News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers.
10 YEARS AGO
Eric and Tammy Welch are this year’s recipients of the “Conservation Farmers of the Year” award from the Switzerland County Soil and Water Conservation District. The Welches farm a total of 3,300 acres of farmland in three counties.
Clinton Curry of near Moorefield is this year’s winner of the Silver Star Award from the Switzerland County Soil and Water Conservation District. The award honors a county farmer who has dedicated his life to the farming profession. Clinton Curry and wife Loretta have farmed the same place since March of 1941.
Susan Nimersheim is leaving her job as Switzerland County Librarian at the Switzerland County Public Library. She will be going to her new job at the Kenton County Public Library in Covington, Kentucky.
Switzerland County’s Bill Roberts will receive a “Sagamore of the Wabash” award at tomorrow night’s annual meeting of the Switzerland County Soill and Water Conservation District.
Brooke McHenry of Florence, a 2000 graduate of Switzerland County High School, is a member of the softball team for the 2001 season at Hanover College. A freshman at Hanover, she is the daughter of Lisa Scott of Florence and Jeff McHenry of Rising Sun.
Andrew Stephen Ross will be honored for academic excellence next month at Indiana University’s Founders Day celebration. Students earn inclusion on this prestigious list by attaining at least a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. He also earned a trip to Italy.
20 YEARS AGO
Jim Chittenden of Vevay was honored recently by Ashland at retirement from the company. He started with the company from 1954-60, then worked as cook for them again from May, 1983 to February 1st, 1991. He received a pewter platter from Ashland Oil Company, a plaque from Ashland Marine Transport, and a ship’s clock from Captain Max English and the crew of the Motor/Vessel Valvoline which he worked on. In his spare time now he intends to do some of his favorite things – go fishing and camping, and do some gardening.
Renee See, daughter of Harold and Nancy See of Rising Sun, has been selected as a finalist for Indiana’s Eleventh Annual Homecoming Queen Selection. The competition will be March 16th and 17th at the Holiday Inn and convention center in Columbus. She was this year’s Switzerland County Homecoming Queen.
30 YEARS AGO
Switzerland County’s new district soil conservationist, Leonard Jordan, went to work on Monday, and was welcomed to the job by the Soil and Water Conservation District Board.
Both Joey Green and Rae Jean Johnson received number one ratings and gold medals in the State Solo/Ensemble contest in Indianapolis. The Switzerland County High School seniors traveled to the event last Saturday. Green received his top rating for a voice solo, while Ms. Johnson received the top rating for a piano solo and a silver medal for her vocal performance.
Fire completely destroyed a home belonging to Shafe Boles on Lake Geneva Road Monday afternoon.
Raymond T. McClellan, 49, Vevay, has remained in the Louisville jail since he was arraigned January 6th for murder, burglary, and kidnapping in connection with the hostage incident on Cogley Cole road. His trial is scheduled to start today.
Bruce Hutcherson of Patriot took the second place trophy home from the Championship Tractor pull in Louisville recently. Bruce drove his “Makin’ Bacon” tractor to the prize in the 7,000 pounds Modified Tractor Class.
40 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Carrie Tinker will sort the mail at East Enterprise Post Office for the last time Friday as she is retiring after serving as postmaster for 30 years. The 70-year-old postmaster has worked for the post office for 55 years.
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Miles of route 1, Vevay, near Bennington, will observe their 64th wedding anniversary Saturday during a family gathering. Mr. Miles observed his 85th birthday Monday.
The sectional tournament opens tonight in Lawrenceburg, and, while nobody argues over the favorite, there’s considerable disagreement over who should be No. 2 seeded.
50 YEARS AGO
Two barges, one with three men aboard, escaped above Markland Dam Saturday, floated over wickets below the dam, and drifted downstream before being landed.
U.S. Savings Bonds sales were down $5,752.80 in Switzerland County in January as opposed a like period of 1960.
William A. Reeves was presented a gold pin Tuesday night denoting his completion of 50 years membership in Florence Masonic Lodge No. 27. Senior Warden Dale Stevens made the presentation. Reeves, 85, was received into the lodge in 1910 on recommendations by Arlington O’Neil and Perry Franklin, lodge leaders at that time.
Mr. and Mrs. John McKenzie will observe their 69th wedding anniversary Monday at their home on Tell Street in Vevay where they had lived for the past 20 years. They were married by Reverend Joshua Griffith at his home near Five Points, and for many years managed the county infirmary.
Robert Riggs, official U.S. climatological weather observer, reports the high and low temperatures during the past week, Wednesday, February 15th through Tuesday, February 21st. The high for week was reached on both Wednesday and Saturday when the thermometer rose to 65 degrees. Temperatures remained above freezing most evenings, but dipped to 25 Thursday and 26 Monday.
60 YEARS AGO
Edward Lohide, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Lohide of near East Enterprise and Miss Carolyn Facemire, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Facemire of Rising Sun, were married Saturday night at the Christian church in Rising Sun. Mr. Lohide is director of soil conservation in Switzerland County and maintains an office on Main Street.
The group of wood cut prints by August Mead, which recently won first prize at the Hoosier Art Salon in Indianapolis, is now on exhibition at the Switzerland County Library.
Roy Manuel, son of Mrs. Hattie Manuel of Bennington, and Miss Velma Hertel, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Hertel of Terre Haute, were married Friday evening at the home of the bride, Reverend James W. Hertel, a brother of the bride, officiating.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Mathews of Craig Township have received word from their son, Marshall A. Mathews, that he has been promoted from Corporal to Sergeant. Sergeant Mathews is stationed in Tripoli, North Africa, as flight attendant in the U.S. Army Air Corps.
Mrs. Naomi B. Plaskett, Director, Switzerland County Department of Public Welfare, announced today that at the regular meeting of the Switzerland County Welfare Board on February 19th, 1951, Mrs. Irene Squibb was appointed to fill the position of Clerk-Typist II. Mrs. Squibb will begin work on March 26th, 1951.
70 YEARS AGO
The Vevay Conservation Club at its meeting Tuesday evening offered a reward of $50 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone buying poison with the intent of poisoning dogs.
Vevay will be setting for an annual nationwide radio tribute to Edward Eggleston, author of the “Hoosier Schoolmaster,” when Ted Malone brings his American Pilgrimage program here February 23rd to honor Eggleston in a broadcast from his birthplace on Main Street.
Work was resumed on the Vevay Sewage Project and there is no reason now why it will not continue during the summer.
Mrs. Mollie Martin passed away at the home of her son William in Patriot Saturday morning.
Mrs. Delia Humphrey of Rising Sun and Walter Sanders of Cotton Township were united in marriage Saturday evening by Reverend Fred Griffith at his home here.
80 YEARS AGO
Reverend Peter Soudah has returned from an extended trip abroad where he visited 10 countries and traveled about 18,000 miles.
Vevay defeated the North Madison basketball team 45 to 10 on the local floor Friday night.
Died in Indianapolis, Rudolph M. Lamson, 89, Civil War veteran. He is survived by four daughters.
Fire of undetermined origin destroyed the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arch Seaver near Plum Creek. Their loss was complete as no insurance was carried.
Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher Hufford were awarded $400 and Forrest Kennedy and Roy Stephenson were awarded $300 each for their capture of the two men who robbed the Florence Depot Bank in December.
The Vevay High School girl basketball team defeated Patriot 18 to 8 on the local floor.
90 YEARS AGO
The newly organized Rising Sun Oil and Gas Company has leased land on 16 separate farms in Switzerland County for a period of five years. Leases provide that a well be put down within two years. The Company expects to begin drilling shortly and its officers are Martin L. Harris, President, Ira North, Vice President, H. G. North, Secretary and J. R. Woods, Treasurer.
One of Switzerland County’s oldest and most interesting relics was removed from this locality Saturday when a plow, thought to be about 125 years old, and owned by John Wiseman of near Moorefield, was shipped to the Chicago Historical Society for its Museum. The contact was made by Gerald Burton, former Vevay boy, and Mr. Wiseman received the sum of $50. Mr. Wiseman, 78, said his father bought the plow from an old settler at the time of his marriage. He brought his bride-to-be on their wedding day to town on a load of wood and there were then six or seven houses in Vevay. The plow was no doubt made by the settler and was a specimen of excellent handiwork. The mold board was of walnut wood, a scouring pad of hickory and the share and land side were of steel, hammered out by hand. It is regrettable that this valuable relic could not be kept in the county. It was stored for a time in the A. V. Danner hardware store for safe keeping as a favor to Mr. Wiseman who refused for a long time to let it leave the county.
Fire destroyed a large barn and the greater part of its contents on the Herschel Stewart farm near Quercus Grove Friday night. The loss was estimated at $3,000.
Three inches of snow fell here Friday in a regular blizzard which struck the county.
100 YEARS AGO
The Vevay-Ghent ferry, Eva Everett, sank on the Indiana side of the river. Everett Graham, who was asleep on the boat at the time made his escape. Arrangements are being made to pump it out.
The 180 acre farm in Pleasant Township belonging to Samuel Culbertson has been sold by E. O. Eck, one of the heirs, to a firm in Columbus, Indiana, for valuable timber on the land.
Festus Flinn fell from the barn at his home on Tapps Ridge Tuesday morning and broke his ankle. The accident occurred when a hay hook he was using slipped out of a bale of hay and he fell from the loft.
Miss Ella Jump and Tom Shelley of Parks Ridge were married in Vevay Saturday.
120 YEARS AGO
The pupils and teachers of the Vevay schools have purchased a large flag which will be presented to the school in a meeting at the Courthouse.
Mrs. Summers, living near Fairview, was bitten by a mad dog last week. She went to Kentucky and found a mad stone, which she applied to the wound and is now improving.
Married February 18th, Miss Afra B. Haskell and Reverend George M. Anderson, pastor of the Vevay Christian Church.
140 YEARS AGO
Last Sunday night someone stole a horse from Eli Schoonover, rode it as far as Mr. Edward Abbotts, near Center Square where he exchanged it for one of Mr. Abbotts’. It has not been recovered.
Yesterday the barn of F. E. Mennett, living about three miles below Vevay, was destroyed by fire. It contained 40 tons of hay, implements, two horses, five cows, wagons, etc., all of which were consumed. The loss was about $6,000 with no insurance.
150 YEARS AGO
Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was unanimously elected president of the Confederate States of North America and A. H. Stevens of Georgia, vice president, at the convention of seceding southern states held at Montgomery, Alabama, last week.
The Louisiana convention, held at New Orleans, adopted a state flag. It consists of a red field with a single pale yellow star and 13 stripes of blue, white and red.
Although Louisiana seized the U.S. sub-treasury at New Orleans she provided by an ordinance for the disbursement of the confiscated funds on all legitimately drawn drafts by the disbursing officers of United States, not to amount in the aggregate to over $152,819.53.
Some postmasters, recently appointed in the seceded states, refuse to take the oath to support the constitution of the United States. The offices will have to be discontinued unless other persons are found.
The telegraphic wires inform us that Texas has gone out of the union. The vote was 166 to 7. This is the seventh state to secede. Arkansas is expected to follow soon and then the cotton states will all be together.
We learn that several Cincinnati large grocery houses have failed. The Queen of the West feels the troublous times severely in all branches of trade.