SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
Page 2
The Republican Thursday, July 8, 2021
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 constantly pursue style advice, whether sartorial or comportment. It abounds locally, harkening back to Hendricks County’s dawning days. Earlier hints are gleaned before there was a Danville, or the county’s first pioneers. Madam Spitfire from Knox County in 1817, had style. She set up shop “at the Furies on Hackle Street, next door to the Cat’s Paw Tavern.” Around the clock, any day, she dispensed “the noble art of Scolding and Quarreling, in good or bad humor, in love or spite.” Her approach was in “the newest and most approved style.” How we need her now. She was ready “before or after meals,” and in English or Dutch. She had a technique for everyone, aimed at anyone. Married women could scold their husbands “blind, deaf and dumb in six weeks.” Think of it. An accomplished harpy battle-axe in six weeks. Madame Spitfire, herself, had scolded eight husbands to death in three years, and the ninth was heading in that direction. She was so accomplished she had scolded her own teeth out, rendering her powerless to teach biting. She worried little about toothaches. She taught grimaces and “furious faces.” She taught how to scratch with needles and pins. She claimed the power to scold water into vinegar. By 1885, ladies were cautioned not to whistle, climb fences or scold when they were angry. In 1883, in Danville at 6 W. Main St., John Bayne sold Solar Tip shoes “in style, quantity and price.” I went on-line to get a street view of that address and blocking it was a fellow in a black Suburban, a big Slurpee in hand, taking up two parking spaces. That’s style. Ladies’ hosiery featured lengthwise stripes in fall 1881, yet mere inches from that disclosure I read that “fashionable” hosiery had nearly horizontal gold threads, and in various colors and stripes. That confusion aside, was anyone decently allowed a good glimpse of what covered ladies’ legs back then? Later that year, a notice observed that “a lady wants to know that latest Parisian style of dress and bonnet and a new way to arrange the hair.” Turns out “millions were expended for artificial appliances” in a vain attempt to mask the truth that “emaciation, nervous debility and female weakness exist.” Far better to visit the druggist for Dr. Pierce’s “Favorite Prescription,” which “if used as directed . . . will overcome those diseases peculiar to females.” It was a botanical cure, but there may have been opium involved. Americans’ “horrible habit of putting their hands in their pockets” led to canes’ popularity. Is that post hoc ergo propter hoc? The style and fashion of carrying canes had rules “among the swells and lah-de-dah lads” of New York in 1883. Fops observed yearly changes “with as much exquisite punctilio” as ladies who wore a poke bonnet, then a scoop hat. Canes, fashioned from wood from across the globe, had changed from a fish hookshaped shepherd’s crook from London to the plain Zulu curve from Paris. The year before, fribbles sported canes with a silver-ball handle. A generation earlier, the whalebone cane was in. Each season, style dictated how the cane was carried. I can’t fathom the “aesthetic” style where the dandy held the cane limply between the first and second fingers of both hands, elbows forward and shoulders roundThe Dude of the 1880’s, with his cane. ed. I tried it with my livestock cane and it made no sense. I think more than a few rural residents laughed themselves silly reading about those posers. As for townsfolk, I confidently assume at least a few affected those styles reported by The Republican. Men were advised late in 1884 never to come down to breakfast in their dressing gowns. Rather, their morning suit was appropriate. “There are men who sit at table in their shirt-sleeves. This is very vulgar.” Someone in 1886 counseled young men to black the back of their boots, and not wear reversible collars and cuffs. “What does it indicate when the heels of the boots are not blackened? The boy is not thorough. He only does what he is forced to do.” He was not a true gentleman and lacked character. How many readers looked at their boots? Paul Miner Lizton ______________________________________________________________________
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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.
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 July 9, 1896 Brownsburg: The town board has purchased the lot back of the hotel building and will proceed to erect a jail and town building combined. They will also use part of the lot for a pound. John Neat, of Cartersburg, brought in a sample of wild lettuce, or Russian thistle, which grew on his place, that measured six feet in height. This abominable weed, he says, is ruing the meadows in his district. There are now fourteen girls in the Industrial school. A new feature in the dairy department is the fine new cream separator. This was purchased by the Home and promises to be a paying investment, the cream being sold to Indianapolis firms. Hazelwood: John Thompson, our barber, is making preparations to put a lunch counter in his h shop. Our Colored People: Mrs. Lou Reynolds has a new piano. Upon Miss Mamie Reynolds arriving at her twentieth birthday a party was given in her honor at her home. Stilesville: Kate Robards has a new wheel. That wonderful ball team, the Hubs, of Greencastle, has to put down their colors to the “Gold Bugs” of Stilesville Thursday. The score was 15 to 13 in favor of the “Gold Bugs.” The Plainfield Cycle Club very easily carried off the prize offered by the Fourth of July association of Danville. New Winchester: Quite a number of our young people have bought new bicycles and are having lots of fun. The pumps at the new water works station were started July 3, 1895 at 3 p.m. At 4 p.m. July 3rd, 1896, the register showed that in the year, 40,000,000 gallons had bee pumped up the hill into town. This is enough water to fill the stand-pipe about 450 times. _____ ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Issue of July 7, 1921 The sham battle at the park, Monday night, was a wonderful sight and the movements were well executed. It is estimated that from 6,000 to 8,000 people were in the park or on the hills adjoining during the evening. The night of the Fourth of July, 1921, will long be remembered as “some night” in Danville. Both precincts of Center township voted against the proposed consolidation of the schools of Danville and Center township. Danville voted in favor of the plan. The total vote was 384 our of 2,000 voters. Sheriff Clark unearthed some nine gallons of white mule in two jugs on the banks of Big Creek, Monday. The owners were not found. One of the most enjoyable receptions ever given in the county was that in the Amo high school building Wednesday afternoon when the Amo and Hadley Home Economics Clubs entertained the Hendricks County Home Economics Federation in honor of Miss Pansy L. Norton, who soon leaves the county for other fields of work. The ancient enemy of Danville ball teams – the Coatesville “Bluze,” will be here Sunday to meet the home team on the local grounds. Manager Newby solemnly avers that “this time” his boys are going to win. If the town clock can not be made to keep something like the right time, it should be stopped. It runs from 10 to 15 minutes slow every day and is a nuisance. The Purdue Alumni Association of Hendricks county was called together Saturday night at Danville to discuss some matters of timely interest. Picnic plans were first discussed. _____ SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of July 11, 1946 Marking a memorable occasion, the close of Central Normal College and the beginning of Canterbury College, members of the retiring board of directors met with representatives of the Episcopal church in the reception room of the administration building, Monday night, to complete the official change of control. Another war bride arrived in Hendricks county, Saturday, when the former Miss Edith Fenwick of Durham, England, joined her husband, former Staff Sgt. Richard F. Tinder, here. Mrs. Tinder was accompanied by their two children, Major, age 3 and Dorothy, age 15 months. Danville’s Athletic club’s baseball team will play with sixteen of Indiana’s fastest semi-pro clubs, beginning Saturday at Frankfort, for the right to represent the state in the national baseball tourney at
Wichita, Kans. Merchants and businessmen of North Sale are sponsoring street motion picture shows for the summer months each Saturday night. Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Wallace of Clayton, own and operate the machine. Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Ketter went to Indianapolis, last Wednesday, to be presented the Bronze Star medal, which was awarded posthumously to their son, Pfc. Jack Allen Ketter, U.S.M.C., who lost his life on Iwo Jima, March 7, 1945. Henry C. Miller, who has been on leave of absence from Central Normal College since 1941, will return to the college September 1, as coach of the football and track teams. _______ FIFTY YEARS AGO Issue of July 8, 1971 The Town of North Salem has purchased the former Shawler Brick on Pearl street. The building is being remodeled hand will house the Fire Department equipment. A federal grant of $210,250 has been made to the Town of Pittsboro for the construction of a secondary sewage treatment plant. Kent Martin will be installed as Master Councilor of the Danville Chapter, Order of DeMolay, July 10, 8 p.m., at the Western Star Masonic Temple. The Hendricks County Saddle Club Open Horse Show will be Saturday, 3 p.m., at the American Legion grounds, State Road 39, south of Danville. Mrs. Mary H. Scudder, West Mill, Danville, announces the engagement of her daughter, Wendy, to Robert R. Tallert, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Spinks, Mooresville Road, Indianapolis. Miss LeAnn Blackmore, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Blackmore, was crowned Miss Zip Code 46165, Thursday, at the Postal Service Open House at North Salem. Herschel Gentry Jr., has been elected president of the North West Hendricks District School Board. ______ TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of July 4, 1996 John Roberts has been appointed Assistant Fire Chief by the Danville Town Council. Gregg Scott and Tom Greene are Captains, Clark Bohbrink, Rob Roberts, Bob Allen and Lonnie Lagle are Lieutenants. The Danville Fire Department announces that effective July 1, three full-time and one part-time firefighters/EMTs will be on duty, Monday-Friday. The new firefighter personnel are Alan Pike, Tom Greene, John Turner and part-time, Greg Simpson. Joshua Barton of Plainfield left Saturday for a six-week session with Young Artist Vocal Institute at Santa Barbara, Calif. Crystal Curran, of Danville, received her Girl Scout Gold Award at the June 13th Gold Award Celebration at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis. A new lake is being developed. It will be called Hawthorn Lake and is located about a mile south of New Winchester and north of Coatesville. Work has been held pup on the 72-acre site by the rainy weather. Danville resident Barb Cameron will perform with the Capital City Chorus in Columbus, Ohio, at the Regional Summer Meeting of the Sweet Adelines International. ______ TEN YEARS AGO Issue of July 7, 2011 Thirty-six hopefuls will compete to win the title of 2011 Miss Hendricks County 4-H Fair Queen on Wednesday, July 13, at 7 p.m. The HRH YMCA officially opened on June 25 at 201 Satori Parkway in Avon. The Jackie Quant Leadership Fund will host the second annual “Drive Your Dreams” Golf Outing, on Friday, July 29, at Twin Bridges Golf Course in Danville. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra returns to Ellis Park in Danville with a tribute to popular music legend Frank Sinatra, Thursday, July 14, at the Martin Amphitheater. Taylor Raasch, 2007 Danville High School graduate, recently graduated from Purdue University with highest honors and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. The Hendricks County Commissioners honored Veterans Service Officer Lori Turpin at its last meeting, June 28. Ms. Turpin had recently been recognized by the American Legion for securing more than $1.2 million in benefits for Hendricks County veterans. __________
