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 April 16, 1896

Mont Clair: Quite a blizzard struck our part of the county Wednesday. Snow never fell faster than it did that afternoon. It drifted in some places and remained until melted by rain next day.

Oak Ridge: The pioneer mules, now thirty-five years old, and known as the Gibbs’ “rabbits,” are on the retired list and living on a pension.

The burglar was abroad Tuesday night and paid his respects to Higgins & Christie’s hardware store and The Fair. Bloodhounds were secured and placed on the trail and at the hour our forms close, are still at work.

John Towels and Mont Sturman varied the calmness of Sunday morning by an altercation that might have resulted seriously. They commenced in a conversation on the south side of the square and one word led to another until blows were exchanged.

Stilesville: The fire department was called out again Monday. There was a small fire at the residence of Mrs. McAninch.

Plainfield: Horace Coleman, physical instructor of the Y.M.C.A. at Marion, Ind., perfected the organization of a similar society at Central Academy, Friday morning.

Pecksburg: Isaiah Archer has built a new blacksmith shop – hardly enough business for two.

David Cox, aged eighteen, and Miss Jessie Owens, aged sixteen, eloped last week from Washington township and were married in Kentucky. They have returned home and are living in Washington township.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Issue of April 21, 1921

Danville’s grade school building, known as the Mattie A. Keeney building, has been condemned as unsanitary by the State Board of Health and its use is forbidden after June 15.

Amo: A cream station has been opened by the Wadley Co. under the Red Men’s Hall, with Miss Sarah Caylor as manager.

Joseph R. Glover has an electric cleaner and wishes country folks to bring in their rugs and carpets when he will clean the same at reasonable prices.

Miss Unity Thomas was yesterday elected May Queen by the co-eds of the Senior class of DePauw university.

Record-breaking attendance marks the opening of the spring term of Central Normal College, Tuesday. The attendance of young men is particularly noted. During war times, it looked as if Central Normal was a girls’ school.

Virgil Foster, better known as Doc, and Ed Boyer, both indicted by the November grand jury, pleaded guilty to rolling the bones. The alleged offense was in a barn near town. Each was given $10 and costs.

When he was a lad in Kentucky and that’s a bit ago, Uncle John Kirkham went with his mother to the county seat. On a public corner they saw a colored woman, a slave, being whipped. Her cries could be heard from blocks away. Uncle John’s mother took him by the hand and led him out of sight and hearing. And then she said: “John, when you get to be a man I want you to vote against this awful thing of human slavery.” And John promised and he made his promise good by voting and fighting.

Pittsboro: Dave Turpin, an elderly comrade, who served in the civil war, now living at Danville, was here the week-end visiting old comrades and decorating his wife’s grave, where he laid her in the old White Lick cemetery fifty years ago.

Hazelwood: The attraction at the Cozy next Saturday night is Douglas Fairbanks in “Arizona.” April 27, Buck Jones and Franklin Farnum in “The Desert Rat.”

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of April 18, 1946

A permit of construction for a building for the showing, sale, and service of automobiles was granted to James Waddell at a special meeting of the Danville town board, Friday night. The structure will be erected in the Matlock addition on South Jefferson street.

North Salem: Mrs. Russell Courtney merited full membership in the Mushroom club last Saturday when she found 284 of the delicious fungi.

Everyone who wants and needs a telephone in this community has been supplied, Harry Garnett, new local manager, announced this week. There are now about 1,030 telephones in Danville.

Prof. William M. Hillegas has been named as the dean of Central Normal College. The appointment was made to fill a

vacancy which had existed since Dr. P.R. Hightower was promoted to the presidency.

A heavy snow storm, last Thursday, made Danville look like a Christmas card scene, briefly.

Girl Scout Troop 2 held a picnic and wiener roast at the home of Betsey Blanton, last evening.

Live Easter Bunnies. Assorted Colors. $1.00 each. U.G. Bennett, 301 W. Marion, Danville. Phone 365.

FIFTY YEARS AGO Issue of April 15, 1971

Brownsburg’s first environmental committee has been appointed to improve the quality of life in Brownsburg. Members are: Ed Schrier, Howard Thomas, Cecil Sharp, Robert Carter, and Mrs. Fred Halleck.

Aside from locating a site for a new $1.6 million elementary building, the next decision to be made by the Mill Creek Community School Board will be to chose between conventional and open space concept design.

A.E. Pitcher, R.R. 5, Greenwood, has been awarded the contract by the First National Bank of Danville to build its new colonial-style bank building on the northeast corner of Main and Indiana streets, Danville.

Patrolman George H. Ingle, of the Danville Police Department, was a member of the eighth graduating class, Saturday, of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.

The Danville Town Board, Tuesday night, voted to adopt an ordinance banning horses from the sidewalks in town sincethey endanger pedestrians. Horses will also be banned from the Danville Park. Danville Police Chief William Chasteen said last summer a total of 27 horses were being houses within the corporation limits

Notice is hereby given that application was made on the 31st day of March, 1971, by the Western Union Telegraph Co. to the Federal Communication Commission for authority to close the agency office located at the Boone Boys Sunoco, 55 E. Main, Danville.

Two Brownsburg residents have been awarded the Central Indiana Council’s top Boy Scout awards: The Silver Beaver Award to George W. Merritt and the Silver Fawn Award to Mrs. Bunny Bunch. Mrs. Bunch had the honor of being the first woman in the history of Central Indiana Council to receive the award

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of April 11, 1996

The 1983 Hendricks County Comprehensive plan is to be updated by Dennis Slaughter, assistant planning director.

Suzanne X. Conger has become associated with the law firm of Kendall, Wood, Lowry & Kessinger.

May 18 has been set for the wedding of Britt L. Thomas and D.J. Jordan at the Northview Christian Church, Danville.

Ashley Kurtz, age 7, Danville, won the bicycle in the 7-8-9 year old group at the Danville Lions/Kroger Easter Egg Hunt, Saturday afternoon, at Ellis Park.

Barbara Kestler, Brownsburg, will be the featured artist at the Danville Public Library during the month of April.

Hendricks County Head Start is having a recruitment for children 3 to 5 years of age. The location and time is Danville Head Start, 405 W. Lincoln St., on April 17, from 2-8 p.m.

Maplehurst Bakeries of Brownsburg is featured in the Indiana Department of Commerce publication, IN-ternationally, March issue. The firm is a supplier to Itochu, a major Japanese training company

TEN YEARS AGO Issue of April 14, 2011

The sixth annual ArtsGo! driving/walking arts tour throughout Hendricks County will be April 26 from 5-9 p.m. and April 30 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

What was once the Hendricks County Fairgrounds, and before that the Hendricks County Farm, is now going by the name of “Hendricks County Government East Campus.”

The finishing touches were made to the sign on Katie’s on the Square, a re-sale boutique opening soon on the south side of the square.

Sydney Kroll and Chance Clark, both 5th grade students at DCMS received Certificates Champion honors this year, Chance in the 100 freestyle & 50 freestyle, and Sydney in the 50 freestyle.

Neil and Marcia Denton of Danville are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. They were married on April 16, 1961 at the First Presbyterian Church in Hutchinson, Kansas.