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 October 29, 1896

Col. Hargett, the veteran tramp printer, came in Friday evening. He immediately went on a drunk, set a quarter column of matter on this paper and by Sunday disappeared as if the earth had swallowed him.

The elegant new Methodist parsonage was thrown open to the members and friends of the church last evening in an old-fashioned house-warming.

James V. Cook bid his Danville friends good-bye and left for Chicago, Monday, to take the road again as a theatrical manager. He goes out in advance of Henderson’s Comedians, a strong comedy company. They play in Indianapolis in the spring.

Tomorrow the last grand rally will be held at Clayton. Every man who has a wagon and team to donate to the Republican cause for one day should report on the square tomorrow morning at eight o’clock, prepared to go to Clayton.

Saturday’s rally at Brownsburg was the largest ever held in the town, exceeding the Bryan demonstration two to one. The parade at noon was fully two and one-half mile long and was cheered through the entire line of march.

Amo: One hundred and fifteen cases of measles to date.

New Winchester: As Saturday night is Hallowe’en, we advise people to get down their shotguns and see that they are in working order and use them, too, if necessary.

J.S. Marshall and wife have just returned from a visit to Rockville. Mr. Marshall reports fine fishing and brought home twelve specimens of the finny tribe that weighed forty pounds.

The North Salem cheese factory is a home industry that should be patronized by all, as it manufactures cheese of a superior quality.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Issue of October 27, 1921

Many women voted in the Republican town primary, Friday afternoon and they wanted to know all about the “platform” of the candidates, too.

Today, the Robards bank at Stilesville opens for business. Orville O. Carpenter, farmer, banker and wealthy man of Newcastle, has taken over the bank.

A field of Hollybrook soy beans, containing eight and one-half acres, was threshed on the farm of J.B. Edmondson last week, which made a yield of 286 bushels, or an average of 33.7 bushels. This yield is probably one of the highest in the state.

Lizton: About fifty women attended the public demonstration of the Pollyanna Girls’ Sewing Club, Saturday afternoon.

The new telephone directory is out. The girls at the exchange most. Urgently request that everybody call by number.

Box social and oyster supper on Nov. 3, at the South Hamrick school, 2 ½ miles south of Danville on the Clayton road.

W.T. Hornaday, of New York city, was the guest, Tuesday, of his cousins, Grant Hornaday, Mrs. James L. Clark, and Mrs. F.E. Guthrie. Mr. Hornaday is a native of this county. He is superintendent of the zoological gardens of New York city and is a writer of note.

Clarence Phillips, superintendent of the county home, this week sold hogs to the value of $871.23, the money going to the county.

Dr. A.P.W. Bridges has retired from the office of Dr. B.M. O’Brien in order to give more time to his private practice and Keely patients.

Hazelwood: Mary Pickford will be seen in “The Hoodlum” at the Cozy theater, Saturday night. The beauty contest also starts on this date.

Clayton: Frank Stanley has arisen to the height of his ambition as a store keeper and during the past week sold out to his former partner, Frank W. Allen.

Since last spring, Walter Clark has culled 6,684 head of chickens of this amount there were 3,021 non-producers, which were eating feed and producing nothing. Does it pay to cull?

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of October 31, 1946

Miss Maree West, night operator of the local Bell Telephone company, was honored last week by being presented with a Bell pin with a ruby center in recognition of twenty-five years of service.

Gary Long, eight-year-old son of Mrs. Rosemary Long, was taken to the Riley hospital, Thursday, ill with polio.

Hendricks county corn growers have organized into the Hendricks County Grain & Grain Growers association, with the following officers in charge: Jonathan Lowe, Lizton, president; Schuyler Arnold, Stilesville, vice president; Edward Etienne, Danville, secretary-treasurer.

The opening of the school year at Avon brought back two ex-servicemen who will complete their high school course. Mervin Clark left school in 1945; Lloyd Gibbs is a returned Navy veteran.

A double wedding ceremony at the Methodist Church, Saturday afternoon, united in marriage the two daughters of Mrs. and Mrs. Rupert S. Debra. Miss Edna Frances Debra became the bride of Haltom N. Brown; Miss Emma Louise Debra became the bride of John S. Walton.

The Gale crossing that has been a traffic hazard for so long is being changed in order to give the motorists better visibility in approaching the railroad. The Robert King Construction Co. has charge of the work.

FIFTY YEARS AGO Issue of October 28, 1971

The Hendricks County Sheriff’s Department will have five patrol cars on the roadways this week in an effort to combat the vandalism so common this time of year.

U.S. Census statistics show Hendricks County has relinquished its “fastest growing county in the state” honor and has dropped to fifth place.

The office of Prosecutor Seth B. Lewis has been moved from the South Marion Street location to the first floor of the Court House, north side, next to the County Extension Office.

Jack Lawson, Danville Jaycee, was selected the “State Jaycee Spark Plug of the Quarter” at a meeting during the weekend at Columbus.

Twin girls were born to Mr. and Mrs. Gene Wiggam, early Monday morning in the Hendricks County Hospital. The little girls, their first children, are Kimberly Kay and Deanna Michelle.

Dear Editor…I do not think that all the members should be from one party or one sex, and if Danville were a bi-racial town, the members of the town board should not be all from one race. These are just a few of my viewpoints and reasons for making the decision to be a candidate in this town board election. - Lucille Stamper.

Danville Town Democratic committee will sponsor two euchre parties, Oct 29 and 30, at the headquarters. Public invited.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of October 24, 1996

The White Lick Heritage Community Foundation has been awarded a $100,000 Operating Challenge Grant by the Lilly Endowment, Inc.

The Tri-West Marching Blue Alliance will compete in the state finals of the Indiana Music Association, Saturday, in Class D bands, in the RCA Dome, Indianapolis.

The Alpha Rho gals of Epsilon Sigma Alpha manned the stoplight on Main Street in Danville, Saturday, October 12, for a traffic stop for St. Jude’s, collecting $900.

Chuck Russell of North Salem will conduct and DJ a Country Halloween Dance with line dancing on Sunday, October 27, at the 4-H Fairgrounds Community building.

Two new deputies were sworn in by Sheriff Roy D. Waddell on September 27. The deputies, Amanda Wright Powell and Scott Griffith, started at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy on Monday, September 30, to receive the 12-week mandatory training.

TEN YEARS AGO Issue of October 27, 2011

Preparations are being made for the construction of a new Dollar General Store on U.S. 40, at the east edge of Stilesville.

Laurel T. Setser, director of the Avon Washington Township Public Library will be recognized by the Indiana Library Federation on November 15 at the ILF’s annual convention.

Dr. Crystal Strahla and the staff at Danville Veterinary Hospital 255 W. Main, hosted an open house on October 22. The Greater Danville Chamber of Commerce welcomed the new facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Dinner at Frank’s Place took on added meaning last Saturday night as Chicago crooner Artie Fitzgerald entertained with an evening of Frank Sinatra songs.

Phi Beta sorority in Brownsburg will sponsor the 38th annual Christmas Bazaar, Saturday, November 5, at the American Legion Post.

Try out your costumes and test your navigational skills in the haunted jack-olanterned prairie maze at McCloud Nature Park.