News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
Robert “Guy” Griffin of North Branch has earned his master of divinity in missions degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the son of Charles and Mary Griffin. He currently serves as the pastor of the Scipio Baptist Church near North Vernon.
Roger and Edith (McKay) Reed will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary Sunday, June 8th. The celebration will be held at the home of the couple’s son, Bob Reed, near Lamb.
Mr. and Mrs. Max Rosenberger will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary June 15th with an open house at the Vevay United Methodist Church Sunday, June 15th.
Mr. and Mrs. John Banschbach of Greendale will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary June 14th. One of their daughters, Carole Madison resides in East Enterprise.
Switzerland County’s Jordan Houze earned a spot in this weekend’s state track meet by placing third in the discus in last week’s Connersville regional. Suzi Kinman will also be competing in the state meet in the discus event as she won the Shelbyville regional title on Tuesday of last week.
20 YEARS AGO
The opening of the Historic Hoosier Theater this weekend attracted over 150 people. The theater held its first performance Friday, June 6th, at 1 p.m., opening their season with N. Richard Nash’s romantic comedy, “The Rainmaker.”
The Switzerland County 4-H Fair Board’s eleventh annual horse pull was held Saturday, June 6th, and attracted a crowd of over 500 spectators. Twenty-one pulling teams were entered from Kentucky, Indiana, and Mississippi. Proceeds from the event go to the 4-H program in the county. Funds are used to help maintain the fairgrounds and provide programs for 4-H’ers.
Stacy Hocker of Vevay was among the top 10 finalists in the Indiana Homecoming Pageant. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ron Hocker of Vevay.
Sherry Rowlett has become the second contestant in the 1987 Madison Regatta Beauty Pageant. She is the daughter of Gary and Margaret Rowlett.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Washmuth, Stowtown Road, Vevay, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary Friday, June 19th, with an open house at their home. Mr. Washmuth is a retired Cotton Township farmer and Mrs. Washmuth is a retired teacher, having taught in the Switzerland County school system for 44 years.
30 YEARS AGO
Former Patriot resident Gayle N. Hufford was honored with induction into the City of Chicago’s Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in ceremonies held there May 18th.
Jane Kaiser was appointed Extension Service Home Economist for Switzerland County Tuesday night at a meeting of the Extension Service’s local board of directors.
Airman Jerry L. Ford, son of Mrs. Marjorie Ford, route 3, Vevay, and Harold Ford, route 2, Vevay, has graduated from U.S. Air Force technical training school at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.
The Vevay Deposit Bank is planning to build a motor bank branch in Vevay’s west end.
40 YEARS AGO
Miss Alice A. Ford, a senior at Glen Este (Ohio) High School, has been selected to participate in the Walter Reed Army Institute of Nursing program. She is the daughter of Harrison and Mildred Ford, both graduates of Patriot High School, and the granddaughter of Charles and Alice Ford of Bethel Ridge and Mrs. Ethel Burklow of Quercus Grove.
Graham Pesce of 201 Cedar Avenue, Vevay, and Kenny Smith of rural route 1, Vevay, received diplomas the past weekend as members of a record graduating class taking part in commencement ceremonies at Purdue University in Lafayette. Pesce, son of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Pesce, received a degree for his studies in general aviation flight technology, while Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clair Smith, received a degree in agriculture. Both are graduates of Vevay High School.
Switzerland County’s 1967 4-H Club Fair, scheduled July 17th-22nd at the fairgrounds in Vevay is lining up as one of the best in the fair’s history, according to planners and members of the county fair board.
50 YEARS AGO
Miss Julie L. Knox has received announcement of the recent marriage of Richard Knox Stewart and Janet Marguerite Colley which was solemnized May 4th, in the Presbyterian Church at Eagle Rock, California.
Miss Freda Morton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. P. Morton of Pleasant, and Lynn Kiesel, son of Mr. and Mrs. Chester Kiesel of Vevay, were united in marriage Saturday by Reverend Sonny Hays at the Baptist parsonage in Vevay. Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Morton were their attendants.
Mr. and Mrs. Orman Woolums of Vevay announce the engagement of their daughter, Roberta, to Mr. Hilbert Scudder, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Hilbert Scudder of Bennington.
The marriage of Miss Edna Pearl Clark, daughter of Mrs. Thelma Clark to Mr. Jack Spencer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Spencer, all of Vevay, was solemnized June 2nd in the Vevay Methodist Church at 4:30 p.m.
Realizing his ambition of “providing Vevay with a modern drug store for the convenience of the townspeople and the medical profession,” Jack Sullivan, owner of Sullivan’s Pharmacy, announced the special “New Look Sale” to begin this weekend at his recently remodeled store.
60 YEARS AGO
Dwight McKenzie and Robert Smith, two of Vevay’s most industrious young businessmen, are moving their Paint and Body Repair Shop this week into the modern garage erected by Charles Romans on North Ferry Street here, and according to their advertisement will hold an open house beginning Saturday, June 7th.
A new 1947 Plymouth sedan owned by Harold Chittenden of Vevay, was stolen from a Cincinnati street last Wednesday night and up to time of going to press no trace of it has been found.
Carroll Hart, well-known Switzerland farmer who was gravely injured last week when he fell from the rear of a state highway truck near the Irvin Storie home in Pleasant Township, is reported to be slowly improving at King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison. Harry Whitton who also fell from the truck was removed to his home where on Wednesday he was reported to be improving satisfactorily.
Switzerland County, which has about everything, will now have a new Saddle Club within the next few days, according to Mrs. Margaret Smock of Mount Sterling, who is directing the organization of the project here.
Mrs. Harry Joyce of route 4, Vevay, is critically ill at her home suffering from the effects of a paralytic stroke which she suffered Thursday.
Donnie Sides, three-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. James Sides, had a miraculous escape from death Saturday afternoon when he darted from the street near his home on Market Street into the path of an automobile driven by Fred Adams.
Gretchen H. Cole, prominent Vevay attorney, was unanimously elected President of the Indian Federation of Clubs at the annual convention held in Indianapolis this week.
W. R. “Jackie” Houze was selected playground manager for the summer of the Kiwanis playgrounds here in Vevay.
A coal truck driven by Tilley Pickett of Vevay and an automobile driven by Charles West of Dayton, Ohio, were badly damaged Saturday night when they collided on State Road 129 near the home of Hobart Wiley. Both men miraculously escaped injury.
70 YEARS AGO
Wilfred Osborn of Bennington and Doris Alford of Bear Branch were married on the afternoon of June 5th at Vevay with the Reverend Fred Griffith officiating.
Miss Bernice Young and H. F. Deming were united in marriage Monday evening, June 7th, at the Methodist parsonage in Greensburg. Mrs. Deming has been teaching in Lafayette schools for the past year and Mr. Deming is a genial and successful businessman here in Vevay.
Mrs. Raymond Rose of Vevay, Mrs. Lucevia Orem and daughter, Miss Jeanette, and Miss Martha Hulley attended the funeral of Verlin Cassaday at West Terre Haute Tuesday.
David Bevens of Lawrenceburg and Elsie King of Bright were married Saturday afternoon by the Reverend F. E. Hammel at his residence here.
Miss Geneva Gullion and Harold Stephenson were united in marriage Saturday evening, June 5th, in Madison.
John Cook, who resides on the Ed Trinkle farm above Vevay, was the innocent perpetrator of an act fatal to livestock on last Sunday morning when salting cattle. He got hold of a sack of nitrate of soda, three of the animals dying within 24 hours.
80 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Charles Manuel of Mount Sterling slipped and fell in the yard at her home last Friday night and was painfully injured.
The four-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Shelton Emery of near Florence was badly bitten in the face last Wednesday by a dog.
Gasoline thieves worked in Vevay again on Saturday night. The tank on F. C. Teats’ car was drained dry in the garage at his home and gasoline was taken from Cogley Cole’s car.
Miss Gertrude Oxley and Wendell Bennett of Mooresville were married last week and left for their home in Mooresville. The bride is the daughter of Otto Oxley and graduated from Vevay High School last month.
William Martin, proprietor of the Patriot Theatre, will give a show Monday night and the entire proceeds will be turned over to the Red Cross for Mississippi River flood sufferers.
Mrs. Amy Detraz and Charles Dufour were married at the Lawrenceburg Christian Church Sunday evening, the ceremony being performed by the Reverend Ira D. Matthews.
Ernie Lock and Miss Dorothy Roeder, both of Switzerland County, were married at Carrollton, Kentucky, Saturday afternoon. Mr. Lock is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Alex Lock of Parks Ridge and Mrs. Lock is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Roeder of Braytown.
Luther Barnhill, 16-year-old son of Dan Peelman and wife, formerly of Vevay, was drowned in the Ohio River at Lamb Saturday night at 8 o’clock.
90 YEARS AGO
Byron Tilley, who has been employed for more than three years past on the Reveille, left Saturday afternoon for Buchanan, Michigan, where on Monday morning he took a position in the composing room of the Record at that place.
O’Neal & McKay, proprietors of the Main Street Garage, announce in this issue of the Reveille the establishment of a Standard Oil filling station at their place.
William O. Protsman of this city will leave July 1st for Louisville where he has been appointed manager of the Leyman Motor Company.
Professor Ernest Danglade, formerly Superintendent of the Vevay Public Schools, was elected County Superintendent of Switzerland County last Monday morning on the first and only ballot taken.
W. E. Benedict was on Monday night reelected by the City Council as a member of the Vevay School Board.
Miss Frankie Anderson and Charles Carroll were married last Saturday evening at Etowah, Tennessee.
100 YEARS AGO
The new dynamo for the city light plant arrived Friday night. Since there has been several delays in receiving the boiler and engine it will probably be some time before it is ready for service.
During a storm last Monday morning the dwelling house of Charles Cox was struck by lightning but no serious damage resulted.
George Johnson is now a full-fledged licensed steamboat engineer and pilot.
Hubert Eaglin secured a position as head cook on the showboat Sunny South and left Tuesday morning with the boat.
A bakery is to be established in connection with the Vevay Flour Mill and George Davison Sr., will have charge of the baking department.
Miss Nellie Strautman and Carl Lock of near Florence were united in marriage Wednesday, June 5th, by the Reverend Frantz at the German parsonage.
Benjamin Kent of Patriot and Miss Ella Craig of Walton, Kentucky were married in Covington Tuesday, June 3rd.
Last Sunday afternoon while Mrs. John March and Mrs. Thomas Gilbert and 12-year-old daughter were at the house of Miss Helen Gilbert in Center Square lightning came down the chimney, striking Mrs. March and Mrs. Gilbert, killing them instantly, and sverely injuring the little girl. Miss Gilbert was sick in bed and escaped uninjured.
Amie Nelson and Miss Florence I. Crouse were married June 2nd at the residence of John Stewart near Center Square.
Andrew J. Porter and Miss Mary Emma Thiebaud were married in Vevay June 8th by the Reverend J. D. Griffith.
Arthur J. Wilkinson and Miss Perle Rous were married recently in Boston where she is pianist in the Adams School of Opera.
Mrs. Mary A. Robenstein has sold her interest in the jewelry store of Robenstein & Sieglitz to Charles Sieglitz who is now the sole proprietor.
120 YEARS AGO
Elwood Miller, employed by Frank Dupraz, yesterday accidentally cut off his forefinger of the left hand in a cutting box.
Samuel Scott was in Cincinnati Monday and accepted a position as traveling salesman for M. & L. S. Feshmier Clothing Company, commencing July 15th.
130 YEARS AGO
Kincaid & Brothers have moved into the room on the east corner of Main and Ferry streets, opposite Grisard’s Store.
Vevay continues to improve. Joseph Grenat, J. D. Works, William Hall, and Levi B. Christie are building residences and others are preparing to do likewise.
A tailor shop is being opened in Patriot by a gentleman from Jeffersonville.
140 YEARS AGO
Gordon and Tague’s grocery will occupy one of the rooms in the new Schenck building.
The M. E. Sabbath School of this place has purchased a library costing $137.
A temperance and Sunday School celebration will be held at East Enterprise July 4th.
John Thompson and son of this place have invented a wash board. They have large orders from Cincinnati.
Vevay Commercial School has suspended until fall.
The barn on the farm of John Rochat in Pleasant Township burned Thursday night. Loss not known.
150 YEARS AGO
Peter McMackin and Miss Harriet Pickett, both of this county, were married June 10th by Dr. Murphy.
John, 15-year-od son of Alexander Edgar, died June 12th. His death was caused by a severe scald which he received a few days previous when he fell into a tub of hot water.
The steamers Alida and Fashion collided June 10th near Smithland. Both were slightly damaged.