News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
The Switzerland County auditor’s office has received a shipment of new county maps that include all of the new 911 roads and lanes. The maps are available to the public at a cost of $3 each.
Jason M. Park, son of Martin and Melissa Park of near Center Square, graduated on Saturday, May 10th, from the University of Evansville. He now holds a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. He graduated in the top 10 of his engineering class. Jason Park is a 1993 graduate of Switzerland County High School.
With their sights firmly set on being able to help a variety of Switzerland County organizations well into the future, the Community Foundation of Switzerland County is beginning to organize. Foundation president John Keeton says the Foundation is being organized as a public foundation which gives it much more flexibility in terms of helping community interests than a private foundation can. The idea of forming a community foundation came about as different community leaders began to see different organizations that would match any new money created for the purpose of such a foundation.
15 YEARS AGO
Not many live to celebrate their 100th birthday. Thursday, My 14th, was that special day for Mrs. Addie Brindley. Family and close friends and a number of residents of Ross Manor nursing home in Dillsboro gathered to celebrate her birthday with flowers, gifts, cards and delicious refreshments. One card was from President and Mrs. Bush.
A new beauty shop will be opening in Vevay soon, possibly as soon as next week. Mane Street Salon is scheduled to open at 201 West Main Street (corner of Main and Liberty streets) as soon as renovation work is completed on the building. The business will be owned by Joe Thompson, who has worked at Frankie’s Beauty Shop in Vevay for the last three years.
John Boyken competed well but failed in his attempts to qualify for the 1992 United States Olympic archery team. Boyken of Cross Plains finished 71st out of 300 hopefuls competing in the Olympic Archery Trials last week at Arizona State University in Tempe.
20 YEARS AGO
The Switzerland County School Board voted to offer a two-year contract to Bernie Burk to coach high school basketball.
A 50th wedding anniversary celebration and family reunion party will be given in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Winters Sunday, June 7th. Alice Rayls of East Enterprise was married to Leroy Winters of Lawrenceburg June 1st, 1937. The celebration will be held at the LeClerc House in Vevay.
30 YEARS AGO
The Vevay-Ghent ferryboat Martha A. Graham has returned home from drydock. Following about $7,000 worth of hull repairs at the Jeffboat, Inc., boatyard in Jeffersonville, the ferryboat chugged back to its berth Saturday evening and was in service Sunday, ending a week-long absence. As the boat was making its return voyage, members of the organization formed to preserve the ferry when the Markland Dam bridge opens next year met with the boat’s owners to discuss possible purchase of the craft.
The Mexico Bottom home of Charles and Louise Tillotson has been approved for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, the U.S. National Park Service announced this week in Washington. Best known locally as the “Tandy Place” the Tillotson home was built in the 1840s and is considered one of the best examples of Federal or Early Republican architecture in the state of Indiana.
40 YEARS AGO
Arnold W. Miller, 59, of Cross Plains, was killed at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday as the tractor he was driving overturned, crushing him. The Jefferson County native and member of Liberty Christian Church was working at the home of his son, Kenneth, of rural route 1, Canaan.
Marine Lance Corporal Floyd W. Bond, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry R. Bond of Patriot, has completed the Aviation Electricians School at the Naval Air Technical Training Center, Jacksonville.
Jim Buell, a 24-year-old Staunton man who will complete work this summer for a degree from Indiana State Teachers University, has been hired as new head coach at Patriot High School. Also hired was Buell’s wife Sharon who will fill the school’s English and language instructing vacancy.
Private Roy F. Downing, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy F. Downing, Sr., of rural route 1, Florence, has completed four weeks of individual combat training at his Marine Corps base.
The Reverend Carroll Buchanan, pastor of Switzerland Baptist Church in Vevay, attended the 60th annual meeting of the American Baptist Convention last week in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
50 YEARS AGO
The 64th annual meeting of the Patriot Alumni Association is scheduled for 8 p.m. May 31st, at the high school gymnasium. The Alumni Association dance, held each year after the meeting, will feature the music of Cliff Lash and his band, from WLW television station in Cincinnati.
A bronze plaque, dedicated to the memory of Joseph Holdcraft, has been attached to the base of the newly erected flag pole in the Vevay Cemetery addition. The plaque is a tribute to his long service in caring for the graves of veterans buried there.
Donald E. Small, Principal of the Whitestown, Indiana schools, has been hired by the board of School Trustees of Vevay to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Principal Raymond Cole.
Miss Mary Phyllis Hembrick, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Hambrick of near Vevay, has just completed a year’s secretarial course at Spencerian Commercial School in Louisville.
Citizens of Vevay will receive their new house numbers with the next mailing of light and water bills. The numbering system was formally adopted by the Town Board at Monday night’s meeting.
60 YEARS AGO
The marriage of Miss Roberta L. Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Smith of Patriot, to Edward William Owings, son of Mr. and Mrs. Everett Owings of Pleasant, was solemnized Saturday afternoon, May 17th, at the home of the Reverend R.C. McNeely.
Miss Tressie Christeen Lanham, who has been residing with the family of her brother, Erwin Lanham of Moorefield, was married to Floyd Lee Vanosdol, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Vanosdol of route 1, Vevay, at the manse of Caledonia United Presbyterian Church in Moorefield Wednesday evening, May 14th.
H. Ross Jackson, a county boy who has gone far in the field of teaching, has received an appointment as an Inspector in the State Department of Education and now is residing in Anderson.
Billy Raisor, a county youngster living up Patton’s Hollow in Craig Township, was painfully injured Monday when he gashed his ankle with a grubbing hoe.
“Buddy” Reeves sustained a chipped bone in his left leg Friday when he fell from his bicycle on a Vevay street.
Vevay relatives have received announcement of the recent marriage of Major Hiram Bakes to Miss Hope Harford, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd G. Harford of Middletown, New York, which was solemnized there Saturday, May 3rd.
A baby daughter was born last Wednesday, May 14th, at King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison to Mr. and Mrs. Meredith Hysell (nee Doris Brindley.)
70 YEARS AGO
George Bunger, a resident of Posey Township was awarded $1,000 as damages in a road condemnation proceeding held in Circuit Court here last week.
Announcement has been made of the approaching marriage of Miss Mary Webber and Thomas Jackson which will take place June 3rd at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis.
A state policeman arrived in Vevay Tuesday evening to warn local officials of the possible appearance of the Brady gang of bank bandits who had robbed the Goodland, Indiana bank of $2,500 that morning.
Franklin Tompkins, former Vevay boy and son of Morton Tompkins of Greensburg, was fatally injured at Shelbyville Thursday morning, May 20th, when a bakery truck he was driving was demolished by a locomotive.
An automobile driven by Pinkney O’Neal and an Olds Freight Line truck, driven by Howard Laker, collided on Park’s Ridge Wednesday morning.
Misses Jeanette Orem, home economics teacher in the Vevay High School, has tendered her resignation and will accept a position in the high school at Tipton.
Miss Bessie House and Cecil Brown were united in marriage Saturday, May 22nd, by the Reverend Andry, Christian minister, at his home in Madison.
80 YEARS AGO
Breaking into the home of Grant McKay and wife last Wednesday night, a burglar robbed Joe Danner of clothing, a watch, and $65, and thus successfully carried out the boldest burglary here in recent years.
John Truitt was painfully injured at his flour mill in Vevay Tuesday., While installing a new heater in the engine room, the blocks swayed and the heavy heater struck Mr. Truitt and knocked him against a window.
Mr. and Mrs. T.R. Humphrey were painfully injured last Thursday in an automobile accident five miles north of Greensburg.
Lewis Golay, aged 75, died May 13th, at his home in San Diego, California. He was a former citizen of Vevay, having been born here and at one time he served as city marshal.
Mrs. Everett Graham has recovered from injuries sustained last Thursday night when she was struck by an automobile.
90 YEARS AGO
Stacy Cole, one of the members of the 1917 graduating class of Vevay High School, left Sunday for Cincinnati where he has secured a position in the commissary department of the Big Four Railroad.
Isaac F. Banta, a former pioneer resident of this county, died Sunday at the residence of his son, Walter, near Hanover, following a lingering illness.
Captain Clarence Carter of this city is – so far as we know – the only Switzerland County resident to have entered the U.S. Navy service in the submarine chaser division. He enlisted Monday night at Evansville and has been assigned to duty on the lower Mississippi River as a pilot on a submarine chaser.
100 YEARS AGO
Miss Lona Clark of this city and Frank Harper of Richmond were quietly married at the home of Mr. and Mrs. T.J. Curry Sunday evening.
Tony Ferguson of this place and Miss Anna Thomas of Higginsport, Ohio, were married one year ago this month.
Mrs. Harper, widow of the late Jesse Harper who was killed by James Joyce in this city on July 1t, will file a suit in the circuit court at this place within a very few days.
John Reed, Jr., who was shot in the chest by Robert Kennedy at Patriot March 7th, submitted to an operation several days ago and the leaden missile was removed.
120 YEARS AGO
One night last week the office of the Adams Express Company, at Eagle Station, Kentucky, was robbed of $1,000.
Last Monday A. J. Courtney sold his farm of 40 acres near Plum Creek bridge to Amie Golay.
Mrs. Harvey Jack of Posey Township was seriously injured while cleaning a broken window a few days ago. She missed her footing and fell, striking her arm on the shattered glass and severed the large artery at the wrist.
130 YEARS AGO
Married Sunday, May 13th, George Dalgleish and Miss Eva Smith, both of Soapville.
Ira and Luke Land have purchased the flouring mill at Moorefield and are removing it to Florence.
The German Lutherans are preparing to erect a neat church, $1,100 having already been subscribed.
Last Saturday Charles Protsman was attacked about two miles from Vevay on the road to Mount Sterling and robbed of $25.
James A. Works, Jr., a promising young lawyer of Vevay and Miss Lucy Delmazo were married last Tuesday morning.
James Graham, formerly of Switzerland County, is engaged in running a sawmill near Prestonville, Kentucky.
The new Catholic Church in Vevay will be dedicated Sunday, June 11th. A steamboat will bring up a large number of persons from Carrollton and Madison to witness the ceremonies.
Last Tuesday, while W. L. Fisk was engaged at work in the chair factory, a leather belt broke and while he was running to the engine to shut steam, one of his ankles gave way and he fell, severely spraining the ankle.
140 YEARS AGO
On Thursday, May 30th, at the residence of the bride’s father in this county, Edward F. Belamy and Miss Clara Anderson were married by the Reverend William Pummil.
Strawberries have made their appearance on the market selling at 20 cents per quart.
The gay little steamer Salmon came puffing up to our levee last Tuesday. She must be doing a good business, as her captain has a new hat.
Schenck & Sons are loading four barges with hay at the landing near the mammoth warehouse.
The Vevay Furniture Company is erecting a large four story frame factory on Ferry Street.
M. D. Fuget is making plans to build a frame residence on Seminary Street.
Frederick Finnup has built a frame residence on Walnut Street.
150 YEARS AGO
Samuel G. Bradford and Miss Nancy V. Woodruff, both of this county, were married at the Madison House in Cincinnati May 30th.
Last Friday P. H. Hale of this place was arrested for challenging a man to fight a duel.