News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers.
10 YEARS AGO
Tracy Caddell, currently the assistant principal at Delta High School near Muncie and a 1978 graduate of Switzerland County High School, was hired Monday night as the new superintendent of Switzerland County Schools. He will begin his new duties on July 1st. Tracy Caddell will replace Chester Meisberger, who took over on an interim basis one year ago when the school board chose to reassign John Thomas back to the high school.
Charles and Sue Morgan of Carrollton, Kentucky, will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this Saturday, June 23rd. The couple’s sons are Daniel Morgan and wife Christy of Vevay and David Morgan and wife Cathy of Bedford, Kentucky. They have six grandchildren.
Karista Wengert collected $361.05 in donations for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, more than any other participant in the recent bike-a-thon held here. She won a boom box stereo for being the top fundraiser, and Kay Rook was the event coordinator. The event raised more than $1,300 for St. Jude.
Kendra Goff, seven year old daughter of Leah Goff of Switzerland County, has been selected as a state finalist in the Miss Indiana American Princess pageant.
Indiana State Treasurer Tim Berry was in Switzerland County Wednesday morning, June 20th, to discuss state funding for a wireless 911 Emergency System.
20 YEARS AGO
Michelle Moll was chosen Friday night as the 1991 Switzerland County 4-H Fair Queen. Liz Simon was named first runner-up, and Amy Haskell was named Miss Congeniality and second runner-up.
The rededication of the Switzerland County Courthouse will follow the parade, ceremonies for the Desert Storm veterans, and pitch-in picnic Thursday in celebration of the Fourth of July.
Ninety-three students have been named to the Dean’s List at the University of Indianapolis for the spring 1991 semester. Angela Heath of Vevay is one of those receiving the honor.
30 YEARS AGO
Mr. and Mrs. John O. Archer, Pleasant, will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary Monday, June 29th.
Mr. and Mrs. Junior Lester, Lawrenceburg, wish to announce the engagement of their daughter, Pamela Jane, to 2nd Lt. Terry Dean Peters, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Peters, Vevay.
40 YEARS AGO
“I’ve been in the bank 47 years and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it,” Russell Pickett said Monday, two days before he was to retire after being with Vevay Deposit Bank since 1924. Pickett was honored at a retirement dinner June 19th at Swiss Inn as bank directors, officers, and employees, plus some friends, and their spouses gathered to pay tribute to the retiring bank officer.
Elmer R. Smith, for two decades a Vevay businessman and for eight years a member of Vevay Town Board, died at his work bench at Jefferson Proving Ground Tuesday morning. The 55-year-old Smith was working with explosives at the time of his death. While the cause of death has not yet been officially determined, authorities suspected heart failure.
50 YEARS AGO
Five Switzerland County tobacco producers received recognition at the annual Indiana Tobacco Growers recognition banquet at Farmers Retreat last week. Gaining recognition were James Ellegood, route 1, Vevay; James Tague, route 2, Vevay; James Aldred Jr., route 1, Vevay; Harold Forwood, route 1, Vevay; and Raymond Herring, route 1, Canaan. Ellegood was top winner for Switzerland County, placing ninth in the association with 2,384 pounds of tobacco to gross $1,592 an acre on 3.82 acres.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Otter have taken possession of the James Creech general store in Patriot, for which they traded their farm on Popcorn Ridge.
Ralph Galbreath, Quercus Grove merchant, began work last week as an employee of the Indiana State highway department in Indianapolis.
Jeffery McKay, younger son of Dr. and Mrs. Robert McKay, sustained a fractured leg Tuesday afternoon when the member was caught in the wheel of a bicycle, on which he was riding with his mother. It was necessary to remove the wheel to extricate the youngster.
60 YEARS AGO
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Reed Sr., of near Pleasant, unsuspectingly drove to Versailles park Sunday, June 10th, with their son, Ivor, and family to find a crowd of relatives and well wishers already there to help celebrate their golden wedding anniversary.
Marshall Wentworth, of Vevay, sustained a deep cut in his forehead Saturday when a double edged axe which he was using rebounded from a log and struck him. The accident occurred at the McAlister sawmill at East Enterprise where he was employed and six stitches were required to close the wound.
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Rayles of Vevay observed their 50th wedding anniversary May 29th. A few days later Mr. Rayles passed away at his home here after a long illness.
Vevay’s long awaited “stop and go” light, at the intersection of Main and Liberty streets here, was being installed Wednesday by workmen from the power plant and will be in operation within a few days.
Lieutenant Harry Truitt left Friday for Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he will be stationed at the atomic energy reservation at Sandia Air Base.
70 YEARS AGO
George Furnish Jr., was seriously injured at the Schenck farm below Vevay Wednesday morning when he fell from a work horse he was attempting to mount, the animal falling on top of him dislocating his hip.
It is now an assured fact that the 1941 Fourth of July celebration to be staged at the Kiwanis park in Vevay is to be one of the most elaborate programs yet attempted by the local merchants and the Kiwanis Club.
Myers Burke has been named by Congressman Earl Wilson as a member of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress.
Billie Fletcher of Patriot celebrated his 92nd birthday Friday, June 30th.
Walter E. Kiser, New Albany artist, who has been sketching many of the historical homes in Vevay, was in town Wednesday. These sketches are being published in the Louisville Times.
80 YEARS AGO
There have been many reports of severe damage by army worms in counties adjoining Switzerland County in both Kentucky and Indiana, in many cases crops being badly damaged in the sections where this insect has appeared.
Oliver Banta, chief lineman for the Ohio River Telephone Company, was overcome by heat Saturday while at work and as brought to his home in Vevay. He was able to return to work on Monday.
Mrs. Alice Marble was critically ill several days last week but is now much improved.
Misses Emma And Kate Bondurant and Albert Bondurant of Lake Providence, Louisiana, spent the weekend with Dr. and Mrs. C. H. Geiger.
The annual camp meetings will begin July 17th to August 2nd at East Enterprise.
90 YEARS AGO
Petty thieving has been going on in the upper part of town for several weeks. Beans have been taken from the gardens of Everett Graham and Charles Pangburn, and Friday night two cantaloupes were taken from the refrigerator of Jacob Wahl. On the same night the refrigerator of Augustus Weales was emptied of butter, eggs, and other provisions and the thieves “borrowed” a basket in which to carry away their loot.
The identity of the man whose body was found in the Ohio River near Patriot last week still remains a mystery.
Robert Matthews of Chicago, who is visiting here, will preside at the organ at the Presbyterian Church Sunday morning.
A. Baird, who has been teaching English at Ohio Wesleyan College, has been employed as a member of the faculty at Dartmouth College for next year.
John McFarland landed a 31 pound catfish on a trout line near Vevay Monday.
A hail storm which visited the county Saturday plugged the paper roof on the wharfboat full of holes and some freight was damaged.
Misses Ella and Mable Griffith have returned from Cincinnati where the former has been taking music lessons at the conservatory.
Mrs. Clarence Krall of Tapps Ridge found the balloon that was sent up Jockey Day by John W. Knox and returned the tag to the store last Saturday.
Manager Wallace J. Cotton of the Lyric Theatre will give a special show tonight “The Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens. This will require 3,000 feet of film.
100 YEARS AGO
Misses Catherine and Nellie Culbertson purchased a Buick automobile from the Culbertson agency.
Miss Eva Krummel has resigned her position in the George Clendenning grocery in Vevay and her place was taken by Mrs. Jada Floyd.
Walter Gaudin and Byron Tilley left for New Castle, Indiana.
Roy Whitlock of Rising Sun installed a new eight cylinder Buffalo engine in his boat, The Hoosier Boy.
W. L. Fish will leave for Cincinnati Sunday to bring his new car down. It is a Power car, manufactured in Cincinnati.
Patriot’s hotel has again resumed operations under the management of Mrs. William Cushard.
120 YEARS AGO
Julius Dufour returned from Lake Providence, Louisiana Saturday night. His little granddaughter, Bessie Rous, accompanied him.
Paul, son of Mrs. Belle Grisard, after an absence of three years at Poughkeepsie, New York, attending school, is home for a visit. He reported his brother, Fred, of that city, in good health, and doing a lucrative business.
Alice, little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Brown, is very sick.
Miss Bessie Stratford, who is a teacher in the Indianapolis schools, brought home with her a beautiful cart in which to ride during vacation.
140 YEARS AGO
Last Tuesday night the heat from a lamp ignited some goods above it in the store of Z. I. Yonge, on Ferry Street, causing a fire. For a time the building was in danger, but the flames were extinguished.
Burglars entered the home of U. P. Schenck on Market Street Wednesday night by prying glass from a kitchen window and took some provisions.
Last Monday Mr. Benny Van Briggle of this county was injured at New Liberty, Kentucky, in a saw mill, when the engineer turned on the steam, setting it in motion and cutting his leg badly.
Mr. J. L. Thiebaud, who has been visiting in the east has returned home.
150 YEARS AGO
On May 22nd there were 125 militia companies formed under law and reported at Indianapolis.
“Four regiments of troops from Indiana just called on, are to be taken from the first, second and third congressional districts. The probability is that the desire is to get a large number of boatmen into the service, as they will be needed when the movement south is made, to open the Mississippi River to New Orleans. Our steamboat and flatboat men will be just the fellows to be employed in this service, owing to their knowledge of the rive and their hardiness and no braver men can be found anywhere. Our Switzerland County boys now have a chance to serve their country just where they would rather go.”