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 26, 1896

Why not organize a debating club among our young men? Instead of loafing around town at night in the stores and on the corners, the boys could be instructing themselves in the leading questions of the day.

The new home of the First National Bank is virtually completed and is a credit to that institution as it is a source of pride in the town and county. The building is heated with steam, lighted by electricity, furnished with city water on every floor and has toilet rooms with sewer connection.

This paper is authorized to announce that Miss Lina Hinks is a candidate for the Danville post office.

Mr. Newsom, of Danville, presented this office a choice assortment of delicious persimmons. Mr. Newsom has young persimmon trees for sale.

The body of Mrs. Fred Fouse, formerly Miss Zella Mendenhall, arrived to Danville yesterday from Marion where she died Tuesday. The funeral is today from the home of John Lee.

The owner of the block on the south side of the square is contemplating removing all the partitions in the upper stories and make a town hall fitted with stage, etc.

The pleasing manner in which Miss Puntenney, of the Central Normal College presents the work of her Physical Culture course is very complimentary to her. The principle of culture is to acquire nobility of soul and to train the body to reveal this to the world.

John T. Bell has retired from the office of sheriff with the good wishes of all who have had business with him. Mr. Bell has purchased a meat market in Pittsboro and has moved there.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Issue of November 24, 1921

Monday, the commissioners tentatively adopted a plan for redistricting the various townships of the county for election purposes when machines will be used. The present number of precincts is thirty-one. With machines, there will be nineteen precincts.

H.H. Rufus walked through Danville yesterday, carrying a sealed message from Danville, Ill. to President Harding. He started the trip Nov. 18 and is eight miles ahead of schedule.

Mrs. Winburn Dillon has been appointed postmistress at Pittsboro.

Mrs. Pearl Rutledge was elected noble grand at the election of officers of the Rebekah lodge, Tuesday night.

Word has been received from Mabel Miller, the little Esquimaux, who has made so many friends here, and who is attending a girls’ school in Washington, D.C., that she is very homesick to return to Danville.

“Disarmament” has become so popular that last week “Big Chief” Reeder disarmed the crossing signals on each corner of the square that bore iron arms which read: “Drive to the right.” He thinks everybody ought to know how to drive by this time.

Clayton: Charles B. Nicholson has harvested eighty bushels of turnips off a quarter of an acre of ground.

The Phillips brothers have installed this week a gasoline filling station. This makes the fourth filling station in Clayton.

The Avon Independents have organized a basketball team.

Civic Club’s Christmas carnival and sale of cheap, charming Christmas commodities. The cautious catering café will cater to a curious crowd at community center, Avon school, Dec. 2, 7:30. Carefully care in mind cordial invitation of comrades in charge. .

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of November 28, 1946

Danville merchants and other citizens were responding to pleas from state and federal officials to observe the restoration of the wartime brownout this week in an effort to conserve the dwindling coal supply.

Paul and George Burch, brothers, have taken over the management of the City Restaurant.

Eugene Ross announces, in response to numerous requests, he will do custom curing in addition to slaughtering at the Danville Frozen Food Locker plant this year.

Dr. Edgar C. Cumings, president of Canterbury College, reports that the Founders association has received amounts totaling $6,298.25 since the launch of the drive.

If the project now being sponsored by the Danville Conservation club receives a little more co-operation from the general public, this locality will have a new lake and recreation grounds.

Chester V. Parker, of Pittsboro, was elected district chairman of the Central Indiana Boy Scouts, last Thursday night at the Methodist church.

All school busses in the county were inspected yesterday by state policeman Charles Williams. According to reports of Mr. Williams, school busses in this county are in very good condition compared to other counties.

FIFTY YEARS AGO Issue of November 25, 1971

Coatesville man who claims he was an elector entitled to vote in the Coatesville Town Election on Nov. 2, 1971, has filed a complaint in the Hendricks Circuit to contest the election.

While Mr. and Mrs. Montelle L. Davis, Danville, were vacationing last July in New England and Nova Scotia, she decided to write a note and put it in a bottle during a cruise. This week, she received a letter from Ladd York, Vinalhaven, Mass., saying he had found the bottle on Sept. 10.

Dr. Robert W. Kirtley of Danville has been appointed local chairman for the 1971 campaign of the Indiana University School of Medicine Fund. He is one of eight graduates of the school living in Danville.

New Winchester: A “Community Meeting” is scheduled at 7:30 p.m., November3, in the VFW building for the purpose of discussing plans for obtaining the old school grounds and building an inexpensive shelter or some kind of building so that the community could have a public place to have meetings, parties, dinners, and charitable events.

Two Plainfield Messenger staff members received honors at the fifth annual HSPA Newsroom seminar at Indianapolis. Dee Lee, editor, won third place among weeklies in the feature story category, while Larry R. Trent, sports editor, was awarded second place with judging of sports columns.

North Salem High School has issued regulations for student activities during and following basketball games.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of November 21, 1996

The Greater Danville Chamber of Commerce is having the first annual Holiday Dance on Saturday, December 7. The dance will begin at 8 p.m. in the rotunda of the Hendricks County Court House.

Rick Battershell of R.W. Curry & Associates architects, reported preliminary cost estimate to remodel the old National City Bank building for the Town Hall to the Danville Town Council Monday night. The price tag is $269,425. Completion of the work would be made in 120 days.

Miss Michelle Elizabeth Colman, a junior at Purdue, and daughter of Judge David H. Coleman and Carol Coleman has been selected as a Dean’s Ambassador.

Work has begun on the roof at the Hendricks County Museum, formerly the Hendricks County Jail, in Danville. The slateline asphalt shingles are being put on now. The design restores the roof to its original appearance.

Hendricks County is second only to Marion County in the number of Christmas tree farms – 7.

Mr. and Mrs. John Rutledge of Lizton will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, Nov. 24.

TEN YEARS AGO November 24, 2011

There’s no place like home for the holidays and no better place to get ready than the annual Holiday Fest, sponsored by the Hendricks County Extension Homemakers and Hendricks Power Cooperative. This year’s event will take place December 2, at the Conference Center on the Fairgrounds.

Citizens of Amo, nearly 100 of them, came to the Community Building last Thursday to learn more about the United States Postal Service study which designates approximately 3,700 post offices for closing, including the one at Amo.

This year, the Danville Parks Dept. will offer a different way to see the colorful display of lights with the inaugural Winterland Run/Walk on Saturday, December 3.

The Cascade High School Spell Bowl Team set the highest score in school. History and brought home the second consecutive Indiana Spell Bowl State Championship last Saturday.

A.T. Waddington of Avon has published a novel, “Essence,” which will be the first in a series.