News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
Wilfred “Bill” Fish, a native of Switzerland County, has been nominated by the National FFA organization to receive the organization’s Honorary American FFA degree. The degree is the highest national honorary award presented by the FFA, and recognizes those who greatly contribute to the advancement of agricultural education and provide outstanding service to their local program and community.
This year’s Swiss Wine Festival will officially kick off tonight (Thursday) with several activities at the Main Stage, highlighted by this year’s Edelweiss Teen Princess pageant. The pageant will feature 16 Switzerland County young ladies, and will begin at the Main Stage at 7:45 p.m. Last year’s Teen Princess was Adrienne Williams. This year’s Teen Princess will join Edelweiss Princess Natasha Schroeder in reigning over the Swiss Wine Festival, now set for its 29th year.
20 YEARS AGO
Angela Cyrus, 19, of Madison was crowned the 1990 Edelweiss Princess and Miss Congeniality during the Swiss Wine Festival last Thursday night. Elizabeth Thomas, 16, of Ghent, Kentucky was the first runner-up. This was the first year the contest was open to young ladies outside of Switzerland County. Festival officials noted the change was made to draw more contestants and attract more people to the Festival.
This year Vevay’s Swiss Wine Festival saw bigger crowds and a bigger parade than it has in years according to Festival officials. The attendance for the four-day festival which started last Thursday, has been estimated at 40-50,000 people.
30 YEARS AGO
Dr. Elizabeth Tuttle and Dr. Steve Tuttle will open a family practice on Main Street on Tuesday, September 2nd. Both the doctors received their medical degree from the University of Florida School of Medicine. The Tuttles have a seven month old son and plan to rent a home in town. Eventually they hope to buy a farm in the county.
William Field, Vevay, was buried Monday after suffering fatal injuries in a one-vehicle accident last Thursday evening. He was traveling east on State Road 56 near Sandy Beach when his pickup truck left the road and struck a tree. He died at 11:30 a.m. Friday morning.
Last Wednesday night, two Vevay men were seriously injured in another single vehicle accident. A pickup driven by Boyd R. “Dickie” Smith went off the road and struck a culvert just east of town on State Road 156. A passenger in the truck, Michael Ricketts, 24, was also seriously injured. The truck burst into flames and the quick action of Eddie and Billy Leap of Vevay saved the lives of Smith and Ricketts.
40 YEARS AGO
Dana Riley, 4-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Riley of Vevay, was the grand champion grape stomper in this past weekend’s Swiss Wine Festival. She won the championship in a “stomp off” with adult William Pack of Martinsville, much to the pleasure of the attending audience.
The festival opened Thursday night with the largest crowd ever to attend a festival’s Edelweiss princess pageant as Pam Scudder’s beauty walked off with the princess crown. She is the 19-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Scudder of route 1, Florence.
50 YEARS AGO
“I’ll tell you one thing I know now, son. If I live with that girl again, I’m going to marry her.” This statement came from Steve Riley, a 46-year-old tenant farmer from Kentucky’s mountain region, last Saturday morning a few minutes after he had been sentenced to six months on the Indiana state farm on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Riley is alleged to have abducted Ruby Murrell, 15, from her Cow Creek, Kentucky, home nearly two years ago and keeping her, by threats of violence, as his wife. Most of the two years were spent on the Everett Owings farm near Bennington.
The home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ake, at Fairview, has been a beehive of activity since Sunday afternoon in its capacity as the Indiana Wing alternate control station of the Civil Air Patrol, participating in the 21-state search for a missing airplane. Object of the search is a black, red and white Cessna No. 182, a private plane rented by a Mr. Griffing in Teterboro, New Hampshire, presumably for a trip to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Switzerland County got its second Civic Club about two weeks ago, and now sports civic groups – dedicated to the betterment of the county and surrounding area – in both Vevay and Patriot.
Patriot-Posey school board members Wednesday night drew up a formal motion asking the Switzerland County Reorganization Committee for its approval of the proposed Patriot-Rising Sun school consolidation. If the Reorganization Committee should disapprove the consolidation, an approval from the state reorganization committee could make the consolidation possible and would overrule the county committee’s decision.
60 YEARS AGO
Miss “Peggy” Carnine, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Carnine, of Cincinnati, formerly of Vevay, has accepted a responsible position with the Trailmobile Company in that city as industrial nurse. Miss Carnine is a graduate of Bethesda hospital school of nursing and will be assigned two assistants in her work.
Rehearsals for the Shillito Fashion Show, which will be held at the Vevay gym on August 31st at 8 o’clock and which is sponsored by the Bennington Rebekah Lodge, were held Tuesday under the direction of Miss Norma Snieder of the Cincinnati firm. Music for the occasion will be furnished by Miss Thelma Benedict and the following Switzerland models will display the Fall fashions to be furnished by the department store: Misses Bonnie Lee, Betty Porter and Jan Schirmer; Mesdames Elizabeth Geiger, Marvel Griffith, Hazel Ellison, Norma Gardner and Patricia Lemon.
William R. Cole of Mount Sterling has accepted appointment as the Switzerland County member of the Selective Service Board now located in Madison. Mr. Cole, who is 37 years old, fills the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Gerald Ramseyer who gave up the job because of his active membership in the regular army reserve.
70 YEARS AGO
Robert Harold Miller, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Miller, proprietors of the National Hotel and restaurant, died in the Madison hospital Tuesday. His death was the result of a skull fracture the young man received when he fell Saturday evening while waiting on customers in the restaurant, striking his head on the table edge and then on the floor.
Marion Stephenson, citizen of Patriot, died at his home August 15th, after an illness of several months.
Albert G. Hudson, for many years a resident of Vevay, died at his home in Indianapolis Wednesday, aged 89 years.
George Bowman, for many years a well known meat dealer and farmer of Cotton Township, passed away at his home near East Enterprise Thursday following an illness of several years.
Born August 13th to Mr. and Mrs. Earl Grimes, a daughter.
Mrs. Susan Hotchkiss Jackson, a native of Switzerland County, passed away at her home in Glendora, California Saturday at the age of 84 years.
Miss Lena Campbell of Aberdeen and Lee Brown were married in Dillsboro August 10th.
Charley Smith, colored, a stepson of uncle Dick Whitehead who lived in Vevay for many years, died at his home in Indianapolis Friday and was buried in the Vevay Cemetery Monday.
Miss Elaine Banta of Brooksburg and Ray Mason of near Five Points were married in Carrollton August 17th.
80 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Mary E. Gibbs, aged 71 years, passed away at her home in Fairview Sunday after an illness of several weeks.
Drought relief machinery is being set in motion and in preparation for administering of same, County Agent Kolb is sending a survey blank to all farmers in the county.
Granville M. Doss, prominent retired farmer and former Mayor of Vevay, died at his home in Vevay Tuesday evening at the age of 79 years.
B. J. Kincaid is advertising the opening of a new modern laundry in his home near Vevay.
Born Wednesday to Mr. and Mrs. Albert Romans of Craig Township, a daughter, Luella May.
90 YEARS AGO
Died in Vevay August 19th, Mrs. Josephine Simmons, 63, widow of the late Benjamin L. Simmons. Two daughters and a stepson survive.
Gerald Hoffmeier has purchased the A. B. Lientz farm of 57 acres near Fairview.
W. T. Gooden, editor of the Lawrenceburg Register, died August 18th of heart disease.
Dr. P. C. Holland, a former physician at Bennington, now residing at Bloomington, is making his first visit to the county in many years.
Married in Carrollton, Miss Thelma Tevis and Robert Comly, both of near Brooksburg.
Born, a daughter, Margaret Jane, on August 10th to Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Austin of Seattle, Washington. Mrs. Austin was formerly Miss Lelia Thiebaud.
Miss Hilda Cole suffered a broken thumb during a baseball game when she was struck by a batted ball.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Lock of Craig Township on August 18th, a 10-pound son.
100 YEARS AGO
James S. Wright has purchased the Williams hotel and became the active manager Monday morning.
Jim Works has his string of race horses at the Erlanger, Kentucky fair this week.
Milton S. Cole and Miss Edith P. Tompkins were married in Carrollton by Judge Sebree on August 13th.
The furniture factory resumed work on Monday after a six-week vacation. No doubt the whistle sounded very good to the number of employees who have been out of work so long.
Harris Tinker and Miss Jessie Hyde of Allensville were married Thursday.
Born, a daughter, August 23rd to Mr. and Mrs. J. Pate of Allensville.
Born to Sid Petit and wife of Bennington, a girl.
Born to Homer Humphrey and wife of Quercus Grove August 19th, a son.
Born to Harry Scudder and wife of Markland August 14th, a son.
120 YEARS AGO
Died August 14th, Oliver Protsman, aged 60 years.
Armand Rous is home from Indianapolis and has been tendered a position in the office of Secretary of State.
U. P. McHenry who has been telegraphing in the far West for the past two years is home on a visit.
The potato crop is the most complete failure known for many years.
Died in Posey Township August 14th, Mrs. James Sisson, aged 65 years.
Married: Miss Edith Luck and Everett Kalso, both of Florence.
The concert given at the Court House last Thursday night by Professor D. Leppert and his wife, Mrs. Lizzie Lippert was a rare musical treat.
Tuesday evening fire was discovered in the stable at the rear of the building owned by the heirs of Ira Taylor. Coal oil had been spilled with the obvious intention of destroying the stable.
140 YEARS AGO
James McCorkle was seriously injured by the overturning of the horse power engine connected with a threshing machine.
The new iron bridges over Plum and Hunts Creek are completed and in use.
On August 22nd, a frame dwelling on Washington Street, owned by Jane Graham, was totally destroyed by fire. Loss, $300.
Died August 17th, Jonathan Howe, aged 6 months.
Died August 21st, Summerfield Garey, aged 33 years.
Judge Lamb addressed the citizens at the courthouse on the political issues of the day.
Professor John Ridpath of Greencastle was the instructor at the Teachers Institute.
150 YEARS AGO
Married August 19th, Mr. H. H. Pavy and Miss Zerelda Roberts.
The receipts of the toll gate for July were $153.24.
A Sabbath school convention was held on the fair grounds, which was on the picnic plan. No hucksters were admitted inside the enclosure.
Business men of Vevay, Dr. Ridgewey, Dr. Baxter; dentist, Dr. Murphy; counselors-at-law and real estate, J. H. Titus, Lamb and Adkinson; dry goods and groceries, F. L. Grisard and sons, Daniel Cole, Courvoier and Lewis, Hathway and Co., Clarkson and Waldo; saddlery, William Faulkner; boots and shoes,. Thompson and Co., J. F. Webb, C. Thiebaud and son; jeweler, F. A. Boemer; men’s clothing, John W. Gray, Julius Blach, Marsh and Brothers.
Died at the home of Franklin Dufour, August 12th, “Aunt Lizzie,” an old slave woman who had been servant in the Dr. Mendenhall family so long that but few of that generation could remember her first appearance.
Four steamboats are being built at Madison.
152 YEARS AGO
A man named Washburne was brought from Patriot Tuesday and put in jail on a charge of stealing $500 in gold, two gold watches, lockets and clothing from his aunt, Mrs. McCarty. A small son of Mrs. McCarty looked through a key-hole and saw him break a trunk containing the articles.
Corn is being shipped to Cincinnati and brings a good price, 55 cents a bushel.
Godey’s Lady’s Book, speaking of hooped skirts says. “If the ladies who carry this fashion to excess only knew what remarks are made upon them and how they are laughed at, we are sure they would come down from the hogshead size to that of the flour barrel.”