SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
Page 2
The Republican
Delving Into Yester~Year
Local historian and writer Paul Miner takes items from
The Republican’s Yester-Year column to develop an interesting, informative and often humorous article.
To the Editor: I’d never spent time looking into how 19th Century county newspaper front pages drew in readers. I did expect the April 20, 1865, issue of the Hendricks County Union to carry massive war’s end headlines, and especially the latest on Lincoln’s assassination. Nope. Instead, I saw a pedantic article on the proper use of “got.” The insufferable writer clearly ignored rural colloquial speech. There was a short piece about lovelorn, pale and consumptive Charles induced to sing “Annie Laurie” during a Maryland parlor party. His heartbreaking rendition brought some to tears, and his eyes closing with “inexpressible and tortured anguish,” Charles, “the love-betrayed, was dead.” I found a short item about past civil wars dating to the Peloponnesian conflict, Rome’s fall and England’s 15th century struggle. The entire left side of the page was devoted to advertising including a physician offering to correct fistulas, hemorrhoids, and eye and ear diseases; lawyers; clearly costly marble monuments and tombstones; and a fellow offering to repair and paint old chairs. “Philosophical facts” disclosed that the earth’s hot interior reaches 80,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which I dismiss as a bit much. I learned our atmospheric pressure is 40,140 pounds on an average man of 15 square feet. That explains why it’s so hard for me to rise in the morning, even though I’m somewhat spare. An account of Lincoln’s assassination was relegated to Page 2. The Union’s front page of Sept. 11, 1873, reported watermelons were legal tender in Iola, Kansas, and London spent $1 million each year watering its streets. Top news coverage dealt with a Tipton County Grangers meeting. Most of the front page of The Republican, published one day following July 4, 1883, was devoted to a ponderous patriotic poem a minister had written and read at Danville’s Methodist Episcopal church the Sunday before. I was much more interested in Vawter’s notices selling harvest gloves, plow shoes, overalls and work shirts. I saw John F. Hogate, captain of the schooner Philip Ford – and an oysterman – was visiting his brother, Enoch. County correspondents’ contributions commanded the bulk of the opening page from Aug. 19, 1897. Two men rolled into Brownsburg pushing wheelbarrows one night a week earlier on their way to San Francisco. The pair had left New York June 8 on a $5,000 bet that they’d reach the west coast on foot by Jan. 8. They sold photographs to cover costs. “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” played to a full house in Plainfield, “but it was a poor excuse of a show.” Two donkeys, part of the production, frightened a horse driven by two women and they plunged down an embankment near White Lick bridge. Suffering serious injuries, both were referenced twice only by their husbands’ names. Most interesting was a tribute to Henry H. Marvin. The former attorney, prosecutor, probate judge and Indiana state representative had died the week before, age 96, many years beyond the average lifespan of most men then. “His death removes perhaps the citizen who has lived longest in this vicinity, and perhaps in the county.” Born in Pennsylvania in 1802, while an infant he arrived in Ohio with his parents. They cleared the forest and farmed. His schooling was beyond that of “most country boys.” He read law in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. Initially arriving in Danville in 1831, he settled there a year later, making him the town’s first attorney by the space of a few days. Mexican War Colonel Christian C. Nave was the close second. However, before being admitted to the bar in October 1834, Marvin taught at what may have been Danville’s first grammar school, making Nave the first practicing attorney – and the oldest when he died in 1884. Marvin hadn’t practiced law for more than 40 years. His memoriam could have noted something about his activities. County history reveals he engaged in lengthy astronomy discussions with a known drunkard and opium user who died in Libby Prison during the Civil War. Marvin was remembered for “an unblemished reputation for all that relates to honor and integrity as a man. He was a harmless and inoffensive citizen, a good neighbor and parent.” I suppose that’s more than what most receive.
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 June 11, 1896 Plainfield: Zoro Tomlinson and Virl Osborn made a run to Columbus, a total distance of 125 miles, on their wheels, Sunday. The largest strawberries seen in Danville this year were raised by W.D. Hawkins, many of them exceeding five inches in circumference and running twenty berries to the quart. Work on the Orphan’s Home just east of town is progressing very rapidly. When done it will be a very fine home and a credit to the county. Cy Thompson has fitted up his drug store with elegant new quartered oak wall cases. They are beautiful in design and were made by his brother, Lawrence, at Indianapolis. The contract for the First National Bank building has been let to Heinsman Bros., of Noblesville, they being the lowest bidders. The contract price is $5,960 and with favorable weather, it is hoped to have the building completed in ninety days. Brownsburg has a court of the Tribe of Ben Hur. A broken arm at Amo and one at North Salem is the record for the baseball season in Hendricks County so far. The senior law class of the Central Normal College was admitted to the bar yesterday. The members are: Charles Jetton, Logan Esary, Ira L. Parrott, A.L.H. Miller, R.C. Pennington, L.D. Cisel, John W. Holcomb, George Young, S.D. Halstead, W.W. Rynerson, W. A. Wesner, M.S. Mahan. _______
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Issue of June 9, 1921 Voting machines have been contracted for by the county commissioners, the machines to be delivered and paid for by February 1, 1922. The council appropriated $22,585 for the purchase of 20 machines although it is probable that 19 will be bought. The company gives bond to keep them in good shape for ten years. Frank Guthrie, Adam Record, Leonard Christie, Ezra Mason, and H.H. Boal were before the town board to see what could be done to give them relief from the clouds of dust stirred up by the automobile speeders that daily line the highway jeopardizing both life and limb. On, and after Monday, June 13th, 1921, the State speed and muffler law concerning automobiles will be strictly enforced within the corporation limits of the Town of Amo, by order of the town board. Paul Miner Forest Home, two miles west of StilesLizton ville, was the scene of a beautiful wedding ______________________________________________________________________ Sunday afternoon, when Maxine McHaf fie, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M.E. McHaffie and Freeman Mills, of near Eminence, were quiet married in the presence of their relatives and a very few most intimate friends. Mr. and Mrs. Henry H. Underwood left Tuesday on an overland automobile trip to There are a variety of Des Moines, Iowa, to attend the Shriners’ farmers markets open this meeting. Henry had his tent with him and summer throughout Henintended camping out along the way. dricks County offering Moses Tomlinson, age 84, of Plainfield, fresh local produce and made his annual bicycle spin to Avon, plants as wells as crafts. Tuesday morning. Pick a day and a time that’s We, the threshermen of Hendricks convenient to your schedcounty, to convention assembled at Danule. Don’t forget to change ville, June 4, 1921, agree that the current things up once in a while prices for threshing this year will not be and try a farmer’s market that’s not in your immediate area. Who Danville Farmers Market – 8 a.m. -noon, below 4 cents for oats, 8 cents for wheat, 12 cents for rye, $5 for barn set, 4 cents per knows what new delights you’ll find! May 8 through Sept. 4, every Saturday, pound for clover. L.S. Page , president; A. Town Square Avon Farmers Market – 4-7 p.m., June North Salem Farmers Market – 5-7:30 W. Stanley, secretary. ______ 1 through Sept. 14, every Tuesday, 8244 E. p.m., May 6 through Oct. 7, every ThursUS Highway 36. day, 5 W. Pearl St. SEVENTY-FIVE Brownsburg Farmers Market – 4-7 p.m. Pittsboro Farmers Market – 5:30 – 7:30 YEARS AGO June 3 through Sept. 30, every Thursday, p.m., May 5 through Sept. 29, every Wed., Issue of June 13, 1946 61 N. Green St. 227 E. Main St. Of the $2,302,049 approved for the Coatesville Farmers Market, noon-4 Plainfield Farmers Market – 4-7 p.m., entire state for the last few weeks by the p.m, Railroad St. & Milton St., every Sun- June 2 through Sept., every Wed., 105 S. Civilian Production Administration, Henday through September. East St. dricks county came in for a crumb amount-
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Birthday parties, new babies, anniversaries, visits from long-lost cousins -these items that make up the kind of news you only find in the pages of The Republican. If you have a local news item you’d like to contribute, you can call us at 317-745-2777, send by fax to 317-647-4341, e-mail to therepublican@ sbcglobal.net or drop by the office at 6 East Main in Danville. Our deadline for submitting news items is noon on Monday for Thursday’s edition.
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It’s News To Us
Thursday, June 10, 2021
ing to $500 for an addition to a building. James Waddell was given permission to add fourteen feet of a needed thirty feet on the front of his building, now under construction on S. Jefferson street in Danville. Dr. Ernest Price will open an office in the property on the corner of East Main and Tennessee streets, owned by James Daly. Dr. Price served in the Navy and was discharged this spring. Nearly three hundred new members of the Hendricks County Post No. 118 of The American Legion will be initiated at a public service next Thursday night at 8 o’clock in the Central Normal College gymnasium. The appointment of Mrs. Rosemary Frazier as dean of women of Central Normal College has been announced. A number of pieces of equipment, including two air compressors, steel bins, vices and cabinets have been added to
the shop department of the Danville high school. Periods of supervised play for children at Danville during summer vacation will begin at the Danville park Monday, under the direction of Robert Leedy, Danville high school coach. Forty-three tots of the community are attending summer school, being taught by Miss Eleanor McClain. Mr. and Mrs. A.M. Goodwin have announced the engagement of their daughter, Gwen, to Frank Edgar Guthrie II. The date of the wedding is set for Sunday afternoon, August 4, at 4:30 in the Danville Christian Church. ______ FIFTY YEARS AGO Issue of June 10, 1971 Four major events are planned for the first day of activities (July 3) at the Danville Jaycee’s Third Annual July 4 Festival. 1) Tractor Pull Contest, 3:30 p.m. 2) First heat of Turtle Derby. 3) Professional Barbershop Quartet and Jim Shelton’s Pick-APocket, 7:30 p.m. 4) Bicycle Race at Park. An estimated 1,200 people dipped into the Danville swimming pool, Sunday. The present pool is designed to accommodate slightly over 600 swimmers. Max Lee Morgan of Stilesville will be among the 31 professional truck drivers competing, tomorrow and Saturday, in the 1971 annual Indiana State Truck Roadeo in Indianapolis. A Teen Evening Summer Program, sponsored by the Danville Ministerial Association, will be kicked off this Saturday. Organized league of slow-pitch softball teams and volleyball teams will be formed. Last Wednesday marked another major milestone in the life of Evelyn Miller, Clayton housewife and mother of three. For the first time, she “ran” on an artificial kidney machine in her own home! No appointment necessary – 2 Barbers to serve you – Fred Dickey, Lyle Springer. Fred’s Barber Shop, West Edge of Danville on US 36. ______ TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of June 6, 1996 Katrina Lin Grubb is the 1996 recipient of the Kimberly M. Pugh Memorial Scholarship from Danville Community High School. She plans to attend Indiana University this fall with her intended major of Physical Therapy. It was the unanimous decision of the Danville Town Council, Monday night, that the Danville Chamber of Commerce should seek a new location for their office, separate from the Danville Town Hall. The Hendricks County Fair is sponsoring the family-owned and operated Alain Zerbini Circus on the 4-H Fairgrounds, Danville, June 26. Showtimes are 5:30 and 8 p.m. The Danville Community Methodist Church Preschool, known to its graduates as “Snoopy School” has completed its 20th year. Kyle Falconbury, a 1992 graduate of Danville Community High School, graduated from Wabash College on May 12. Walter Boller of North Salem gathered some 8 lbs. of mushrooms from a trip to the woods. He has been named the Great Mushroom Dude of the year. Brandy Jo Fultz, a 1996 graduate of Danville Community High School, has been awarded the $7,500 DePauw Academic Scholarship. ______ TEN YEARS AGO Issue of June 9, 2011 A country kick-off will start the Downtown Danville Partnership’s Summer Sounds on the Square music series on Saturday, June 18, with the return of Hoosier duo, Cook & Belle. Enjoy a walk with your dog and help the Hendricks County Humane Society at the inaugural Rover Run 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Dog Walk on Saturday, June 18, at Ellis Park. American Legion Post 118 presented its Citizenship Awards as part of the Danville Community Middle School Awards Program on May 26. Devon Hartsall and Chance Clark tied for the boys’ award. Kaycee Marchall received the girls’ Citizenship award. Pilot Charles Long of Pittsboro has now given more than 200 young people a free demonstration airplane ride as part of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles Program. Team entries are still available for the Park 2 Park Relay Race, which encompasses 60 miles from McCloud Nature Park at North Salem to the new Sodalis Park just south of Plainfield. __________
