News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers.
10 YEARS AGO
The Switzerland County School Endowment Corporation – the group of county citizens charged with overseeing the revenue sharing funds from the Belterra Casino Resort that are earmarked for the school corporation – voted unanimously Tuesday night to fund the purchase and installation of new bleachers in the Switzerland County High School gym. The projject, which is expected to carry a price tag of between $150,000 and $190,000, was approved by the corporation members following presentations by superintendent Tracy Caddell, athletic director Jon Maxwell, and boys varsiy basketball coach David Todd.
Master Sergeant Steven G. Hewitt, son of David and Shirley Hewitt of Vevay, is being reassigned to the 52nd Logistics Group at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. He has served in the mo;otaru fpr 10 uears/
Jacob R. Cole has completed basic training with an E-3 rating at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois. He is the son of Anna and Steve Fields of East Enterprise and Steve Cole of Vevay.
Clinton Cole of Switzerland County is currently serving on the USS Kitty Hawk with the P-2 Division of Engineering in Yokosuka, Japan. He is the son of Anna and Steve Fields of East Enterprise and Steve Cole of Vevay.
Amanda Renee Browning has earned her bachelor of science degree in applied health science from Indiana University. She is the daughterof Pete and Angela Browning.
20 YEARS AGO
“Buy a piece of Moorefield history,” says the ad in the paper. “The old school/firehouse will be auctioned off.” Indeed it is a prime piece of Moorefield history. The old Moorefield school is a landmark in that pretty, pleasant Switzerland County comunity. Many Moorefield folks went to school there through the years, and their memories of those bygone days are fresh and fondly cherished.
Richard Frye has been named executive chef at the Ogle Haus Inn in Vevay. A Cincinnati native, Frye has lived since May of last year in a log cabin home on Fishin’ Worm Road.
30 YEARS AGO
The Vevay-Switzerland County Foundation, Inc., is funding a project of refurbishing the sidewalks of Vevay. The project will include new, ornate sidewalks and new “pedestrian” street lights.
Fay Hart and Doug and Sam are at five and counting, that’s five State Championships for mule pulling. Hart, who lives near Moorefield, won the Indiana Pullers Association title by accumulating the most points during the recently concluded season, and winning more than 50 percent ofthe 18 percentage pulls around the state.
40 YEARS AGO
Pfc. E3 Carl W. Cole, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Cole of route 2, Vevay, has completed army basic training at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, and advanced training in chemical warfare at Ft. McClellan, Alabama. He is a member of the U.S. Army Reserve Unit of Madison. Cole is a graduate of Vevay High School and Indiana Barber College in Indianapolis.
The Switzerland County Extension Homemakers held their 25th annual tour October 15th. Thirty-nine members visited two churches in Columbus, Indiana, ate lunch at Greenwood Center, visited the Krannert Pavilion and Lilly Pavilion at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and visited the new home of Mrs. Patty Rose Scott Harsin in Indianapolis. Mrs. Harsin, an outstanding interior decorator, is a native of Switzerland County.
Liston A. Hatton, 73, of route 1, Canaan, near Pleasant, died last Friday at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati.
Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey Slack of route 1, Vevay, announce the approaching marriage of their daughter, Kathy Marie, to Michael Steven May, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth May of Vevay. The wedding, open to friends and relatives, will be held at 7 p.m. (slow time) October 30th, at Caledonia United Presbyterian Church.
50 YEARS AGO
Vevay’s oldest active merchant and his son are disposing of their downtown market. Thus Vevay will be without a “Krummel’s” for the first time in 60 years. Joe Krummel and his son, Charles, are disposing of the merchandise in their Main Street grocery store and soon the long history of the Krummel business will close. The cessation will bring to an end a business operating locally since 1901.
A new function has been discovered for Vevay’s newly acquired town utility truck – rescuing marooned cats. The feline in question belongs to Debbie Olds, 9-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Olds of Seminary Street, and much to its displeasure, it found itself separated from its young mistress one day last week, stranded atop an electric pole in the Olds backyard.
Mrs. Jeanette Furnish, probably Vevay’s oldest citizen, celebrated her 99th birthday Sunday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Blanche Furnish, with whom she resides.
Mr. and Mrs. Kibbe Bliss celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary Sunday. Their daughter, Mrs. Mary Baron of San Diego, California, and son, Lowell Bliss, wife and daughter Melanie, helped celebrate at the Beaumont Inn at Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
Raymon Spencer, who is a student at Purdue University, has been made a member of the university flying team as an extra curricular activity. The young man received flying lessons at the Madison airport and was given a pilot’s license there. He is a member of the Purdue flying club and expects to charter one of the group’s planes for a weekend visit October 21st with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Spencer.
Randy Christman, 5-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Christman of Pleasant Township, sustained a broken wrist Monday when he fell from his tricycle.
60 YEARS AGO
Francis L. Miller of near Pleasant will observe his 100th birthday on October 19th. His wife is 95 and a semi-invalid and Mr. Miller is still spry enough to do most of the housework and the cooking. By living to such an unusual age Mr. and Mrs. Miller were privileged to observe their 74th wedding anniversary on August 25th.
Coach Conover of Patriot High School issued his first call for basketball on Tuesday of last week and 24 candidates responded. Most of last year’s varsity squad is still in school and eight letter men are out for the team. These letter men are Chester McCord, Jimmy Harris, Eddie Smith, Joe Reese, Harry Walker, Jack King, Arthur Adams, and Billy Wainscott. Morris Moore, Don Warner, and Gene Sparks are expected to add considerable height and size to the squad.
Mrs. Alice Johnson, of near Fairview, has been notified that the body of her son, Private Robert R. Schirmer, who was killed in action in Korea in March, 1951, has arrived in New York but will be held there pending the arrival of his brother, Private Byron L. Schirmer, from Okinawa.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred E. Kittle of near North Landing, just over the line in Ohio County from Posey Township, have received a letter from their son, Pfc. Harry R. Kittle in Korea informing them that he was severely wounded on September 13th when he stepped on a land mine which exploded.
70 YEARS AGO
The Edwin C. Danner Post of the American Legion held its annual breakfast and membership drive Sunday morning, under the direction of Post Commander Raymond Rose and when the totals for the day were reported it was found 65 members had been obtained.
Federal grading has been assured all tobacco growers by the vote of the growers. There will be no reduction in individual allotments for the 1942 crop of burley tobacco in Switzerland County.
Ralph Wright of near Brooksburg is the latest spider victim, having been bitten Sunday evening. Mr. Wright had worn a pair of gloves, not used for some time and upon feeling pain removed them to find a small black spider. However he says he did not observe the insect closely enough to determine whether or not it was of the black widow species.
In common with many orchardists in Indiana, William Protsman is this week grading and packing a government order for two car loads, about 1,200 bushels, of apples at Orchard Hills Farm. The apples will be trucked to Aurora, and will later be dried and shipped to England as well as utilized in this country.
80 YEARS AGO
George L. Humphrey, 66, former editor of the Switzerland Democrat and school teacher in the county for many years, passed away at his home in Allensville October 8th. Burial was made in the Jacksonville cemetery.
Pressure at the Carter gas well reached 60 pounds this week.
Mrs. George Westrick, well known woman of the Pleasant neighborhood passed away Thursday, October 5th, at her home there.
90 YEARS AGO
The Ford touring car of Mr. Dan Kinman was stolen from his garage Friday night, two miles below Patriot, and so far no trace of it has been found.
Glenn Crandell who was injured last week in an automobile accident, is showing some improvement, although still confined to the Madison hospital.
Mr. and Mrs. Hulley Griswold have moved to Vevay from Bennington and Griswold has opened a blacksmith shop on Market Street.
Bliss and Gray have taken the agency for the Buick automobile and their first sale, a handsome coupe, was delivered last week to Dr. J.P. Ward.
100 YEARS AGO
John Otter, Sr., of lower Seminary Street, is having quite a lot of cement work done which will add greatly to the convenience and value of his property.
The farmers along the river between Lamb and the Moorefield pike have subscribed $1200, for improving that part of the road between Madison and Vevay.
Abraham Johnson of this city has been awarded the contract for building the new school house known as the Mt. Hope school on Tapp’s Ridge.
Recently the Canaan Creamery became involved and the leasee, Albert Mitchell, entered a plea in voluntary bankruptcy.
Mrs. Mollie Scott and Mrs. Nora Park left Friday night for an extended stay in California.
120 YEARS AGO
Samuel and Fred Stucy of this county handled and sold more than 600 hogsheads of tobacco from January to October.
F.J. Waldo is the owner of the Rising Sun Recorder.
Dr. Simpson of East Enterprise has purchased a house and lot in Markland.
Julius Muret was severely injured when he was thrown from a young horse he was riding.
John Pattie is building a house for George Smith, a farmer living opposite Markland in Kentucky.
A barn belonging to John F. House near Aaron burned this week.
Joseph C. Brown, aged 90, is the oldest man in Vevay.
The new church at Brooksburg was dedicated on October 25th.
Last Monday afternoon, October 17th, a stable belonging to John A. Lock was destroyed by fire. It was accidentally set afire by some children playing with matches.
Lul Dupraz left Monday for Louisville to attend the Bryant and Stratton Commercial College.
Misses Belle Melcher and Dora Kessler gave a farewell party at the home of Miss Melcher last Saturday evening for D. B. Smith, previous to his departure for New York where he will enter a dramatic school.
140 YEARS AGO
F. P. Dupraz has a pig which possesses only three legs.
John Basset has purchased the grocery stock of Captain Watts at Patriot and will carry on the business.
The Reveille is being moved to one of the Grisard buildings on Main Street formerly occupied by J. W. Gray.
J. F. May, traveling dentist, will be at the LeClerc House to see his patients next week.
Shelometh Stow, I. C. Smith, and Alexander Washer have been appointed a committee by John Stewart, president of the Switzerland and Ohio County Fair Association, to solicit funds for a new arts buildng.
150 YEARS AGO
The company organized by Percy Rouse held an election at Mount Sterling Friday and elected the following officers: Captain, Moses Cole; 1st Lieutenant, Percy Rous; 2nd Lieutenant, D. S. Fallis. The company left the same evening for camp at Seymour.
“We noticed such staunch farmers as ex-commissioner Welch and Robert Miller in the ranks of Captain Cole’s company, a sure indication that our people are getting in earnest in this war.”
In a letter written on the steamer Superior, while en route to Camp Heffren, Lieutenant Rous appealed to citizens for donations of blankets for the men.
The mailboats Superior and Major Anderson have been armed with 40 Enfields and in addition have hot water pipes attached to the doctor engine, through which hot water can be thrown upon those who may attempt to board with hostile intent.
The Union men of Warsaw, Kentucky, raised a Union flag at that place Saturday among the booming of cannon and the plaudits of a large gathering of loyal people.