News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers.
10 YEARS AGO
Liza Springer and Adam Dennis were crowned Queen and King of the 2001 Prom at Switzerland County High School. The prom was jeld last Saturday night in the high school cafeteria; with those attending also participating in after prom activities in thegym until about 5 a.m.
The second annual Switzerland County “Relay for Life” will take place Friday and Saturday, June 8th-9th, at the Paul Ogle Riverfront Park. With the event about six weeks away, volunteers and others working on the Relay for Life are busily making preparations.
The Switzerland County High School Academic Super Bowl math team has placed first in the area Ameritech Hoosier Super Bowl in Class 3 competition. The event was held at Batesville High School on Tuesday, April 17th. The math team’s high score of 20 out of a possible 25 points has qualified the team to compete in the state competition being held in Indianapolis on Saturday, May 5th. Team member include captain Brett Reese, Guthrie Briggs, Dennis Starker, and Carrie Wiley. Teacher Pam Jones is the team’s coach. The science team placed sedond; social studies team was third, the English team placed fourth, and the fine arts team also placed fourth.
20 YEARS AGO
Volunteer firefighters from several area fire departments participated in a demonstration hosted by the Patriot Volunteer Fire Department on Sunday. Demonstrations were held on a biodegradable foam that is injected into the water supply and significantly reduces the time it takes to bring a fire under control.
The Switzerland County School Corporation will host oration-wide Music Festival and High School Art Show this Sunday, May 5th, at the high school. The Art Show will open to the public at 1:30. The Music Festival will begin at 2:30 p.m.
A head-on collision on Bradford Road in rural Switzerland County Sunday claimed the life of a local businesswoman and injured two others.
30 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Carolyn Griffin was named the winner of the Switzerland County Extension Homemaker of the year at the group’s Achievement Day.
About 200 youngsters showed up at the lawn of the Courthouse Saturday for the annual Easter Egg Hunt, with finders of silver and red eggs being awarded live rabbits and ducklings.
The Switzerland County 4-H Fair Board has announced that they will again sponsor Southern Indiana’s largest Horse Pulling Contest. The pull will be Saturday, June 6th, at the Switzerland County 4-H Fair Grounds, with all profits going to the county 4-H program and its fair.
40 YEARS AGO
Present and future county educational trends and recommendations based on a year-long survey of Switzerland County School Corporation will be presented to the public Monday night. At a 7:30 o’clock meeting at Switzerland County High School cafetorium, a Purdue University school survey team will make its public report which will outline corporation needs as seen by the team.
Burley tobacco growers will vote Tuesday on whether to have farm poundage quotas and price support, or no marketing quotas and no price support for the 1971 crop, according to Wilford Buchanan, chairman, Switzerland County ASCS.
A meeting called by State of Indiana officials was held at U.S. Corps of Engineers offices in Louisville Wednesday afternoon to discuss a proposed bridge over Markland Dam.
50 YEARS AGO
For the first time, since the establishment of a post office in Vevay in 1819, high water and high wind on the Ohio River will not prevent the delivery of mail to the town. Effective on May 1st, according to Postmaster L. A. Byram, a new star route will be inaugurated between Vevay and Madison with all mail to and from this community being hauled by truck between the two towns.
Reverend George Gurley, a former resident of Patriot, who is presently attending the Clear Creek Baptist School at Pineville, Kentucky, was ordained as a minister April 15th. Reverend Gurley has been attending Clear Creek School for two years and has been working very hard in the field of ministry, in spite of having the handicap of being blind, which happened in the Korean War.
Quick action on the part of two passersby saved a four-year-old East Enterprise girl from death Saturday evening when the girl was discovered hanging from a rope in the yard of her home. The two rescuers, Lowell Green and Lou Ann Judy, both of East Enterprise, said they unfastened the rope from Daphene Jean Elsrod’s neck and revived her by artificial respiration. It was reported that the girl’s seven-year-old brother had been playing with the rope and had left it hanging over a tree limb with a loop tied in the lower end of the rope.
The Wagon Wheelers, a folk dance novelty act from Jefferson-Craig Elementary School, return this Sunday for their second television appearance on WCPO-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio. The four-boy, four-girl group was declared winner on last Sunday’s School For Talent program, and asked to return this week for further competition with previous weeks’ winners.
60 YEARS AGO
Miss Julie LeClerc Knox received a letter last week from “The Poet’s Corner, Inc.,” of Indianapolis, stating that she had again won a first prize on her poem, “Grouseland,” and honorable mention on “A Boy’s Version of the Circus.” This is the fourth time Miss Knox has received first prize besides having honorable mention and a second prize award.
First prize for his series of five quatrains and a certificate of excellence in poetry have been awarded to Clyde Protsman of Vevay by Poet’s Corner, Inc., of Indianapolis.
Word has been received here that Staff Sergeant Isaac W. Morris, formerly of this county and now stationed on the Okinawa Islands, recently sustained a broken jaw in a motor accident. Sergeant Morris, a veteran of World War II, is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Morris, now of Madison.
70 YEARS AGO
Howard Torrance has resigned as a member of the selective service board and Wilmer Shadday appointed to replace him. Other members are William Reeves and Hayes Ricketts. Mrs. Terving as clerk of the board.
The United States Defense Saving Bonds and Postal Saving Stamps will be placed on sale May 1st.
Two thieves, bent upon stealing something from the barn of Veril Gullion, were fired upon by Mr. Gullion with a shotgun, and one of them wounded. While Mr. Gullion was pursuing the second man, the wounded partner made his way to his parked car and two made their escape and to date have not been apprehended.
Raymond Dickerson, living just south of East Enterprise, was seriously wounded early Saturday by a bandit who was trying to steal license plates from the Dickerson car. Mr. Dickerson is recovering satisfactorily in the Madison hospital and no clue as to the identity of the bandit has been found.
All Switzerland County was deeply shocked last Thursday evening to learn that Everett Detraz, youngest son of Mrs. Mary Detraz of Vevay, had been electrocuted while working on an electric power line near the Tom Protsman home on Indian Creek.
Bernie Breeck, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Breeck, Lamb, suffered severe injuries when struck by an automobile Sunday. At the time he was visiting his sister, Mrs. Kathryn Supplee, in Carrollton, Kentucky, and while crossing the street was hit by a car from Louisville.
Eldo Moreillon, an employee at U.S. Dam 39, for the past eight years has resigned his position and will enter the contracting and building business.
80 YEARS AGO
Vevay High School track team won first place with 31 points in the invitational meet at Hanover last Friday.
A horrible tragedy was enacted last Friday about five miles from Cross Plains, when Jefferson Rogers, a well known farmer of that vicinity and Orville Chamberlain, a resident of Cincinnati was fatally shot in a pistol duel, and Mrs. Laura Lambertson, mother of Chamberlain, was seriously injured.
William E. Ogle will open an up to date show room for radio, household and farm implements in the room adjoining the Byram grocery on Main Street.
90 YEARS AGO
Somebody in Vevay made a “water haul” Monday night when he swiped a gallon of liver medicine from the stairway leading to Dr. R. M. Copeland’s office in the Vevay Deposit Bank building. Evidently the person believed he was acquiring alcohol but the medicine contained no “kick” whatever. On the other hand it was as bitter as gall.
Excitement reigned high at the Courthouse Saturday morning when a live light wire captured two prisoners. A stray dog became entangled in the wire and sheriff George Stewart attempted a rescue. Grasping the coil in both hands in an effort to pull it loose he likewise was held fast until Mr. Weaver succeeded in freeing man and dog.
A collision that might have resulted fatally occurred on Main Street Saturday evening when the automobile of “Stue” Courtney, driven by his daughter crashed into the wagon and horses of Claude Brindley as it was being turned away from the curb.
A local of the Farmers Union has been organized in Bennington.
100 YEARS AGO
George Cary Eggleston, native of Vevay, and a famous author, died this week at his home in New York City. He was a grandson of George Craig from whom Craig Township was named. His experience as a teacher formed the basis of his brother, Edward Eggleston’s book, “The Hoosier Schoolmaster.”
Schenck Mills, who recently was shot in the foot while duck hunting, is able to be out on crutches.
Switzerland County has a maximum length of 23 miles, a breadth of 8 miles and an approximate area of 210 square miles.
Miss Elizabeth Brockschlager is critically ill with typhoid fever.
The following pupils graduated from Moorefield high school Friday night: Doris M. Cooper, Charles Leslie Kern, Jane Hazel Heath, John Maxwell Ryan, Janette Culbertson, Edward Bellamy, Mildred Archer, John Crawford Ralston, Margaret Ralston Storie, Cecil Elden Smith, Lettie May Baldridge.
At a session of the city council Monday night Walter D. Cotton was elected as school trustee to fill out the unexpired term of F. M. Griffith, who resigned.
Earl Glenn, who is attending IU spent the Easter vacation here and at his home in Moorefield.
The grader and roller, recently purchased by the county, is being tried out on Vevay streets.
120 YEARS AGO
O. M. Tardy, who has been employed in Chicago, has returned to his farm in this county.
Cocaine was first successfully used in the county in a surgical operation performed recently by Dr. A. G. Craig.
Belden and Hizer are putting more machinery in at Center Square.
140 YEARS AGO
Last Wednesday, a son of Mr. A. C. Adams, Pleasant Township, aged about seven years, was scalded to death when he accidentally upset a large kettle of water.
Last Thursday the residence of David Fesk was destroyed by fire.
General Ebenezer Dumont, lately appointed governor of Idaho Territory, died in Indianapolis April 16th. He was born in Vevay in 1814 and had a notable political career. He moved to Dearborn County where he was elected to the legislature and served as county treasurer. He was made a Lieutenant Colonel in the Mexican War and a Brigadier General in the Civil War. After the first war he was elected to the state legislature and after the last war he was elected and reelected to Congress.
Last Saturday Mr. Bennett Phillips of Center Square was badly injured when his horses ran away upsetting the wagon and throwing him out.
150 YEARS AGO
Virginia has seceded from the union. The western half of the state is not in agreement and is threatening to secede soon from the state. The Mayor of Wheeling has refused to fly the Confederate flag over the city and the stars and stripes still float there. Parkersburg has also been the scene of clashes between secessionist and union men.
Galveston volunteers boarded the steamer Star of the West Wednesday night and captured her without resistance. She had on board from 800 to 900 barrels of provisions.
United States ships stationed at Norfolk have been scuttled and sunk, by order of the government.
Fighting in Baltimore between Massachusetts troops and southern sympathizers has been severe and the condition of the city is reported as fearful. Baltimore has agreed to repair the damage to the railroads, telegraph lines, etc., and to open free communications.
Sixty companies, the full number required from Indiana, have been accepted by the governor. Thirty-five more companies have tendered their services. An officer from Washington has arrived in Indianapolis to muster the troops into service. Isaiah Mansur, commissary general of Indiana Militia, has asked for contributions for the troops including salt beef or pork, flour, sugar, rice, in barrels; white beans, dried apples and peaches, in barrels or sacks; crackers, in barrels; hard soap, tallow or star candles, in boxes; bacon, hams, shoulders or sides, in barrels, casks or boxes. The provisions are for Indiana volunteers in camp or on the march and donors are assured that they will be faithfully distributed to the soldiers.
On last Saturday afternoon a dispatch was received here from Indianapolis, requesting donations of blankets from our citizens for the Indiana soldiers. About 30 were contributed and forwarded on Monday.