News compiled by Ginny Leap from past issues of
Switzerland County newspapers
10 YEARS AGO
Evon R. Gray has earned a promotion at the Indiana-Kentucky Electric Corporation’s Clifty Creek plant. He was promoted to maintenance supervisor from maintenance mechanic at IKE. The promotion took effect April 1st. He has earned several promotions in the maintenance department during his 30 years in that area. Evon and Reta Gray live near Pleasant and are the parents of two sons, Jeff and Tracy.
The sale of the Ogle Haus Inn, agreed to in principle four months ago, was officially completed Thursday afternoon when Inn Development, Inc., based near Cleveland, Ohio, purchased the landmark hotel from the Vevay-Switzerland County Foundation.
J. C. Ramsey, who has served as the executive secretary of both the area planning commission and the board of zoning appeals since January of 1995, has announced his retirement effective Saturday, May 31st. He has been very busy since also being appointed as the county’s building inspector, enforcing the new zoning code. He says all of the additional work is more than he cares to handle. At Monday’s meeting of the Switzerland County Commissioners, they agreed to hire a replacement for J. C. Ramsey on a full-time basis. They set a yearly salary of $20,000.
15 YEARS AGO
Mark Flood recently received a Ph.D. degree from the Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences Department at Utah State University. Mark’s parents are Melvin and Linda Flood of East Enterprise. His grandparents are Vandora Bennett of East Enterprise and Sterling and Alleene Flood of Patriot.
On Sunday, May 3rd, family and friends will gather at Aberdeen United Methodist Church to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Marvin and Aneta Kirkpatrick.
Jonathan Sandidge and Ryan Redmon, seniors at Switzerland County High School, have been named winners of Hoosier Scholar Awards, recognizing superior academic achievement. Jonathan Sandidge, son of Reverend and Mrs. Ron Sandidge of Vevay, plans to attend Hanover College. Ryan Redmon, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ron Redmon of Vevay, plans to attend the University of Indianapolis.
20 YEARS AGO
The Switzerland County Historical Society Museum will be reopening June 1st. Over the past few months, repairs and renovation of the museum building have been finalized and cleaning of the interior and exhibits is now in progress. The museum houses a multitude of interesting items, all related in some way to the history of Switzerland County, and donated by local residents or their descendants.
The Lord’s Cupboard, the food and clothing center of the Switzerland County Christian Outreach, will hold an open house on Friday and Saturday, May 1st and 2nd, for distribution of surplus clothing in anticipation of its move to a new location.
Switzerland County High School held their annual prom at the Ogle Haus in Vevay Saturday evening. Stacy Hocker was crowned queen and John Boggs was crowned king.
30 YEARS AGO
The Martha A. Graham is scheduled to go downriver into drydock next week. It may never return. On Tueday, April 26th, the Vevay ferryboat is to be hauled out of the Ohio onto the ways at the Jeffboat, Inc., boatyards in Jeffersonville.
The school board voted Monday night to build a new elementary school in the middle of the county to serve students who now attend the Patriot, Florence, Allensville and Pleasant schools. Those schools will be retired.
Garry Forwood will take office May 1st as sheriff of Switzerland County. He was selected by the County Commissioners in a special meeting Friday to succeed Sheriff Ralph Brown who is resigning due to health problems.
Mike Clerkin was appointed Monday night to the Switzerland County School Board, succeeding John Thomas as the Board’s representative from the Town of Vevay.
40 YEARS AGO
Army Private Harry W. Miller, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Miller of Patriot completed a vehicle mechanic course at Fort Dix, New Jersey, March 31st.
Marine Second Lieutenant Elweyn C. Blodgett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Blodgett of rural route 1, Vevay, a newly commissioned Marine Corps officer, is in Quantico, Virginia, attending the 21-week Officers’ Basic School.
A certificate of appreciation from the Veterans of World War I of the U.S.A., Inc., has been awarded to the editor of the Vevay Reveille-Enterprise.
James C. Mathews, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Mathews of Vevay, was among spring graduates April 19th graduating from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
Members of Indiana State Toll Bridge Commission will be guests of Vevay and Switzerland County civic leaders today as a preliminary step toward a feasibility study for a highway bridge over Markland Locks and Dam.
50 YEARS AGO
Dr. and Mrs. Curtis Lawton of Madison will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary at their home Sunday with a family dinner.
The office of the Vevay Reveille-Enterprise and The Switzerland Democrat proudly announces the installation of a new Original Heidelberg automatic letterpress, designed to provide faster and finer quality job printing work.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Strausbaugh spent the weekend in Oberlin, Ohio, where they went to attend the piano recital of their daughter, Miss Joy Strausbaugh, a member of the graduating class of the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, which was held Saturday night.
Mrs. Gertrude Park has bought the Burnett Restaurant on Main Street and she will take possession on May 1st. Mrs. Park has been managing the restaurant for several months and she is experienced in the business.
60 YEARS AGO
Miss Nellie Hewitt was returned to her home near Patriot last Thursday evening from Bethesda Hospital in Cincinnati in the Humphrey and Phillips ambulance.
Mrs. Stewart Wood of near Florence was brought to her home from Coleman Hospital in Indianapolis last Wednesday afternoon in the Haskell and Morrison ambulance.
Miss Margery Furnish sustained a badly cut left hand while opening a pasteboard box at the Furnish Grocery Saturday.
Vevay Town Board officially proclaimed the adoption of Daylight Saving Time. The change over is scheduled to occur on Saturday, April 26th, when at midnight the clocks will be set ahead one hour.
Ralph Tilley and Allen Aldred of Vevay were selected winners of state scholarships to Indiana University for the 1947-48 school year.
Mr. and Mrs. Charley Rochat, two of the finest old citizens of the Bennington community, observed their 57th wedding anniversary at their home there last Sunday.
Mrs. Flora McNeeley, 58, wife of Reverend Robert McNeeley of Patriot, passed away suddenly from a heart attack shortly before noon Tuesday, April 22nd, at King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison.
70 YEARS AGO
An automobile driven by Charles Wiseman overturned on a sharp bend north of Pleasant Sunday evening.
J. T. Pritchard has purchased the Coyle building in Madison and will install a modern flour mill there in the near future.
Miss Frances Dixon of Jennings County has been selected as the Switzerland County Health Nurse in place of Miss Dorothy Oaks of Terre Haute who has resigned her appointment.
Price A. Chamberlain, former Switzerland County boy and now a noted artist of Cleveland, has several pictures on display in various large cities, including a print, “Backyards”, and an oil, “Indiana Grove”, at the American Artists Congress, Hotel Allerton in Cleveland, and two pastels, “Pennsylvania Mountains” and “Early Evening, Pennsylvania”, in the Municipal Art Gallery there.
80 YEARS AGO
Professor Glenn Culbertson, 64, professor of physics and geology at Hanover and a native of Switzerland County, died Saturday evening at King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison following a very brief illness resulting from complications.
Earl Sullivan and Clay Park have formed a partnership in the garage business and have leased the repair department of the Slate Garage.
George W. Harris, considered by many as one of the pioneers of Switzerland County, died at West Madison at the home of his daughter, Reverend Grace Harris, last week. He was 82 years old.
90 YEARS AGO
Mrs. Edward Brindley of Long Run was severely burned about the face and arms Tuesday afternoon.
Mrs. Harriet Loomis of Indianapolis escaped probable death by a margin of 10 minutes in the explosion which wrecked the Colfax building in that city one evening last week and which resulted in a loss of six lives.
Ernest C. Bowie of Carrollton and Miss Edna Wolfe of Brooksburg were married Friday evening at Carrollton by the Reverend T. W. Croxton.
Otto Ricketts and Miss Mildred Bennett, both of this county, were married Saturday afternoon by the Reverend Hammel at his home.
100 YEARS AGO
A marriage license was issued last week to Curtis Lawton and Miss Susie Lamunyon. The marriage was performed in this city.
A son was born April 27th to Charles Blodget and wife of Aaron.
William Noble and Miss Minnie Bostic of Patriot were married at Aurora Saturday. They will reside on the farm of C.D. Green.
Simon Scudder of near Markland purchased a fine crop of tobacco from J. B. Andrew at eight and a half cents.
Ernest Heath of East Enterprise has purchased a half interest in T. A. Jennings’ drug store at Moores Hill.
Mr. and Mrs. T. W. Holiness announce the engagement of their daughter Mayme E. to George Richard Bothwell of Youngstown, Ohio. The wedding will occur the first of June.
120 YEARS AGO
George D. Madary and Miss Mary M. Brindley were married April 20th at the residence of William D. Brindley in Craig Township.
Fleming J. Siebenthal, aged 50 years, died April 24th at his home in York Township. The deceased was for many yeas a well known miller in Craig Township and also served as captain during the war.
L. V. Woodfill of Madison is salesman in the store of G. P. Nash.
Willie G. Woodruff, our bright printer’s boy, is a salesman in a commission house at Ft. Joseph, Missouri.
It is whispered about town that our former townsman, Harry L. Titus, will be married in San Diego this week to a Miss Horton.
130 YEARS AGO
Judge Joseph Malin, aged 83 years, died yesterday at his home near Madison. He spent most of his life in Switzerland County and the remains will be brought to Vevay for burial.
Henry Kessler of near Bear Branch was waylaid by highwaymen last Tuesday night and was injured, probably fatally.
Charles V. Thiebaud of Craig Township has purchased the grocery store of Levi B. Christie on Ferry Street. He will add new fixtures and new stocks of goods.
Edwin North and Miss Katie E. Humphrey, both of Patriot, were married April 30th at the home of the bride’s mother, Mrs. C. H. Humphrey. They left immediately after the ceremony for a trip to New Orleans.
140 YEARS AGO
William Cooper and Miss Caroline Robinson were married April 21st by the Reverend John Mullen.
Last Thursday night while David Steel and Levi Bliss were attending a circus here, thieves stole their horses. They have not as yet been captured.
Hay sells in Vevay at $17 per ton; corn 65 cents per bushel; potatoes 30 to 70 cents per bushel; butter 30 cents per pound; eggs 15 cents per dozen.
150 YEARS AGO
Dr. Ezra Ferris of Lawrenceburg died at his home there Sunday evening, aged 74 years. He was a member of the convention that framed the first constitution of Indiana.
A floating palace with the Consolidated Circus on board will be at our landing next Saturday. Miss Hettie A. Ollmsted and William G. Smock, both of this county, were married at Pleasant April 16th.
For the last 48 hours we have had almost constant rain. The county is almost flooded, creeks are very high, and the river is rising rapidly.