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 December 3, 1896

Coatesville: Frank Roberts was very much surprised last week to hear from his brother, F.D. Roberts, who is in California. His relatives and friends have long supposed him dead.

Plainfield: The old M.E. church has been sold to J.W. Crank, to be used as a flour exchange.

Perhaps the town board may now consider the wisdom of organizing a fire department at Danville. The old excuse was there was not water to spare for practice drills. Now it is different. Danville has water to burn, so to speak, or to throw at the birds.

G.A. Guthrie has at this office three potatoes that are prize winners. They weigh five and one-fourth pounds and the largest weighs over two pounds. They are of the Michigan Rose variety and are beauties.

The Clayton post office election Saturday resulted in the selection of Clyde West, son of Scipio West.

The thermometer has been almost to zero and the small boy has hunted up his skates, greased the runners and been out for business.

C.F. Hall laughs at this cold weather because he has a furnace under his home.

The new barber and bath rooms under the new bank building will be opened by Foster & Moody on Saturday of this week when they will be please so see all their old customers and others. New rooms, new furniture and everything clean and neat.

The Green Valley and Dover Dale schools closed a week ago on account of the measles.

Hazelwood: Diphtheria has again made its approach in our community, the eldest daughter of Samuel Prewitt being affected with it.

Since Tuesday, Charles P. Hornaday has been the father of a bouncing baby boy and the proprietor of the Mammoth grocery has not been seen attending to business very much. His windows bear the firm name of C.P. Hornaday & Son and his delivery wagon has been likewise worded.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Issue of December 1, 1921

Dashing into congested Main street at sixty miles per hour, skidding into machines parked on the north side of the square, a Buick roadster was captured, Saturday afternoon, with some fifty gallons of white mule.

Sheriff Clark called on Messrs. Hall and Hogate, Tuesday afternoon, to pour out the white mule taken from the car on the square, Saturday afternoon. The amount of liquor that flowed through the sewer amounted to forty-five gallons. There is no poetry in pouring white mule and the odor drove people away rather than drawing them.

Charles Doughty is back at his old job as a lineman with the Indiana Bell Telephone Company, after trying garage and laboratory work, none of which suited him as well as climbing poles and stringing wire.

Last week, the big pumpkin which has been on exhibition at the Newman hardware store, was slaughtered. It contained 617 good seeds, which was one less than the number guessed by John Gray.

Amo: The Thanksgiving market of the Baptist ladies netted $27. The yellow quilt on exhibition was sold for $10 to a traveling salesman who came in during the sale.

Born, Nov. 22, to Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Dever, west of New Winchester, a twelvepound boy.

The Plainfield Fertilizer Factory is now in operation and ready to take care of all dead animals. Immediate attention to all calls. Verl Crews, Plainfield, Ind. Phone 123.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of December 5, 1946

At a meeting of the Danville town board, Monday night, Dr. A.G. Barrett, president, read a letter from Governor Ralph G. Gates, asking that Danville and vicinity meet the existing fuel situation with all the cooperation of a war-time emergency.

Dr. E.C. Cumings has announced that the Founders Association now totals $13,896.50.

Robert Schisler received the first Kaiser automobile in Danville, last week. The sale was made by the Crawley Auto Sales, which will have its official opening this weekend.

Mrs. Nellie Stevens and Donald D. Hogate, former residents of Danville, were named on the executive committee of the Indiana State Society at Washington, D.C.

Lynn Lawson celebrated his ninth birthday Saturday when he entertained ten playmates with a. theater party at the Royal.

Max Lee of North Salem is employed in the Baker & Son annex.

Residents living south of Danville on State Road 39 have been seeing deer in that community for the past week.

Ralph Harris and Frank Yeager are establishing a record for ‘coon hunting. The catch last week up to Thanksgiving day, was six and previous to that time they had twenty-four to their credit.

Dr. J.M. Niswander has completed the hand lettering of the twenty-two certificates of commission for the State of Indiana.

The post office at Cartersburg has been moved from the Burton home to its new location. Miss Hazel Pilcher is post master.

FIFTY YEARS AGO Issue of December 2, 1971

The Plainfield Chamber of Commerce recently sponsored the “Red Pride Dinner” for the high school football team, which had an undefeated season.

Elvin R. Newby, well known in the Amo and Coatesville area, is known throughout the Harlingen, Texas, Valley, as Mr. Shuffleboard. He and Mrs. Newby have been winter residents since 1947.

The Danville Jaycees will sponsor their second annual Christmas Decorating Contest in Danville and Center Township. Competition will be open in two divisions, residential and business.

Egg-throwing vandalism has been a popular “sport” in the Cartersburg area, according to Deputy Sheriff Ray Daughterty.

Rev. Herman Lutz assumed his duties, yesterday, as pastor of St. Mary Queen of Peace parish, Danville.

The marriage of Miss Nancy Rutledge and Thomas J. Wills was solemnized Saturday afternoon, at the Danville Friends Meetinghouse.

Miss Marcia Kay Roberts will be installed Honored Queen, Saturday, 8 p.m., of Bethel 105 International Order of Job’s Daughters in the Western Star Masonic Temple, Danville.

Promotions of Mary L. Hantzis to assistant administrator, Sondra S. Roxing to director of management, and Lana Jo Whicker to bookkeeper/secretary have been announced by William G. Hope, administrator of Extension at Danville.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of November 28, 1996

The Hendricks County Contractor Listing Ordinance becomes effective on January 1, 1997.

The Danville Optimist Club will be selling Christmas trees at the Old Farm Shopping Center for the 13th consecutive year, beginning Saturday, Nov. 30.

Connie Lawson, R-Danville, former Hendricks County Clerk, was administered the oath of office as State Senator, November 19, during a State House ceremony.

Tri Kappa presents the 26th annual “Gingerbread Christmas” art and craft show on Saturday, Dec. 7, from 9-4, at the Plainfield High School.

Garry Krabbe, vice president of State Bank of Lizton, has been elected to fill the vacancy of Matt Whetstone on the Brownsburg Town Council. Whetstone was elected State Representative on Nov. 5.

Kiger Sunoco, Danville, hosted an autograph party, Thursday, for local boy who made good with his saxophone and clarinet, Bob Snyder.

Danville’s famous Santa (Roy Walter) is busy making a list – a list of all his appearances this holiday season.

TEN YEARS AGO Issue of December 1, 2011

Frank & Mary’s at Pittsboro, famous for its catfish and fried tenderloins, will be closing if it is not sold, according to Larry Henry, grandson of Frank and Mary Henry, who opened the restaurant and tavern 66 years ago.

It’s a pretty sweet job. That sums up Elisabeth Burnell’s role as the 2012 Indiana Honey Queen.

The Town of Brownsburg’s traditional Christmas Under the Stars parade is being expanded this year into a full evening of family-friendly activities and entertainment, Dec. 3rd.

On Monday, November 21, the Danville Town Council voted to demolish a house at 248 N. Tennessee that had been gutted by fire in November 2010.

The Danville Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon cutting on December 15 for two new businesses: Caskey’s Affordable Dental Services, 84 S. Tennessee and the Bread Basket Café & Bakery, 46 S. Tennessee.