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 November 12, 1896

Clayton: One of the sights next morning was Jas. Farquar wheeling Sanford Hamble around the square in a wheelbarrow with a crowd of Republicans following single file.

Hazelwood: The people of this place will jollify over the election of McKinley and Hobart, Friday night, November 13th. A grand time is expected with enormous crowds as all the surrounding towns have promised to be here.

This office is indebted to Mrs. Margaret Eastes for a quantity of luscious persimmons, the superior of which would be difficult to find.

The Danville Tennis Club wish to thank the miscreant who broke the pole on their grounds Hallowe’en. They think they know him.

Brownsburg: The C.C.B.S. will give a crayon social at the home of Mrs. P.A. Buras Saturday evening. An admission fee of ten cents will be charged, the proceeds to go to repairing the Christian church.

Clayton’s genial postmaster, Henry Johnson, has taken unto himself a wife, Miss Phillips, or Coatesville, being the fortunate lady.

Cartersburg: Amos McCormick, of Pittsboro, will move here this week and enter the poultry business. He will make his first shipment to New York.

Oak Ridge: J.M. Barlow has been assigned to seat No. 6 in the House of Representatives and he takes room 120 in the Denison where he can be found by his many friends.

There was a planned elopement from Center school house in Liberty township, Wednesday of last week. Miss Ida Craven, daughter of Murdock Craven, had been keeping company with George McClelland of Morgan county, despite the opposition of her parents. She was attending school and at the noon recess, met her lover with the license in his inside pocket and they drove to Lake Valley where a minister spoke the words that made them husband and wife.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Issue of November 10, 1921

On Oct. 31, the club organized in the Joppa neighborhood held an all-day meeting. “The Progressive Home Economics Club” was the name selected. The club now has an enrollment of thirty-three.

On Monday afternoon an enthusiastic group of fifteen women met at the home of Mrs. Wilbur Kellum at Camby for the purpose of organizing a Home Economics club.

Farmers are incensed at the treatment they receive from Indianapolis hunters and ‘Squire Kennedy at Danville and ‘Squire Barlow at Plainfield have been busy “soaking” the city Nimrods on the complaint of land owners.

Franklin township people are much interested in a magnificent buck which is frolicking over the fields down there, going where he pleases and jumping the highest fence without even hesitation. No one knows where he came from, but it is supposed he escaped from some private park or from some menagerie.

Dr. W.F. Harper was the guest, Sunday, of Mrs. L.N. Dooley and daughter, Miss Jessie. Dr. Harper is now engaged in field work for the Baptist church with Los Angeles as his headquarters. He will be recalled as the former head of the Central Normal College.

Alva Gentry, the semi-professional ball player, has been in the copper country of the northern peninsula of Michigan for the last year and a half, has returned to Danville to spend the winter.

Sheriff Clark has 200 quarts of bonded whiskey - $2,000 worth – in his charge and the school fund was increased $550, as the result of the capture of the whiskey and two men, Saturday, on the National road, southwest of Clayton.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of November 14, 1946

Sportsmen of Hendricks County will meet in Crawley’s hall on Friday evening, Nov. 28, when the Danville Conservation club will sponsor a rabbit supper.

Carl Humble, a. prominent attorney of Spencer, has opened law offices in the rooms formerly occupied by Virgil Sears.

Sponsorship by the local Danville chapter of the DeMolay has been assumed by the Hendricks County Shrine club.

One hundred forty-six Legionaries, member of their families and guests enjoyed the annual Armistice day dinner at Crawley’s hall, Monday evening. A social game of bingo followed.

Mr. and Mrs. Ned C. Herrington announce the engagement of their daughter, Patricia Ann, to Rexford Douglass Skillman of Shelbyville.

Emmett Eiler, principal of the high school at Plainfield, and Frederick O’Neal, principal of the high school at Brownsburg, have been appointed to handle all work permits concerning the employment of minors in their respective communities.

Mrs. Mildred Shartle has been selected as one of the hostesses for this year for the meetings of the Poet’s Corner, which are held in the Athenaeum in Indianapolis.

FIFTY YEARS AGO Issue of November 11, 1971

The first snow of the season started at 9:14 a.m., Saturday, November 6, with the temperature at 35 degrees and going downward.

The Galyan’s Trading Post at Plainfield will have its unique annual wild game barbecue, November 13. The free barbecue features sandwiches of deer, moose, and bear.

Students, former teachers and friends numbering 167 attended the annual reunion of the former Central Normal College, Friday evening in the Danville Community High School cafeteria.

Mrs. Leslie Sandefur, Danville Welcome Wagon Hostess reports new Danville residents include Mr. and Mrs. Gary Watson, from Indianapolis. They have two children, Tammy, age 5, and Gary, age 1.

The artist’s sketch of the “Pride of Danville” monument is show. Estimated cost is $700. The project is being sponsored by the Danville Jaycees and the Chamber of Commerce. It will be located at the U.S. 36 entrance to the park.

David C. Rutledge has taken over the business of Jim B. Davis, public accountant, Danville, and will maintain the office at the same location, 255 W. Main.

It is expected that the new Avon High School Cafeteria will serve 800 meals daily in its two serving lines, when it opens, November 26.

Mrs. Carter Siddons and Mrs. James Himsel packed and mailed the Danville chapter Epsilon Sigma Alpha PAL Package this month to Sp/4 Wayne Morphew, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dewey Morphew, Danville.

Clayton: The new laundromat opened last week. It is owned and operated by the Merrill Winingers. The new apartments on S.R. 39 are finally taking shape and should be ready for occupancy the first of January.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of November 7, 1996

Monday night, the Danville Town Council was presented a national award from The Community Partnership, a division of the American Planning Association.

Hendricks County election officials report a record number of absentee voters in the General Election by the Monday noon deadline: 2,379.

On October 11, the Danville Public Works accepted delivery of a John Deere 410D heavy lift backhoe from Tony Rush of Reynolds Construction Equipment.

Mr. and Mrs. Ted Baker of Coatesville are proud of their horse, Heavens Mikala, who won the World Championship in the National Morgan Horse Show in Oklahoma recently.

Students at Danville Community High School gleaned sobering lessons last week as they maneuvered through a road course in the Neon Drunk Driving Simulator car, sponsored by Danville Chrysler-Plymouth- Dodge-Jeep-Eagle.

The annual Awards Banquet for Danville’s outstanding citizens and the Chamber of Commerce members will be Saturday evening, Nov. 9, at the Gazebo Restaurant in Prestwick.

TEN YEARS AGO Issue of November 10, 2011

A new look for one of the county’s oldest downtowns earned the Town of Plainfield the 2011 Indiana Main Street Award for best Design of Downtown Public Improvements.

Krystal Shirrell of Brownsburg was among four young Hoosiers philanthropists to receive the 2011 Power of Children Award from the Indiana Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

Dr. Lloyd Terry was treated to a birthday luncheon at the Bread Basket last Thursday. “Doc” was celebrating his 94th birthday.

The Phi Delta Kappa fraternity was officially instituted, rather annexed, into the Town of Danville at Monday night’s meeting of the Danville Town Board.

The folks at Sycamore Printing are in their new home at 72 S. Jefferson.