News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
Members of the Switzerland County School Board heard a proposal for a possible expansion of the gymnasium at Switzerland County High School during their meeting Monday night. The expansion would include two new locker rooms, public restrooms, a training area, and a concession area. The school corporation recently received a grant from t he state for just over $2 million to replace the roof on the high school and the School Endowment Corporation has agrees to pay an additional $300,000 to complete the funding needed for the roof replacement. If the roof can be completed for the $1 million grant then the additional building can probably be done and roofed at the same time.
Halbert and Alice Jean (Burris) Walston will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary Saturday, February 9th.
Stefanie Rider has earned a spot on the dean’s list for the fall semester at Ball State University. She is studying physiology and pre-med at Ball State. She is the daughter of Mike and Nancy Rider of near Vevay.
20 YEARS AGO
Mr. and Mrs. Frank E. Robinson, Green Valley, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this month. A reception will be held in their honor at the Grace Baptist Church in Madison Sunday, February 23rd.
Graham E. and Gertrude Mae (Harmon) Banta, Braytown Road, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with a private dinner a t The Pines in Madison this Saturday.
Bernie Burk is back as coach of the Switzerland County High School basketball team. He never left, really. He submitted his resignation on Tuesday of last week, effective immediately, but withdrew the resignation Wednesday afternoon, and resumed his coaching duties.
30 YEARS AGO
There are many home economics extension clubs in Switzerland County, and the clubs are an important part of the community for many people. One of the oldest clubs here is the Riverview Home Economics Club and it will mark its 51st year in 1982. The club began in 1931, and during the first years, Alma Ash, Bess McKay and Bess Burton all served as presidents.
Switzerland County, like all the other school corporations in the state, will not be making up snow days later on this year. According to a Department of Public Instruction official no corporation will be forced to make up for time lost due to bad weather, the main reason being that schools cannot afford to pay teachers for make-up days.
40 YEARS AGO
Miss Darlene Cole was voted Sweetheart – 1972, winner of Switzerland County’s Sweetheart Sweepstakes as over 720 ballots were cast in the promotion sponsored by 12 Vevay businesses. Miss Sandra Carpenter was runner up to Miss Cole.
Sectional tournament tickets go on sale today and Friday at Switzerland County High School whose Pacers will meet North Dearborn in the meet’s opening round in Lawrenceburg.
Russell Hall and Francis Post are directors for Switzerland County on Southeastern Indiana Recreational Council, Inc., which has named Madison as host city of the eighth annual spring festival April 28th, 29th and 30th. The festival is sponsored by the council on a rotating, county-by-county basis. It includes Jefferson, Jennings, Switzerland, Ripley, Ohio, Decatur, and Dearborn counties. Festival profits are used to print a brochure for the southeastern Indiana area to attract visitors to the area.
50 YEARS AGO
Edward S. Furnish of Vevay has purchased stock in the Sixth Street Tobacco Warehouse Company in Carrollton. The company owns and operates the Sixth Street and Golden Burley Warehouses; both in Carrollton. The company was formerly owned y O. W. Butcher of Owen County, Kentucky.
Mrs. William Roberts of Vevay, and her mother, Mrs. Lawrence Higgins of Bennington, have bought the stock and fixtures of the Wiley Floral Shop on Main Street.
It was a heartened group of southeastern Indiana road development workers returning from Indianapolis last Wednesday after presenting a plan for local development to state road workers. After years of individual efforts, five counties combined efforts to put the area in possibly its best position ever to obtain the desired highway improvements.
A move to spur interest in organizing a celebration of Vevay’s sesquicentennial anniversary in 1963 was made this week by the local Kappa Kappa Kappa sorority chapter.
Vevay High School’s band presented its version of the three-ring circus Saturday night during half time festivities at the Vevay-Austin basketball game at the local gym. Performers included trapeze artists, an equestrian act, a bell (the third ring), clowns, and various other questionable characters. Under the direction of Walter Lambert, the band played various circus tunes while Susan Hardy served as ringmaster.
60 YEARS AGO
A portion of the roof of the building on the Phillips School building on the Markland and East Enterprise Pike, of which Mrs. Lorraine Kirkpatrick is the teacher, blew off Friday night during the high wind. The children assembled for school as usual Monday morning and classes are continuing while repairs are in progress.
Mrs. Kate Young sustained third degree burns on her right arm Monday when hot grease splashed over it while she was cooking at her restaurant, the Vevay Grill.
Stanley Andrew, of Jefferson County, formerly of near Vevay, was elected president of the Indiana Sheep Shearers’ Association during a state meeting of the organization which was held last week at Windfall.
The Vevay F.F.A. Chapter journeyed to Greensburg, Indiana Thursday, February 7th, for the purpose of entering the chapter meeting contest, open to all chapters in District 12 which is made up of 22 schools in eight counties in southeastern Indiana. The Vevay Chapter placed first in the contest.
Evelyn Cochran, seven-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Cochran, of Tapps Ridge, suffered second and third degree burns, Friday evening when she upset a tea kettle of hot water on her foot and leg.
70 YEARS AGO
Louis P. Rous, esteemed citizen of Vevay, was found dead in his bed as his home here Monday morning. He had been in ill health with heart trouble for several years.
Miss Pauline Detraz, daughter of Mrs. Mayme Detraz of near Vevay, will be graduated in May from the Indiana University School of Medicine and will soon serve her internship at the Indiana University Hospital in Indianapolis.
Silas V. McHurrow, merchant of Patriot, died suddenly at the home of his daughter, Mrs. William Morand, at Sayler Park, Ohio, last Friday morning.
Several business establishments in Florence were broken into Monday night and considerable loot carried away. Merchandise was taken from the DuPlan store and the Brameier store and loaded into an automobile owned by Lester Eichler, which was taken from the Omer Scott garage. The car and stolen goods were later found on Log Lick and blood stains found in the car indicated the thief may have been injured in the escapade.
Thomas Emory Brown, former Trustee of Craig Township, died at his home near Moorefield Tuesday evening, as the result of a stroke suffered a week ago.
80 YEARS AGO
Miss Mary Webber, senior, was adjudged the winner of the county oratorical contest, which was held Friday afternoon.
The Slawson Transfer Line of Vevay has recently closed a contract with the Kroger Grocery and Baking Company for daily deliveries of food stuffs to their chain of stores in Indiana and Kentucky.
A windstorm of cyclonic proportions visited Switzerland County last Thursday about noon causing damage to the extent of several thousand dollars.
Ellis Crutcher of Ghent, who owns a farm in Craig Township, Switzerland County, is making preparations to drill for gas on his farm in the near future.
90 YEARS AGO
A thief thoroughly acquainted with the business of the Gray garage in Vevay tapped the cash register Tuesday afternoon and stole $27 in bills. The theft occurred while the proprietor, Bert Gray, and his employees were in the work room at the rear of the office.
The February jockey day will be held at Market Square on Saturday, the 18th.
Carl Murphy, a former Switzerland County boy, was injured so badly in an accident in Champaign, Illinois, recently that his right arm had to be amputated at the elbow. The accident happened when his right hand and forearm became caught in machinery with which he was working at the Illinois Central Shop.
The Vevay Knights of Pythias are preparing for a banquet to be given Monday, February 20th.
Fire which originated from a defective flue, destroyed the brick apartment house at the corner of Fifth and Plum streets in Patriot Monday.
100 YEARS AGO
Charles B. Blodgett of Pleasant is now the owner of the finest group of Percheron horses in the county, if not in all southern Indiana.
Charles L. Peters, of this city, is manufacturing a brand of pancakes and is finding a ready sale in this city and territory immediately surrounding. It is made from a special formula of whole wheat and corn meal.
Gabe Robinson has sold his hotel fixtures on Main Street to Clyde Brindley.
Sam Huff left for Spotsville, Kentucky, Friday where he will join the greater New York Floating Theatre.
120 YEARS AGO
Next Wednesday evening, February 24th, there will be a pleasing and instructive entertainment at the Metropolitan Hall – Grand Stereoptican Lecture, illustrating a tour of the Rocky Mountains, Pike’s Peak and the Grand Canyons of the West, given by Mabley and Carew, of Cincinnati for benefit of the Vevay Presbyterian Church Organ Fund. Admission 15 cents – reserved seats 25 cents.
At the meeting of shareholders in the new bank in Vevay Thursday the following directors were elected Robert A. Knox, Alfred Shawe, James M. Scott, Frederick Stucy, S. Q. Howe, Robert Scott, and R. B. Brown. At a later meeting the directors elected Robert A. Knox, president, and Alfred Shaw, vice president. The financial infant has been named “The Vevay Deposit Bank,” has $50,000 in its stockings, will soon have a new house to live in and will walk out into the business world in a few weeks.
140 YEARS AGO
Thomas Watts, government gauger, has been placed on duty at the distillery at Patriot.
Last Wednesday B. F. Schenck purchased 32 acres of land in the city suburbs from Captain F. L. Grisard for which he paid $6,895. He will build a fine house there.
There are 10 three-story brick business houses in Vevay, remarkable for a town of this size.
The farmers in Switzerland County met at the Courthouse Saturday to organize a Farmer’s Club.
150 YEARS AGO
Two boatloads of troops passed down Monday night and two more on Tuesday.
A hay boat sent from Vevay by the Messers. Pleasants was sunk near Louisville, Monday.
Counterfeit $1 notes on the bank of State of Indiana have made their appearance., They are well calculated to deceive.
Maple molasses has already made its appearance in the Vevay market and sold at 75 cents a gallon.
All available troops in Indiana have received marching orders.
We understand that the Commissioners appointed by the General Government to examine into the condition of the arsenals at Pittsburgh; Indianapolis, and St. Louis have performed their duties and after mature deliberations, reported in favor of the arsenal at Indianapolis. They say that the ammunition manufactured at Indianapolis is vastly superior to that manufactured at the other points and business generally conducted more systematically. The Government will undoubtedly approve of the report.
Assistant Secretary of War Scott recently made at Indianapolis a thorough examination of the different military offices and stores. He not only expressed himself well satisfied, but says the management of military affairs there is more systematic than any state he has yet visited.
On Wednesday last, Jesse D. Bright, United States Senator from Indiana, was expelled from the Senate on a charge of disloyalty and giving aid and comfort to the public enemies. The vote stood 32 yea, 14 nay. His successor has not yet been appointed. Present in the Senate chamber for the expulsion vote was Bright’s political archrival, Colonel M.C. Garber, editor of The Madison Courier, who was in Washington to receive his commission as quartermaster in the Union army.
The body of William Gould, a member of Captain Rous’ company, arrived at Vevay Tuesday night.