News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
With the current tobacco season drawing to a close, this year’s high prices have brought smiles to the faces of Switzerland County tobacco farmers, who sold $6.75 million worth of burley. Those smiles could turn to frowns, however, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture begins to chart the course of tobacco for the coming year.
Seniors Katie Riley and Corey Smith were crowned Queen and King of this year’s Homecoming celebration at Switzerland County High School. First runnersup were Jordan Houze and Amanda Springer and second runnersup were Christy Jester and Tye Sullivan.
Katina Carter and Eric Ray were united in marriage Saturday, December 21st, at the Mount Sterling Baptist Church. Reverend Charles Dayadharum officiated the ceremony.
Lawrence and Mary Van Tyle, married February 13th, 1932, will soon be marking their 65th wedding anniversary. They will celebrate with an open house Sunday, February 9th, at the Hoosier Boy Recreation Room in Rising Sun.
Erin M. Swango, daughter of Tim and Wilma Swango of Vevay, has earned the distinction of being named to the dean’s list for the fall quarter at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
15 YEARS AGO
Switzerland County’s new library has been planned, designed, and constructed at no cost to the public. It was totally funded by a grant of $525,000 from the Vevay-Switzerland County Foundation. New furnishings and equipment for the library also have been secured with no expenditure of tax money. Donations from many individuals and organizations in the county have paid for them. The library will be closed February 22nd-29th in order to pack up everything and get it moved to the new location on Market Square across the street from the old library.
Ross and Laura Copeland celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary February 1st. Mr. Copeland is a native of Cross Plains and Mrs. Copeland is the former Laura Elston who grew up on Poplar Ridge near Pleasant. For many years they owned and operated home and hardware stores in Cross Plains, Rising Sun and Dillsboro.
20 YEARS AGO
Hoosiers will be required to pay $21.5 billion in federal taxes as their share of the nation’s first trillion-dollar budget. The actual amount of Indiana’s share of the 1988 fiscal budget sent to Congress by President Reagan is $21,510,890. That is some $510 million more than the comparable figure of one year ago. The cost to each of this state’s 5.5 million residents averages approximately $3,910, or $85 more than last year.
Georgetown College senior Lloyd David Strohl from Vevay was named to the school’s fall 1986 Dean’s List. A student must have a grade point average of 3.5 and maintain it each semester to remain on the list.
40 YEARS AGO
Louis L. Lauderbaugh has been stationed in the Mekong Delta area of Vietnam for a one-year tour of duty with the U.S. Army. A 1965 Vevay High School graduate, he is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Lauderbaugh of rural route 3, Madison.
Two tall concrete piers have been erected on the downstream side of Public Service Indiana’s new hydro-electric plant to support an Indiana approach to a proposed highway bridge over Markland Dam and Locks. The dam itself has been constructed with reinforced piers to support a bridge and a bill is now pending in the Indiana Senate to set aside $2 million for a bridge construction.
Charles Reese, Patriot High School junior, will serve Monday as page for Ralph Dunbar in the Indiana House of Representatives as the state legislature convenes that day. Ranking second in his class at the beginning of the school year, the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Reese of rural route 1, Patriot, is president of his junior class and is editor of the school annual.
The Gross Brothers, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Gross of near Allensville, will be featured on a two-hour WZIP Radio broadcast from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday from The Winter Gardens in Elizabethtown, Ohio. Headlining the show will be the Osborn Brothers of The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Miller, route 3, Vevay, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary February 7th. An open house in honor of the occasion will be held February 5th from 1 until 5 p.m. at the home of their son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Frank W. McKay, also of route 3, Vevay. The couple also has a son, Leslie, Anderson, Indiana, and five grandchildren.
50 YEARS AGO
Flames destroyed a section of the Vevay High School gymnasium early Wednesday morning, causing about $2,0000 damage, as estimated by Vevay Fire Company chief Ralph Miller. School officials would make no estimate of the damage, but the total may run much higher than expected if a part of the basketball floor proved ruined.
Clarence Roberts, 68, one of Switzerland County’s most widely known businessmen, died suddenly near Brookville Monday from what is believed to have been a heart attack. He was the original owner of the Roberts Grocery, which is now the property of his son, Loren, and at the time of his death he was part owner of the Roberts and Miller Hardware and Lumber company on Ferry Street and was also a building contractor.
Caleb Hastings Oak, 90, a respected resident of Quercus Grove, was burned to death ins his home there early Monday morning when fire of undetermined origin destroyed the small, frame cottage.
In spite of efforts of the East Enterprise fire company, flames destroyed the home of Floyd Ball on state road 56, about four miles west of East Enterprise Monday night.
60 YEARS AGO
Miss Joan Twonette Dufour was married to Richard Franklin Young which was solemnized in Irvington Methodist Church Friday night at 8 p.m.
Former County Assessor Ira turner remains critically ill at his home in Markland.
An 8 1/2 pound daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Loren Roberts Tuesday, January 28th, at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. She has been named Judy Kay and she just missed arriving on her sister, Linda Lou’s second birthday which was Wednesday, January 29th.
Doris Anne McNary, daughter of County Agent and Mrs. O. H. McNary, attained the highest honor for women at Purdue University when she was recently selected with five other girls, for membership in Mortar Board, National senior women’s honorary.
County Commissioner and Mrs. Harry Washmuth of this county have announced the engagement of their daughter, Leona May, to James F. Cummings of 14 Columbia Street, Morristown, New Jersey, son of Mr. and Mrs. James F. Cummings.
Norris Wayne Howard, son of Josh Howard of near Vevay, was married in Indianapolis, January 4th, to Geraldine Grebe.
Mrs. Charles Cheever was brought to her home in Vevay Friday afternoon in the Haskell and Morrison ambulance from St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis where she recently underwent a major operation.
A 6 1/2 pound son who has been named John Charles was born Saturday morning at King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Robert Leap (nee Geneva Monroe).
Benjamin F. King, son of Mr. and Mrs. George King of Carrollton, Kentucky, and Miss Kathleen Green, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Green of Wales, England, were married January 18th in the Methodist Church by the Reverend K. O. Potts.
70 YEARS AGO
Emmanual Matthews, government field man, has brought several kinds of hay to this county for distribution to flood victims who do not have funds to purchase through regular channels. This will be rationed at one bale per head to last two weeks.
Miss Eugenia Hobbs, a representative of the National Red Cross, has arrived in Vevay and is now completing plans for a registration of flood sufferers in the various communities in this county.
Lying east of Vevay along the river, the towns of Patriot, Florence, and Markland present a devastated appearance as the muddy waters recede, revealing a tumbled mass of torn and twisted homes.
An unsuccessful attempt to enter the barber shop of Cook and Bakes on Main Street was made Sunday night. A key had been inserted in a lock in the back door and was broken off in the effort to turn the lock.
Superintendent E. S. Furnish has announced that the Vevay School Board has decided to reopen the schools here Monday, February 8th. This decision is contingent on the resumption of electric and water service.
Newell H. Morrison, native of Switzerland County and one of our few remaining Civil War veterans, passed away at his home in Jackson County Sunday morning.
80 YEARS AGO
The uncompleted fill for the new Indian Creek bridge was damaged to a considerable extent by the flood of last week.
The Southland Transportation Company’s bus line through Vevay to Louisville has been discontinued temporarily because of an order issued by the Indiana Highway Commission.
A calf born at the Peters livery stable last week weighed just 26 pounds and was about half as big as the average size. Mr. Peters kept the calf in a box in his office for three days before it was able to stand and during that time he fed it from a bottle.
The Women’s Independent Missionary Society of the Vevay Christian Church recently sent a large box of literature and clothing to their missionary worker in the Philippine Islands for personal distribution to natives.
Clyde Brindley, formerly of Vevay, was painfully injured in Indianapolis last week when he was struck by an automobile while walking along the street.
90 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Hannah Clendenning sold the property which her husband, the late George Clendenning, has bought of A. J. Porter on Market Street to K. L. Hastings, manager of the Ohio River Telephone Company’s exchange here.
100 YEARS AGO
Dr. E. A. Dumont, well known in this city, died at his home in Chicago last Friday after a short illness of pneumonia.
David Gardner of Aaron had the misfortune to break his ankle at school one day last week.
Saturday morning was the coldest of the season, being four degrees below zero.
Guy Fulton of Quercus Grove is very ill of typhoid fever.
J. R. Humphrey has rented the Coffin Hotel property at Patriot and moved there last week.
120 YEARS AGO
George Graham who has been a salesman in the store of F. L. Grisard, started for New York City Sunday night where he has a position in the commission house of John Burress.
A daughter was born recently to William Told and wife of Florence.
Miss Freddie Boerner has gone to Rochester, New York to visit relatives.
A son was born January 25th to Harvey Wycoff and wife of Jay.
130 YEARS AGO
A daughter was born last week to John Teats and wife.
The wharfboat at Patriot has been left on the bank and nearly full of mud. The damage will amount to nearly $1,000.
The store of Buchanan Brothers at Rising Sun was broken into one night last week. The safe was robbed of a small amount of money and some goods are missing.
Joseph Protsman and wife celebrated their tin wedding anniversary January 24th by giving a dinner for their relatives and friends.
J. Harris, Jr., and Miss May Taft, both of Patriot, were married January 30th. They will go on a honeymoon trip to New Orleans.
The school house at Pleasant was damaged by fire recently.
J. W. Eblen, formerly of Vevay, was painfully injured when he fell from a second story porch at his home in Louisville.
140 YEARS AGO
Married January 10th by the Reverend James Morrison, William J. Dodd and Miss Roxey J. Ooks.
On last Thursday night in Cotton Township, the barn of Josiah Lee was entirely destroyed by fire at a loss of $4,000.
The steamboat, Mary Swan, was cut down and sunk by ice at Rockport last Friday.
150 YEARS AGO
There are 112 prisoners now in the Cincinnati jail.
The Madison Democrat is the title of a new newspaper started in Madison by D. W. Lusk.
Two or three “Kansas Meetings” have been held in this place lately and a colony may be raised to go to that state.
The High Flyer recently sunk below Paducah, Kentucky will be raised. A portion of her freight, 150 bales of cotton, was cast overboard.