News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
Vevay’s Dalbert “Dabby” Whitham will again be a part of the popular Pioneer Village display at this year’s Indiana State Fair. Dabby Whitham will take his collection of antique engines to the State Fair from August 6th through August 11th, and will be giving demonstrations and answering questions about his machinery for the thousands of daily visitors. He will be displaying eight engines at this year’s Fair, and will once again be the only presenter at the Fair with the old engines, which were once a vital part of farm life.
Errol Wayne Judy and Mike McCarty brought a team of horses to the riverfront last week, and then decided to take a spin around Vevay before heading home. The horses were brought down Ferry Street so that local artist Joe Leatherbury could photograph them for a portion of the mural that he is painting on the south wall of the Hoosier Theater. The mural will depict scenes of Switzerland County life, including when farmers used to bring horse-drawn wagons of hay to the riverbank to be loaded on riverboats headed south.
Switzerland County art by Switzerland County artists will be featured in a special show on display during August at the Josh Leatherbury Art Gallery in Vevay. It’s the first-ever comprehensive showing of the art of Switzerland County. Works by more than 40 local artists will be on display.
15 YEARS AGO
Local efforts to see improvements made on the hazardous Vevay Hill road have gone on for years. Now, efforts have intensified. At a public hearing Saturday 18 residents of Switzerland County expressed their opinions about Vevay Hill. Some 42 others attended the meeting to show their concern for making the Vevay Hill stretch of State Road 56 safer for people to travel.
George, the well known, well loved, Vevay town dog, no longer makes his rounds about town but must remain doghoused at home following his arrest by the dogcatcher last week. Red White is the official owner of George — though really, he’s the kind of dog who owns himself — and when he heard George was in jail, Mr. White went down and bailed him out. He learned about George’s arrest from Jeff Sloan, who brought George to Vevay as a puppy seven years ago (from Rising Sun where George was born) and gave him to Mr. White.
Tammy Lynn Whitaker, daughter of James and Shirley Whitaker, Big Doe Run, west of Moorefield, will marry Matthew Michael, son of Jack and Iretta Michaels, Versailles, Saturday, August 29th.
Sue (Overby) and Jason Boyken were honored Saturday, July 25th, with a reception and open house at the home of Jason’s parents, Sara Jean and John Boyken, Sr., in Cross Plains.
20 YEARS AGO
Mark Gray has accepted the position of County Extension Agent. He will begin his duties next Monday, August 10th. He is a native of Frankfort, Kentucky.
Carol A. Stivers, a native of Vevay, has been named a loan originator in Southern Indiana for First Indiana Bank. She and her son, Michael, currently reside in Clarksville. Carol is the daughter of Earl and Ida Conner, route 2, Rising Sun, and granddaughter of Virginia Conner of Vevay.
Members of the Switzerland County Chapter of the Indiana Future Farmers of America attended the Summer Leadership Camp on July 6th-8th at the Indiana FFA Leadership Center near Trafalgar, Indiana. Chad Browning, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Browning, route 3, Vevay, and James Madison, son of Mary Ann Leap, route 1, Vevay, and Mike Madison attended the camp.
Miriam Schmithorst and Alvin F. Meyer were united in marriage August 1st at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Cincinnati. The Meyers spent their honeymoon at the Ogle Haus in Vevay. The Meyer family has owned and operated the Swiss Valley Winery in Vevay since 1974, and Mr. Meyer has been active in the community for a number of years.
30 YEARS AGO
Miss Debbie Kuhlmeier, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Kuhlmeier of Aurora became the bride of H. William Hall II, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. William Hall, route 2, Vevay June 26th. The wedding took place in St. John’s Lutheran Church, Aurora.
Agnes Wolf, an 84-year-old resident of Vevay, informed Vevay Newspapers that four of her grandchildren had animals in the 4-H livestock auction. “If you hear an old lady hollerin’, you’ll know it’s me,” she said.
J.R., the 1977 Grand Champion Steer belonging to Mark Archer was purchased at the 4-H Livestock Auction by Vevay Newspapers, Inc. Editor Connie Parrish successfully bid $1.35 per pound for the honor.
40 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Roberta Cord, Jefferson-Craig Elementary School principal, is one of 22 school administrators participating from last Saturday to August 10th in an Indiana University workshop.
Chickens usually come with but one set of legs (two legs per set) but a potential fryer was born with a supply of four. He was born on the farm of Joe Juilfs of route 2, Vevay, who displayed his prize for our camera.
Five minor automobile accidents in Switzerland County were reported this week by the county sheriff’s office. There were no injuries.
50 YEARS AGO
Veronica Lee, two-week-old daughter of Conservation Officer and Mrs. Joe Backer, was christened Sunday morning in Our Sorrowful Mother of God Catholic Church in Vevay by Reverend David Senefeld, pastor. Mrs. L. P. Deveary served as godmother of the infant and Walter Lambert as godfather.
Switzerland County’s largest and finest annual 4-H show and parade ended Friday in Vevay, with winners of many boys’ and girls’ divisions now planning their exhibits for the Indiana State Fair, according to County Agent O. H. McNary. Two new features were added to this year’s 4-H show. A pet parade was sponsored by the Vevay Jaycees, and a saddle horse parade by the Switzerland County Saddle Club.
Drillers working on the site of the proposed hydro-electric power plant, adjacent to the Markland Dam, will continue operations for several more weeks, taking core samples of the underlying soil and rock.
60 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Geneva Stephenson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ora Gullion of Vevay, and Lloyd Moreillon, son of Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Moreillon of near Fairview, were united in marriage Saturday night at the home of the bride’s parents.
Miss Lula Katherine Riley and William Earl Scott were united in marriage by the Reverend Frank M. Reed Saturday morning, July 26th.
Raymond Roberts has purchased the East End Service Station from Herman Ricketts and assumed operation of the business on Tuesday morning.
The marriage of Miss Shirley Wainscott and Carl Mace was solemnized Wednesday evening, July 23rd, at the Church of Christ parsonage with the Reverend T.G. Burks officiating.
Andrew James Porter, a native of Vevay and for many years a prominent banker of this community, passed away Wednesday, July 23rd, at the Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, following a long period of ill health due mostly to the infirmities of old age.
70 YEARS AGO
Joseph Kern, well known retired business man and farmer, and a native of Pleasant Township passed away at his home in Scottsburg July 29th.
Roy Hastings has sent us the largest onions we have seen this year. The two weigh more than a pound each and are very sweet.
One of Switzerland County’s worst tragedies occurred Monday afternoon when Julius Brameier, a fine young man of Florence, was fatally injured by an electrical current wire while working on a power line owned by the Southern Indiana Light and Power Company.
80 YEARS AGO
George Phillips of Vevay was fatally injured at Mooresville last Thursday afternoon when a truck he was driving was struck by a passenger train.
Frances Graves, six-year-old daughter of David Graves and wife of Louisville, was drowned three miles west of Vevay Tuesday evening when she fell off a houseboat.
The 92nd birthday anniversary of A.N. Buck was celebrated on the Concord church lawn Saturday.
A construction gang from Seymour arrived here the first of the week and began work immediately on rebuilding the Farmers’ Telephone Company lines in Vevay and also building a line down the river to connect with the Madison company.
90 YEARS AGO
Wayne Morrison, nine-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Morrison, was badly cut and bruised last Friday afternoon when he fell from the roof of Leslie Littlefield’s house.
Lawrence Bladen, a boy of 19 years, living near Brooksburg, surprised his friends by swimming a 10-mile course July 29th.
100 YEARS AGO
The house occupied by Goodloe Brindley and family on the Konkle farm near Long Run was destroyed by fire Saturday morning.
Twins, a boy and a girl, were born to Clyde Drake and wife last week.
I.P. Loring and W.A. Williams will open up a five cent theatre in the room adjoining the Adams music store next Saturday.
Landon Brindley has completed his term in the Nelson Business College and will accept a position with the A.G. Spaulding Sporting Goods Company.
120 YEARS AGO
John Glenn and Miss Nancy Robbins were married Sunday evening at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Robbins at Sugar Branch.
James Moore and Miss Hanna Smith were married August 7th by Abram Johnson, Justice of the Peace, at his home near Sugar Branch.
A telegram has been received here telling of the death of John Gill, Jr., who died suddenly at Abiline Lake, Nebraska, last Sunday. He was traveling for the Brush Electric Light Company.
130 YEARS AGO
Edwin Gray and Miss Eliza Demaree, both of Jefferson County, were married August 2nd at the M.E. parsonage in Moorefield.
Professor E.F. Taylor of Knoxville, Tennessee, and Miss Alice Bellamy of Switzerland County, were married at the home of the bride’s parents in Craig Township August 2nd.
Harvey E. Grant and Miss Mary F. Hatch, both of this county, were married August 1st at the residence of David Lee.
140 YEARS AGO
The dogwood blossoms were unusually abundant this year. This is regarded as a sure indication of a heavy corn crop.
The wheat crop is so heavy throughout the valley that it is difficult in some places for the farmers to procure hands enough to get the grain in out of the weather.
The steamer Cora S. swung on a root at the head of Henderson’s bar on the 4th and stove a hole in her hull which caused her to rapidly fill with water. The freight was removed and she will be readily raised.
150 YEARS AGO
The Chinese sugar cane in this region is growing finely.
Married August 10th, John Saberton and Nancy Tague. On August 7th, Ezra Gilbert and Jane Owings. On July 28th, Hiram C. Shrock and Mary E. Sage.
Wheat was selling in Vevay last week at $1.10 for red and $1.15 for white.
The rain last week made the corn crop in this county and from all accounts it will be the largest and best ever raised in Indiana.