SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
Page A-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: “Danville Doings” of January 12, 1882, reported Court Week had livened up the town. Sleigh bells had been heard day and night during the snow. “Pretty well authenticated” rumors of wife beating led The Republican to threaten publishing the identity of “the guilty brute” if it happened again. Someone “with a strong proclivity to kleptomania” was stealing coal and firewood on the town’s “west end.” The Republican warned, “somebody’s stove may be expected to explode.” Anyone not getting vaccinated was “not only contrary to the order of the Board of Health, but is entirely out of style.” I believe that would be the smallpox vaccination. A town dressmaker reportedly was coming out with a new style of dress “with a loop in the sleeve called the ‘vaccination flow,’ which is intended to accommodate what is supposed to be a sore arm.” A sore arm is a minor inconvenience compared to a good case of smallpox (a variola virus), which disfigured, blinded and even killed. Three out of every 10 infected died. Some time ago, I premised that if the smallpox vaccination had only in recent times become available, some would reject it, just as with the Covid vaccination today, particularly given social media influencer exertions. However, I did not expect a similar rejection back then. But in mid-1886, Henry Bergh announced smallpox, cancers, tumors “and other forms of disease” were caused by vaccination. Bergh founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He also had a hand in preventing cruelty to children. I found nothing in that influencer’s background to support his anti-vaxxer claim. Neighboring Illinois reported the “malignant” disease had reached “alarming proportions,” across 48 counties in January 1882. The state’s board of health, “pushing matters vigorously,” had managed to get the public to “generally vaccinate.” That adverb could apply to today’s situation. Some will, some won’t. Half a million Illinois schoolchildren had been vaccinated in 35 days. I found surprising parallels. In January 1882, a Cumberland, Maryland, woman contracted smallpox. She was quickly quarantined. The news spread and “there is as much excitement as if the ten plagues of Egypt and a threatened Red Sea drowning were imminent.” Patient Zero could not be found; he could have been a contaminated railcar seat. The city council required everyone to be vaccinated, reasoning preventive rather than remedial care was less costly and far less injurious to the local economy. An ordinance authorized doctors to vaccinate anyone without proof of vaccination, and to charge them a quarter. Other laws already were in place, including provisions for those without that quarter. Refusal to be vaccinated triggered fines of $5-$10. Two months later, the virus scare affected Noblesville business “of all sorts.” The Rainstown correspondent reported in May 1883 that some young men who had taken to visiting Lizton “with a regularity which was remarkable” now avoided it “with a willingness which is comical . . . “It is all right, boys, to be afraid of the smallpox which now prevails at our neighboring village.” Amo was blamed for the June 1883 “base falsehood” rumoring that Pecksburg’s vicinity had a case of smallpox. The Brown Township trustee advised in December 1881 that “wholesale vaccination” should occur during the schools’ holiday adjournment. The month before, Earlham College in Richmond was closed due to the virus. Bellville reported “the vaccination squirm goes wriggling along” in January 1882. Vaccination reactions, “some seriously,” occurred in Hadley in March 1882. Meanwhile, farmers claimed they could not furnish butter, despite calls for it. That month, “a writer on vaccination” avowed that smallpox could be “entirely driven from the face of the earth by vaccination, revaccination, and re-revaccination at proper times.” Addison Coffin of Hadley was more concerned with soul sickness in July 1885. “Do the parents of Hendricks County want their children educated under the influences of evolutionary atheism and the soul-destroying virus of natural religion?” Paul Miner Lizton ______________________________________________________________________
One Last Walk Through the Halls of North Salem School
North Salem will be saying goodby to the old two-story building that opened in 1925. It is bittersweet to experience change that involves losing part of our past while looking forward to improving our future. We want to invite anyone from the community, both past and present, to come and walk through the building once more before we continue on our journey of construction and change. The date for the last walk through is Thursday, September 30 2021, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. ______________________________________________________________________
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If you have a local news item to share, our deadline for receiving news items is noon on Monday for inclusion in Thursday’s edition. You can send your local news items to us by e-mail to therepublican@ sbcglobal.net. Call 317745-2777, send by 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. ____________ If at first you do succeed don’t take any more chances. Kin Hubbard
Thursday, September 16, 2021
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 September 17, 1896 Amo: A “snap-shot”artist, of Indianapolis, made and sold eighty-eight pictures of residences, shops, etc., last week. Cartersburg: Grant Martin smiles over the arrival of a new ten pound voter at his house. Brownsburg: The canning factory is turning out about 18,000 cans of tomatoes a day, working full time. Henry Harrison is improving his property on East South street with new verandas. Mat Gregg has a pear that grew on a tree at his home that takes the ribbon for size. It looks like a green squash and measures fourteen inches in circumference and weighs one pound the and one-half ounces. The discovery of oil at Broad Ripple has revived the talk of sinking a few more wells in this county. Who knows that Hendricks county may become a great oil field. The tent revival at Quebec is largely attended and much interest is being manifested. Sunday night there were about 1,400 present, 900 under the tent and fully 500 outside. Mrs. Louise Pollock, colored, of Friendswood, is dead. She was the largest woman in the county and weighted 380 pounds. Plainfield: Gibbs and Hagee have started a meat route to Cartersburg and the adjoining country. Oak Ridge: Editor Hogate and wife were in this vicinity the first of the week. Call again, Mr. Editor. New Winchester: Will Ridpath, Ira Dooley and Harry Osborne, with their lady friends, drove to Stilesville to Alf. Cosner’s last Sunday and were royally entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Cosner on musk and water melons, etc. _____ ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Issue of September 15, 1921 Nearly ten years ago, John I. Alberton launched into the telephone business at Hazelwood, starting with one hundred and twenty-six subscribers. Now there are two hundred and thirty subscribers. Miss Herringlake, of Plainfield, in a Ford coupe, turned the corner at Main and Washington streets with such enthusiasm, Saturday morning, that her machine climbed the curb and one fender struck a stone column at the First National Bank and then broke a large plate glass window in the Schwartz Department Store. Yesterday, patrons, school board and church trustees agreed to use the church gym another year. Danville is to have an immense gymnasium with a seating capacity of from 1,200 to 1,500 if tentative plans by the school board are carried out. An attraction quite worth while is being exhibited at the home of T.B. Adams – his granddaughter, Doris Jane Adams of New York City. Ed Caldwell, who built the Royal theater n Danville and ran it for some time, died in Lafayette yesterday. Coatesville: Schools opened Monday with the following teachers – Maurice Sutherlin, Catherine West, Delia Phillips, and Olive Baugham. Hadley: John Shelton has purchased a new Ford. Miss Kate DePew has been chosen supervisor of the English Department in the East Chicago schools, having seven teachers under her leadership. Vernon Nichols has the contract for a four-room addition in the dormitory conducted by Mrs. Breeding. This addition will be used as a cafeteria where students may obtain lunch at any hour. Band concerts will be given every Wednesday evening until the weather is too cold for them. Raoul Ayers has been the director and had remarkably well. ______ SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of September 19, 1946 Among the ten Flying Farmers of Prairie Land at the Indiana State Fair was John Stubblefield, Coatesville. It was decided by the Hendricks Count Post No. 118 not to purchase the North Center school house for permanent quarters. Charming in all its appointments was the artists’ tea given Wednesday at the home of Mrs. Thomas R. Barker with Mrs. Paul K. Thiery of Indianapolis as co-hostess, honoring their cousin, Mrs. Nellie Scearce Haller of Los Angeles, formerly of Danville. Apples - a good crop of Jonathans, also Red Delicious, King David, and York Imperial. Oak Ridge Orchard, 5 miles southwest of Plainfield, near Joppa. The first rehearsal of the Hendricks
Symphony Orchestra occurred at Chapel Hall of Canterbury College, Sunday afternoon, under the direction of Thomas Wilson. Hey, Skinny! The carnival is in town! The Hendricks County Post No. 118 of the American Legion wants to buy a home for permanent headquarters and in order to raise money they sponsored a carnival. The Misses Lucy and Betsy Blanton have gone to Indianapolis to attend Tudor Hall. Mrs. Orville Applegate was the hostess for a stork shower honoring Mrs. Harsel Wilhite, Tuesday evening. Games furnished the entertainment for the thirty guests present. ______ FIFTY YEARS AGO Issue of September 16, 1971 Sunday, the Danville Conservation Club will inaugurate a new program for the benefit of youth in the Danville area. The object is to teach young boys and girls to shoot a .22 rifle under closely supervised conditions. Vandals hit the men’s room in the new concession stand at Brownsburg’s Roark Stadium last Friday night. The Hendricks County Hospital has a new service - a Surgical Hostess Program, a communication link between the family of the surgery patient and the recovery room nurse. Ray Fisher of Pittsboro, owner-operator of the Fisher Elevator in Maplewood, announces the leasing of the business to Hassil Wing of Brownsburg after 48years of continuous business. Members of the Hendricks County Council sharpened pencils last week when they scrutinized budget requests of the county officials and decided they could operate on $1,088,753 instead of the $149,549 they requested. Nellie Mae Moran has resigned as director of the Opportunity Cottage in Danville. She is being replaced by Mrs. Harry (Freda) Norman, Danville. Gary French of Brownsburg and Mark Hauser of Plainfield, are among members of the 1971 Marching Hundred Band, Indiana University’s marching musicians of football half-time fame. _____ TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of September 12, 1996 Another Danville tradition has bit the dust - Swap & Shop Days. Last week, William Bair, Danville Chamber of Commerce executive director, said the Chamber Board voted to let Swap & Show, such as it is, end and a new change in format promised that would be introduced in 1997. Lance Simon, lead singer with the Southern Draw Band, entertained at the Labor Day festivities at Old Fashion Days at North Salem. Danville Community High School Principal Dave Marcotte asked the school board approval for investigation into student substance abuse testing in the high school. Last week, Danville’s Flag Man, Roy Walter, ordered 103 flags from Senator Richard Lugar’s office. The third annual Jon Mitchell Walk, Jog, Run is set for Saturday, September 21, 9 a.m., at Clayton. AccuBanc Mortgage Corporation has announced that Jack Segner has joined the Indianapolis office as a Senior Loan Official to serve the west suburban market. North Salem: C.R. (Bob) Fleece was honored on his 60th birthday with a family pitch-in, Sunday evening. _____ TEN YEARS AGO Issue of September 15, 2011 Saturday, September 17, 2011 will mark the kick-off of Danville Community Network. The DCN is a public-private partnership providing tele-communication services in the greater Danville area. Hendricks County Sheriff Dave Galloway recently announced the winner of the 2011 Harley Davidson Road King motorcycle that was raffled of the Indiana Sheriff’s Association. The winner was April Franklin of Plainfield. Local musician Landon Keller will open for Jennie DeVoe at the final concert for the 2011 Summer Sounds series. Nearly 600 students at Avon White Oak and Maple elementary schools got a close-up, hands-on lesson in modern farming techniques, in the school parking lot. The event was sponsored by the Hendricks County Farm Bureau. Danville Fire Department honored the 343 firefighters who died in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, with a display of American flags at Station 91.
