News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers.
10 YEARS AGO
Roy and Velma Manuel will mark their 50th wedding anniversary on Friday, February 16th. The couple was married on February 16th, 1951, in Terre Haute, Indiana. The Reverend J.W. Hertel – Velma Manuel’s brother – officiated the ceremony. Due to ill health, no open house or special celebration is planned.
Vevay Newspapers editor and general manager Pat Lanman has been elected to the board of directors of the Hoosier State Press Association. His election came last week as a part of the organization’s annual meeting held in Indianapolis. The board of directors consists of 12 members, with six members representing daily newspapers and six members representing weekly newspapers.
The federal government has announced the 2001 burley tobacco quota, and for the first time in several years growers around the county are seeing an increase in the overall quota. The 2001 quota is 332 million pounds – that’s a 34.4 percent increase over the 2000 quota of 247.4 million pounds. Although the rise in the quota is good news for farmers, Chuck Deputy of the Farm Service Agency warns that this year’s increase isn’t necessarily a signal of more increases in the future.
20 YEARS AGO
The Switzerland County Lady Pacer Basketball team won their second Sectional Championship in the past three years last Saturday evening in Lawrenceburg with a 49-35 win over South Dearborn.
Barbara Heath, formerly of Vevay, recently received a Certificate of Recognition for her contribution to the teaching of Indiana History from H. Dean Evens, the Superintendent to Public Instruction.
30 YEARS AGO
Shannon Tolbert was crowned Homecoming Queen at Switzerland County High School Saturday night. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Tolbert. First runner up was Marsha Hughes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Hughes of Florence. Second runner up was Ester Schiender, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bruno Schiender. Esther is an exchange student. Other members of the Homecoming Court were Lisa See, Lisa Boggs, Ginger Holdcroft, Traci Ray, Rita Waltz, and Kathy Berner.
The “Old Hildreth Home” originally built in 1838 by steamboat builder Thomas Wright has been put on the National Historic Register after being restored by Don and Mary Alice Hermsdorfer, the present owners.
40 YEARS AGO
Switzerland County Junior-Senior High School bands came through with impressive placings in Indiana Music Association’s annual solo ensemble contest held at Columbus High School Saturday, according to Tom Taylor, SCHS band director. The combined Swiss bands brought home 11 Superiors, 13 Excellents, and four Goods. The Swiss Senior high division stood seven-two-one respectively in these divisions, a ratio matched by no other competitor.
William Cord has been assigned to Silver Creek High School in Sellersburg as one of numerous Indiana University students receiving student teaching assignments for either the first eight weeks or the second eight weeks of the spring semester. Cord is the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Cord of route 1, Vevay, and is a 1967 graduate of Vevay High School.
Joanne Scudder, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Scudder of route 1, Florence, has been named to the dean’s list at Indiana State University for the fall semester. Miss Scudder is a senior at ISU and will graduate in June. She is a 1967 graduate of Vevay High School.
50 YEARS AGO
A sum of $356.38 was collected by Switzerland County schools in the recent United Health Appeal drive.
The county’s second major snowfall in the last week blanketed the area with three inches of snow Thursday night.
A dog, killed several days ago by Landon Curry near Five Points, has been examined and found to have been rabid.
Charles Wilson, 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson of Vevay route one, suffered a broken jaw and minor head injuries when his car swerved from the road and struck a tree late Saturday night.
Bids were let Monday for two new highway trucks and a police car for Switzerland County. The bidding took place at the regular monthly commissioners meeting at the Vevay Courthouse Monday.
Nearly 300 people crowded into the Switzerland County courtroom at the Vevay Courthouse last Monday for the annual county-wide 4-H achievement day program.
While Vevay High School’s Warriors continue to have their difficulties, the Junior High teams persist in hanging up victories.
The Vevay eighth grade and six-seventh grade squads scored a double victory over Rising Sun teams Monday night at the Vevay gym.
60 YEARS AGO
Sleighs owned by Mr. and Mrs. William Smock, Mr. and Mrs. John Middleton and Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Wiseman were much in evidence during the heavy snow last weekend and various steeds owned by members of the local saddle club were used to transport the lucky passengers about Vevay streets.
The coldest weather of the winter visited Switzerland County last week and on Friday night the thermometer dipped to 15 degrees below zero.
A total of 9 1/2 inches of snow fell on Thursday and Friday.
Moderating weather on Tuesday of this week was followed by rain which was in turn followed by freezing weather.
A car-truck collision on state road 156 above Florence resulted in the serious injury of Dick Carver, 37, and painful cuts and bruises to several others, all from the Florence community. The collision occurred about 8 o’clock between the Carver car, driven by Lawrence Kelley and going east on the road and a truck driven by John B. Park, coming toward Florence.
Final tobacco sales were held this week at the few markets which were open in Kentucky.
Residents of Switzerland County were greatly shocked Friday morning when they learned that James S. Wright, widely known attorney and deputy prosecutor of Switzerland County, had passed away following a heart attack.
Fire resulting from a defective flue destroyed the general store and adjoining home of William Turner at Bear Branch Saturday afternoon.
Mrs. Robert Dunn of Vevay sustained a concussion of the brain Tuesday afternoon when she slipped on the icy street and fell near the Lamkin furniture store on Ferry Street.
The term “miracle drug”, which has been applied to several of the newer medicines, is in truth a miracle to John Partain, of Vevay, who has been receiving cortisone for the past several weeks to relieve arthritis. Mr. Partain, who has walked only with the aid of crutches and canes for several years and who has suffered intense pain, is now able to walk without these supports and his pain has decreased to a remarkable degree. The medicine is very hard to obtain due to its scarcity and is equally expensive.
70 YEARS AGO
The American Legion, composed of World War I veterans, is asking its members to fill out the National Defense questionnaires now in the possession of the local Post Adjutants. Questionnaires will not increase the liability of any veteran for service, but are the best means of finding out particular qualifications for emergency defense work.
Services honoring three 50-year members of the Patriot Masonic Lodge were held recently. Gold buttons were awarded by the grand lodge to Elmer E. Hufford of Patriot, William E. Stewart of Kokomo and James W. Abbot of Newport News, Virginia.
Harry O. Tapp was reappointed county road superintendent by the county commissioners at their meeting Monday.
Six more Switzerland County boys have volunteered for Selective Service through the local board. They are Marshall Courtney, Freeman Noel, Freddie Konkle, Harold C. Rider, George William Jones, and William Craig.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Gortermiller of Markland visited their daughter Maereta Sunday in an Indianapolis hospital where she is ill with scarlet fever.
A daughter was born Saturday to Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Galbreath of Quercus Grove.
Mrs. Claire Dufour Brown died last week at her home in San Francisco, California. She had numerous relatives in Switzerland County and was the great-granddaughter of John James Dufour, one of the settlers of Vevay.
80 YEARS AGO
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Brindley of near Long Run was destroyed by fire Saturday afternoon. Some of the contents were saved.
Reverend F. D. Wharton of Vevay died January 28th in an Indianapolis hospital after a lingering illness.
According to recent announcement State Roads 56 and 129 are to be resurfaced with a retread and asphalt this summer.
William H. Lee, 74, of Fairview died Friday in the Madison hospital. Mr. Lee in addition to farming owned a sawmill in Fairview for many years.
Miss Lena Cook has resigned as telephone operator at the Farmers exchange and has been succeeded by Miss Myrtle Ricketts of Markland.
90 YEARS AGO
The Vevay concert band will give an entertainment in the Legion Hall February 19th. In addition to band numbers, Mather Hilburn, entertainer, will deliver his “Bachelor’s Romance.”
The new dynamo, which the city light plant ordered some months ago, arrived Saturday and is now being put into place. A fleet of trucks equipped with cranes, owned by a Cincinnati rigging company moved it from the wharf boat. The dynamo will be installed without any interruption in service and will likely be ready for use by the end of the week.
The members of the Julia L. Dumont Club will give a benefit tea February 18th at the home of Mrs. William O. Protsman in the first of a series of entertainments to be given by the club for the purpose of obtaining funds for the erection of a receiving vault at the cemetery.
The new church at Caledonia is nearly completed. Plastering is finished and painting will be started soon.
A debating tournament for the schools at Hanover, Madison and Vevay has been arranged and the first meeting will be held on February 22nd. Vevay’s teams are as follows, negative, Harold Benedict, Dilver Phillips and Orton Banta; affirmative, Loren Dunwoodie, Joseph Peters, Lucy Lamson and Jeanette Brown, alternate.
100 YEARS AGO
Major Charles W. Lee died last week at his home in Lawrenceburg, where he moved two years ago from the Lee homestead near Fairview. He had served as a Methodist minister and was a member of Company A, 3rd Indiana Cavalry. He was made a major in the closing days of the Civil War.
The business men of Vevay will meet soon to organize a commercial club.
Mr. and Mrs. E. S. Griffith celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary Thursday with a family dinner.
Master Louis Teats was given a surprise party Saturday in honor of his birthday.
130 YEARS AGO
Captain Frederick L. Grisard, 73, died suddenly Sunday. He was born in Court Lear, Canton of Berne, Switzerland. With his family he settled in 1819, on what is now the “Tilley Farm,” near Vevay and witnessed the growth of Vevay from a small village to a flourishing little city.
E. N. Scott and B. F. Worrell of Moorefield have gone to Colorado to seek their fortunes.
Bee men in the county report that a great many bees have died because of the continued cold weather.
A child of William Cole, living on Indian Creek, died recently when a bean became fastened in its windpipe.
James W. Marsh of Markland stripped a stick of tobacco containing seven stalks which weighed four pounds. It is pure white burley and is very fine.
150 YEARS AGO
“It is evident that every effort will be made to shape the Southern Government as soon as practicable with a view of presenting a formidable organization before the fourth of March. It is to be called Confederacy of North America. The present constitution of the United States will be adopted.”
“Springfield, Illinois, January 28th – It is now positively settled that Lincoln will depart for Washington on the 11th of February. He will go hence via Lafayette to Indianapolis, where he will receive the hospitalities of the Indiana Legislature; thence he will proceed via Cincinnati to Columbus, Cleveland, Buffalo and Albany. From Albany he intends to make for Harrisburg direct; thence to Baltimore and the Federal Capitol, but the tour to New York and Philadelphia is not improbable. Arrangements for special trains all the way through are making. No military escort will be accepted. The entire journey is expected to be made inside of 10 days.”
The concentration of troops at New York harbor continues. The troops from Buffalo, Rochester and Plattsburg, New York, have all been ordered there – about 1,000 men.
Affairs at Charleston are drawing to a crisis. South Carolina tells the president to surrender Fort Sumter or she will take it.
Major Anderson is considered one of the best artillerists in the army. He is the author of the standard book on that arm of the services, used at West Point and in the army.