. Among the attorneys and officers present are William R. Johnston, Will M. Smith, James A. Works, William H. Adkinson, Lewis F. Works, Theodore Livings, John Works, James B. McCrellis, William L. Campbell, Addison Works, John Orem and George Mendell.
J. G. McCallum, formerly of Vevay, has resigned his position as Registrar of the Land Office of the Sacramento District in California.
Superintendent M. A. Barnett reports that 390 pupils are enrolled in the Vevay schools, with an average attendance of 325.
Nancy J. Bosaw has been granted a divorce from David Bosaw.
Last week Captain John Watts of Patriot shipped 784 bales of hay to Pittsburgh on the steamer Arlington.
150 YEARS AGO
The U.S. demand notes are coming into circulation in this vicinity and are handled with pleasure by merchants, farmers, and others. They will pay taxes and are receivable in the post offices and all other government offices, the same as gold. If a farmer wants to buy government land, he can do so with these notes and thus save the premium he would have to pay for gold. They are redeemable at the sub-treasuries of the United States in gold on presentation, and must remain, as they now are, the best paper money in circulation.
In a letter from J. S. Roberts, Company F., 22nd Indiana Regiment (Captain Stepleton’s Company) he tells of the death of Sergeant Mikens at Tipton, Missouri, of brain fever.
Another river accident – in the fog, the steamers, Dr. Kane and Telegraph No. 3, collided a short distance above Warsaw. The Dr. Kane, loaded with troops, was not badly damaged and arrived at Louisville safely.
General Dumont of Indianapolis has been ordered from Cheat Mountain to Kentucky and has already returned from Virginia.
The Government wants 200 tons of baled timothy hay, to be delivered at Indianapolis during December.