Compiled by
Mavis Uhlmansiek
Celebrating the history of
Ohio County and Rising Sun
50 YEARS AGO
June 2nd, 1966
The East Enterprise Telephone Corporation, which owns and operates the telephone exchange at East Enterprise, Indiana, has been acquired by the United Telephone Company of Southern Indiana, Inc., which is headquartered at Warsaw, Indiana, it was announced today by T. A. Danielson, president. The East Enterprise exchange currently serves some 302 telephones in East Enterprise and surrounding areas. The newly acquired exchange will be incorporated into United of Southern Indiana’s operating territory, headed by Harry Purcell, Jr., District Manager at Aurora. Plans are underway to convert the exchange to a dial operation.
William E. Martin, Director of the Southeastern Indiana Vocational School, located in Versailles announced that 46 persons will receive Certificates of Achievement as a result of satisfactorily completing adult evening business courses. These evening courses have been conducted for the past 14 weeks at the Vocational School’s Clerical Training Center in Napoleon.
A grant of $53,757.00 was allotted to the Southeastern Indiana Economic Opportunity Corporation for the establishment of 18 “Operation Headstart” classes in Dearborn, Ohio, Switzerland, and Ripley counties. The eight-week program, from June 13th to August 5th is a training program for children from low income families in preparation for school attendance. The children, aged four, five, and six, will attend five three-hour sessions each week under a qualified elementary teacher. The classes will be located in Ohio County at the Rising Sun Elementary School.
Ralph Grace was elected Commander of the American Legion, Noah O’Banion Post.
A Rising Sun golfer had a hole-in-one last Monday at the Columbus Municipal golf course. His name is Terry Williams. Mr. Williams used a three iron to ace the number three hole, which measures something around 150 yards.
Audrey Gay (Clifton) Bovard will be among the 1,316 graduates receiving degrees at Ball State University June 5th.
Thomas C. Brown, a 1966 graduate of Rising Sun High School, has been awarded an Educational Grant for 1966-67 academic year at Purdue University. He also received a State Commission Scholarship and the Ohio County Community Scholarship.
At Danbury’s: Frigidaire Automatic soak cycle washer with 2 speeds! Just $29.50 down with monthly payments. Also a popular size and frost-proof Frigidaire refrigerator with 13.6 cubic ft. (choose from 5 colors) and roomy 102-pound size freezer has flip quick ice ejector for only $19.50 down.
Scribblings: “June is busting out all over” and so are plans for the Blue Jeans Festival. For several months now the festival committee has been working diligently, making arrangements and lining up entertainment. There’s a certainty of a most gala time for all during the week of July 3rd to 9th. This will be the second year for the festivity which, of course, is patterned after the highly acclaimed sesquicentennial celebration of 1964 and named for an early Broadway play. Recently Miss Jane North, a former librarian who now resides at the Methodist Home in Franklin, wrote a story entitled “Blue Jeans – A Misnomer?” Referring to the annual affair, Miss North states:
“The Blue Jeans Festival is enjoyed because both young and old participate. When people can play and work together for a common cause, they are helping to unify their community. Then too, in these very grim and serious times, a little levity is badly needed. The purpose of the following is got not to down grade this festival, but rather to present another side of the historical picture of Rising Sun. In his play, ‘Blue Jeans’, Joseph Arthur, the great playwright, portrays Rising Sun as rather a ‘wild and wooly’ pioneer town. If the title implies that the early settlers who wore blue jeans were all backwoodsmen ‘Hillbillies’ the name is a misnomer or misleading. When a boy, Arthur may have caught some of the spirit of adventure and excitement found in a fast moving town on the western frontier. He may have experienced primitive pioneer living, but became a playwright and not an historian. However, he did put Rising Sun on Broadway! No doubt a wild west show was as popular in that time as it is today.”
Whether the name is a misnomer or not, Blue Jeans Week is a time that revives a little of the past and adds a taste of the future. It is truly enjoyed by both young and old – and this year will be no exception, as well be proved when the schedule is made known. So better get your “old gray bonnet” ready and start planning to attend – it is for sure you won’t want to miss any of the fun and frolic!