News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers.
10 YEARS AGO
Sarah Storm was crowned as the 2001 Edelweiss Teen Princess on Thursday night to open the Swiss WineFestival. She was selected from a group of 15 young ladies who were vying for the title.
The 30th Swiss Wine Festival had a bit of everythingduring its four-day run at thePaul Ogle Riverfront Park. The weekend featured sunny skies and rainy weather, hot food and cold drinks; great entertainment and fun activities.
Leslie and Patsy Scudder of Markland Pike celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on August 11th of this year.
The United Way of Switzerland County has announced that it has awarded approximately $56,000 in grants to local organizations that are working toward the betterment of this county and its residents. The grants are not matching grants, and provide organizations with the resources to make an immediate positive impact on the lives of people here in Switzerland County. All accepted grants were to local orgaizations, and were made usig funds that have been donated by local residents.
20 YEARS AGO
Switzerland County residents, outside of Vevay, will be receiving their new addresses next month of all goes as planned, according to Carol Ann Otter, who has been coordinating the effort to assign the new addresses. County residents who presently have a route address will have a specific address because of the new 911 emergency phone system. New addresses will also be given to those who only have a post office box.
Christol Thomas has enlisted in the U.S. Army as a member of the Military Police. She is the daughter of James Thomas of Patriot and Daisy Thomas of Vevay. She is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Thomas.
Marcella Cole of Fairview received a custom made dress, jewelry, and ebony elephants from her son Randy from Africa. Randy spent the last year studying at the University of Dakar in West Africa. He is now in his senior year at Wabash College.
Barry Marlman of Vevay received a 20-year Federal Service Award from the U.S. Army Jefferson Proving Ground Commander during presentation ceremonies held recently.
30 YEARS AGO
Since 1949, Joe Backer has been a Conservation Officer, and he has served in this county since 1953. ON September 30th, he will be retiring from the job he has held for the last 32 years.
Joelle Roberts, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Roberts of Vevay, has been selected to perform with the Indiana All-State Choir. The Switzerland County High School freshman was the only student from the school picked for the choir in auditions at Madison High School last Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. Chester Russell James will celebrate their 50th anniversary Friday, October 2nd. An open house at the couple’s home in Vevay will be held Saturday, October 3rd, to honor the occasion.
Karoline Kelly, almost three, was the youngest biker in last Saturday’s St. Jude Bike-a-thon. After riding her tricycle for a few miles she decided it was time to take a rest next to her mother, Violet Kelly.
40 YEARS AGO
Miss Christi Graham, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson “Red” Graham of Vevay is one of 364 freshmen enrolled at Hanover College for the fall term. Miss Graham is a 1971 graduate of Switzerland County High School.
Approximately 100 head of ponies are expected in Fairview Sunday for harness pony racing, the first such major races at the clubgrounds and under sponsorship of Switzerland County Saddle Club. Post time for the miniature harness racing is 2 p.m. (slow time) as some of the best trotters in the U.S. Pony Trotting Association are expected to compete.
The Golden Wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Allen Wentworth was celebrated Sunday afternoon with an open house at their home on Vernon Ridge, north of Brooksburg.
50 YEARS AGO
Friday and Saturday have been set as grand opening dates for the newly expanded Osborn’s Store on Vevay’s Main Street. The remodeled and enlarged store, operated by Raymond “Ozzie” Osborn, Jr., is featuring a new complete line of women’s sportswear after years of operation as a women’s shoe and men’s clothing establishment.
Linda Heath has been selected by students of Patriot-Posey High School to represent her school in the queen contest at the Aurora Farmer’s Fair.
Enrollment figures for Switzerland County schools reveal that high school enrollments have remained virtually unchanged from last year, but elementary school enrollments have dropped alarmingly in some spots. Largest decreases are seen in Jefferson-Craig Consolidated School and Pleasant Township School.
New officers for the current club years were installed Monday night by the Associate Chapter of Tri Kappa sorority. The new president is Mrs. E. S. Furnish and other officers are Mrs. Cogley Cole, Jr., vice president; Mrs. Mary Charlotte Henry, recording secretary; Mrs. J. H. Chittenden, corresponding secretary and Miss Edith Shaw, treasurer.
Thirty-five years of service with the Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company for Perle Thomas Heady of near Aurora, formerly of Vevay, were recently observed by the company. Mr. Heady is superintendent of the Miami Fort Power Station of CG&E.
Miss Lois Craigmyle, a student nurse, has been promoted from a Junior to a Senior student nurse at the Good Samaritan Hospital school of nursing, Lexington, Kentucky, according to an announcement made by Mrs. Nancy P. Blakeman, director of nursing. Miss Craigmyle is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Craigmyle of near Mount Sterling.
60 YEARS AGO
The Vevay schools got underway on a full time schedule Monday morning, September 10th. The grade school enrollment was approximately the same as that last year, standing at a total of 185. The high school enrollment was practically the same as the close of last school year with 79 freshmen, 53 sophomores, 44 juniors, 37 seniors, making a total of 213 enrolled.
Kenneth Williams, a prominent business man of Indianapolis, has purchased the old Henry Brameier farm adjoining Dam 39, according to a report from the Courtney Real Estate Agency here. The farm home has a fine view of the river and Mr. Williams intends, after its modernization, to use it as a summer home.
Private Lee H. Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey S. Smith of route 1, Patriot, recently completed 14 weeks of basic training with the 8th Infantry Division at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, as a member of the 56th Field Artillery Battalion, Battery C.
In the Cadet Officers’ Promotion List, recently released by Lt. Colonel Fred T. Kent, Professor of Military Science and Tactics, of the Kentucky Military Institute at London, Kentucky, Albert Ellerbrook, son of Dr. George E. Ellerbrook, was promoted to Cadet Sergeant in the ROTC Unit. Promotions are based on scholarship, leadership, and military performance.
The Patriot-Posey schools opened with a slight decrease in both the elementary and high school. The only increase in enrollment was in the Quercus Grove school which has 12 more pupils than they had at the opening of school last year. Total elementary grade enrollment is 229 and high school enrollment is 93.
70 YEARS AGO
Claude Brindley, well known farmer of this county, was painfully injured Sunday morning when a horse he was riding reared and fell backward, pinning him beneath its body.
The American Red Cross, through its Switzerland County chapter, will have a first aid station at the Fairview fair this year. The station, which will be in a large tent, will be in charge of Mrs. Alma Ash, registered nurse.
The Patriot-Posey School enrollment shows a considerable decrease in both high and grade schools. The total enrollment for both the elementary and high schools in the county system show a slight decrease.
The fourth annual Moore-Anderson family reunion was held this year at Spring Branch with 120 present.
Mr. Harold Curry of Indianapolis last week presented the Historical Society with the portrait of Joshua Smithson who came to Vevay in the early days from the Island of Martinique.
Reverend Frank Reed will leave Saturday for Gildford, Montana, where he will serve as pastor of the Baptist Church there.
Professor Wilbur Peat, director of Herron Art Institute of Indianapolis, spent Sunday in Vevay doing research work on early portrait painters of Indiana.
80 YEARS AGO
A young Angus heifer, grazed by a rifle shot in its nose, caused consternation on the public school play ground here Friday when it broke loose from the Krummel slaughterhouse back of Vevay. One child, J. C. Krall, was knocked down in the stampede but was not injured.
James Sides, Elbert Gray, Minor Bakes, and Forrest Brown won distinction in the unofficial speed boat regatta at Madison Sunday, September 13th.
About $12,000 was lopped off the general tax on September 8th by the county council.
The Bruner Hatchery is making extensive preparations to remove to the building in Ferry Street vacated by the Switzerland Democrat.
The general store and filling station of Grant Rittenour at Lamb was sold this week to Mr. and Mrs. Leon Ash.
The Red Men’s Lodge of Vevay is sponsoring a benefit exposition here this week.
A teachers extension class in psychology has been organized and will be taught by Superintendent E. S. Furnish.
90 YEARS AGO
A deal was closed Tuesday between Dave Bliss and Bert Gray whereby the latter takes control of their garage. Mr. Bliss retains his partnership in the Dodge automobile agency and will operate the Stoll oil business.
A step in apprehending illicit liquor vendors was taken last week when Sheriff George Stewart, Deputy Sheriff, Duncan Anderson, and City Marshal, Sam Smith, made a raid on two farms in the county. At one 125 gallons of wine was found secreted in a hay mow but before the liquor could be brought to Vevay the bungs were knocked out and the wine allowed to seep into the hay. The owner has not been apprehended. At the second farm about 40 gallons of wine was taken and the owner placed under arrest.
According to state census figures for Switzerland County 72 foreign born white persons, 4 of whom were born in Canada, 2 in England, 2 in France, and 60 in Germany, 45 being male and 27 female.
A small tornado of about two minutes duration visited Vevay about 1 o’clock Saturday afternoon and inflicted heavy damage over the entire area.
100 YEARS AGO
The grand jury inspected the Poor Farm Thursday and found everything in good condition there under the management of Clarence McKenzie.
A band of gypsies camped above Vevay over Sunday. They came in three wagons and were a sorry looking lot.
The house of I. N. Paugh in the back part of the county was struck by lightning last Monday night at 9 o’clock and a hole was born in the flue and a part of the shingles were ripped from the dining room roof.
Morton Bennett has a nice new six room house under construction.
The Brooksburg Creamery has been closed down due to financial straits.
120 YEARS AGO
Township trustees and school town officers notified the county commissioners that they had levied the following tax: Vevay 10 cents to 25; Moorefield 5 cents, York 8 cents and 15, Craig 16 cents, Pleasant 5 cents, Posey school and Patriot 25 cents.
Alva, son of Flora Baxter of near Lamb, is ill with typhoid fever.
140 YEARS AGO
Dr. E. R. Morerod, formerly of Vevay, but now of Nevada, Missouri, is secretary of the county fair this year. He practices medicine, deals in real estate, and farms.
J. C. Kincaid has returned from a visit in the East and Canada.
e stores of Dr. W. A. Alcott and Heynand Brothers at Patriot were burglarized last week, $5 being taken from the former and $200 from the latter.
Major Charles W. Lee of this county at a recent session of the conference of the Methodist Church at Jeffersonville was ordained a minister and was assigned to duty on the Versailles circuit.
John Patton was returned from a visit in Cincinnati.
150 YEARS AGO
The past week has been one of continued skirmishing in Western Virginia and on the Potomac, generally resulting favorable to the Union forces.
The total number of Federal troops stationed around the junction of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers at Cairo, Bird’s Point, Paducah, Norfolk, and the Kentucky shore is now more than 30,000. Five additional regiments, two of Illinois, two of Iowa and one of Indiana troops arrived at Cairo Monday. The government has six steamboats employed about Cairo, transporting troops and keeping communication open between the different camps of army. Commodore Foote is in charge of the gunboats. Our latest advices from Cairo report the rebels 10,000 strong, marching on Paducah.
On Saturday Colonel Dumont’s regiment the 7th left Indianapolis for Washington City.
On Saturday night the body of James N. Wright, son of Aldred Wright now of Carroll County, Kentucky, arrived here on the steamboat Prioress. Young Wright was a volunteer in Captain Buchanan’s cavalry company from this county and was stricken with typhoid fever while en route to Washington. He died in Baltimore on September 9th. This is the first one of our volunteers who has died in service. He was buried Sunday in the family burying ground in Craig Township.
We have received letters giving a description of the travels of our cavalry from Pittsburgh to Washington. The complaints of bad treatment are reiterated with an additional statement that they were 30 hours without food.