Yester~Year

Yester~Year

The Republican has published local news weekly since 1847. We offer this column as a look back at events from our archives and to help connect today’s readers to the people and events in our past.

ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of February 20, 1896

Tilden: Due to the condition of the roads our huckster has been unable to make his usual visits during the last two or three weeks.

Pittsboro: Cleo Alexander is studying telegraphy with Miss McVey, agent at this place.

Stilesville: We are glad to say that our people are taking some pride in fixing up our town. We have quite a number of street lamps now, and no one need be in the dark. The next thing is to incorporate the town.

Arrangements have been perfected by which the trace of ground on the square owned by the Scearce heirs has been sold to the First National bank, which will immediately erect a modern business block on it. The price paid for the ground was $2,000. This is considered a fair valuation for all parties.

The sale of the corner to the First National bank was made through Trotter & Pattison’s agency.

Mrs. Mary T. Hadley desires to announce that she will receive her friends every Thursday afternoon at her studio in the Shirley and Showalter building.

Prof. A.J. Kinnaman has purchased some very valuable apparatus with which he will make twenty-five scientific experiments in air and water at the Christian church, February 25th. Admission ten cents.

The dancing question is still an issue at Plainfield. Friday night a dance was held and the pastor of the M.E. church was present to observe how dangerous is the enticing waltz and the seductive quadrille to say nothing of other steps. He preached on the matter Sunday evening.

There is talk of a bicycle track from Indianapolis to Terre Haute among the National road. Should the track be built, it will be four feet wide and so constructed that an ordinary rain will have no effect on it. It is proposed to sell stock to build it for five dollars per share. ,_____

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Issue of February 17, 1921

Saturday at 10, Center township invites all comers to a fox drive. The south line is the Rockville road; north line, Union and Center township line; west line, road running north from Rockville road at Fred Sopher’s; east line, Pittsboro road.

More than 150 people attended the Hoover luncheon, give under the auspices of the club ladies of Danville for the benefit of the Hoover relief fund in the Christian church Tuesday night and the receipts reached $238.00. The menu of rice, brown bread, and cocoa was not half as bad as many accustomed to richer food might be.

Clayton: For some three or four weeks skilled workmen have been here installing an automatic refrigerator pant for the Jaques-Havens Company. The plant is manufactured at Hartford, Conn., and is the only one, we believe. So you see Clayton is on the map.

The Coatesville library loaned during the month of January 1,778 books.

The “first robin” is reported to have been seen in the latter part of the week, back of J.L. Darnell’s and Ben Kessler’s homes on north Kentucky street.

Coatesville: The various Sunday schools, lodges and clubs raised for the European Relief $133.70, enough to keep 13 children until their next harvest.

Bert and Fred Franklin have sold the sixty-acre farm north of Cartersburg which they had very recently purchased to Ora Powell, and the consideration is said to have been sixteen span of mules. Well, when the mules get to singing sure indeed there will be music in the air.

In compliment to the ladies of the Up-to- Date club, their husbands “threw” a dinner and theater party for them Tuesday evening in Indianapolis. The dinner was at the Columbia club, carnations in the club colors being the favors for the ladies.

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SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of February 21, 1946

A plan for the enlargement of the Center Township school, here, was submitted at a meeting of the Parent Teacher Association, Monday night.

Ralph Stillwell opened his Snack Shop, located on the south side of the square, Tuesday. The Shop will specialize in fried chicken and steak dinners and short orders.

Ed Hadley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley M. Hadley of Danville, recently received a $100 award made by the E.H. Shaffer Newspaper Awards of 1945. Mr. Hadley is managing editor of the Tucumcari Daily News in New Mexico and wrote his outstanding editorial on the problem of building an irrigation project in his community.

The senior class of Plainfield high school will sponsor two donkey basketball games, Thursday evening, February 28. Funds from the endeavor will be used by the senior class for a trip to Washington, this spring.

Mrs. Wendell Scudder received a telephone call, Friday evening, from her husband, S/Sergt. Wendell Scudder that he had arrived in Seattle, Washington, and expected home in a few days.

Homer Clark has already tapped about 100 maple trees and has gathered in over 150 gallons of sugar water, ready to boil down.

William Falls, former Central Normal College student and Purple Heart veteran, will open the North Side tavern within the next two weeks.

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FIFTY YEARS AGO Issue of February 18,1971

Hendricks County’s population is up 32 percent from the last decade, according to the Bureau of the Census. The official population in 1970 was 53,974 as compared to 40,896 in 1960.

The Danville Optimist Club has the 25 required members pledged for the charter roster, according to the announcement, Monday evening, in the Waffle House.

The Department of Schoolhouse Planning has rejected the proposal made by the Mill Creek School Corporation Board to build an addition to the Clayton Elementary School.

Hendricks County’s Corn King, John Brown of Union Township, will be among the honored guests at a special banquet, Saturday, in Indianapolis, by the Pioneer Corn Company, Inc.

David E. Lawson and Thomas J. O’Brien have become partners in the law firm of Ryan, Lind & Deckard at Danville.

Hendricks County has only 229.23 miles of gravel roads left in its total of 775.99 miles of roadway. In 1970, the Highway Department blacktopped 31.9 miles of its gravel roads, now making a total of 546.76 miles of blacktop roads in the county.

Margaret Orelup, Danville Community High School senior, is one of the finalists who will participate in the first annual Eisenhower Memorial Scholarship Foundation Essay Competition, February 28, 2 p.m., in the Honeywell Community Center Auditorium at Wabash.

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TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of February 15, 1996

GRP Development Corporation of Southfield, Mich., announces an agreement to feature Garfield the Cat at its Indiana theme park, slated for Hendricks County at I-70 and SR 39, south of Belleville.

Four Indiana teen-agers have been selected as National 4-H Conference Delegates. One delegate is Drew Emsweller, an 8-year 4-H member, son of Gary and Ony Emsweller of Danville.

Cynthia Clark, hematology supervisor in the laboratory is Hendricks Community Hospital’s Ambassador for February.

The Danville Moose Lodge No. 1821 donated a color television set to the Communications Section of the Danville Police Department.

Monday night, the Danville School Board approved a 25% increase in the fee for drivers education classes for the summer.

The Hendricks County 4-H Horse & Pony Club will sponsor a Chili Supper and Auction, February 24, at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds. Horse tack and equipment will be auctioned.

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TEN YEARS AGO Issue of February 17, 2011

The public is invited to “Sugarbush at McCloud” on Sunday, February 26.The day will kick off the week-long operation of the park’s first maple syrup camp.

Marcia Lynch recently took the help as the Executive Director of the Greater Danville Chamber of Commerce.

The Hendricks County Convention & Visitors Bureau is now accepting applications for its Destination Experts program, now in its second year.

The Hendricks County Solid Waste Management District has set aside $10,000 in its Spring Grant cycle to award to non-profit and tax-exempt organizations that undertake a new or expanding program that diverts waste from landfills.

The Hendricks County Antique Tractor & Machinery Association hopes to have the disassembled Cartlidge barn rebuilt on the 4-H Fairgrounds as a link to our agricultural past. Efforts are also being made to relocate the original farm house, also dating from the pre-Civil War era.

It’s News To Us

If you have local news to share, deadline for news items is noon on Monday. Send your news items by e-mail to therepublican@ sbcglobal.net. Call 317- 745-2777 or fax to 317- 647-4341. After hours, news items may be slipped in the mail slot in the front door at 6 E. Main, Danville. __________