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 10, 1896

A job lot of tramps came to town Tuesday, some thirty-five of them all told.

Phonograph parties are quite the thing now-a-days. C.A. Hargrave, of the college, has a splendid instrument and will call at your residence and entertain your party for a small sum.

Clayton: Wood White is so far the champion hunter. The scalps of twenty opossums, eleven skunks, 8 coons, six musk-rats and 4 minks are dangling at his belt.

Col. Hargett, the meandering typographical artist with an unquenchable thirst, called again Thursday morning. He did not tarry long before went on his way toward the rising sun after telling the gossip of the print shops along the Wabash.

Something should be done to keep our young men and boys off the street corners at night. Some good citizen should start the ball rolling to organize a literary society or debating club.

“Three weeks in Wonderland” is an illustrated lecture by Rev. F.S. Tincher and will be given in the Methodist church Tuesday evening, Dec. 15th. Seventy magnificent views of Colorado, California, and Yellowstone Park will be presented on large canvases. Adults twenty cents; children ten cents.

Mrs. Mary K. Regan has filed a plat of an addition of twenty-seven lots to the town of Clayton in the Recorder’s office.

Hazelwood: It being the request of the state board of health, and the command of the trustee, the janitors at our school building are required to scrub the floor and wash the tops of the desks once a week.

Pecksburg: The measles are about to run out for want of material to work on.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Issue of December 8, 1921

Tuesday night, the safe in the Amo post office was blown. Nothing was secured, as the safe contained neither money nor stamps.

James Paxton Vorhees, poet laureate and novelist of Plainfield, announces that he will seek the Democratic nomination for Congress next spring.

Catholic ladies of Danville have organized a club of fourteen members. The first meeting was at the home of Mrs. R.R. McDaniel and Rev. Maher, of Brownsburg, was a guest.

With the mercury at 40 and a keen wind blowing, Seniors and Juniors at the College had a tug-o’-war at the Park, Saturday morning. The Juniors won. The pull was across the creek. Just as the contest was to begin and many had gathered on the suspension bridge to see the contest, one strand of the bridge gave way and the bridge hung at an angle of about thirty degrees. Two or three slipped off the bridge into the water.

The first game to be played in the new gymnasium at Lizton was played between Lizton and Ladoga last night.

On Wednesday evening of last week, the Athletic Association of Stilesville gave a banquet at the school house for the parents of the members of the basket ball team and for the new banker, Orville Carpenter, who gave to each member of the team a handsome sweater.

Danville euchre fans entertained their brethren from Plainfield, Tuesday evening, and, after treating their guests to one of “Jumbo’s” finest oyster suppers, defeated them by the score of 115 to 79.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of December 12, 1946

J.I. Skidmore, band director of Center township schools, was elected state chairman of Class C musical organizations for the third time.

Canterbury College has recently established a new athletic award to be known as the Lyman b. Whitaker Medal. The medal will be given each spring to the senior who has been the most outstanding in athletics, general character qualities, and scholarship.

The Danville Conservation club has completed the purchase of a twenty-acre tract of land, located one mile east of Danville on East 10th street road and was. Part of the Oliver Merritt farm. The club will erect a club room, also trap and skeet ranges. There will be a seven-acre lake for fishing.

One hundred sixty-three of corn, wheat, and oats were attractively displayed in the rotunda of the court house, last Thursday through Saturday, during the three-day program of the Hendricks County Corn and Small Grain Association. For a long time it has been the custom of the Danville Commercial club to provide and install gala decorations for the public square during the Christmas season. For various reasons, the practice had been abandoned during the war years.

Morton Ayres, who lives on the O’Dell farm near Hadley, reports that a pet hen belonging to his two small sons comes to the kitchen door daily, and pecks on the door. When let in, she flies to the top of the kitchen cabinet, where she lays an egg.

FIFTY YEARS AGO Issue of December 9, 1971

Swinford Park at Plainfield has a new skating rink. This is the first project of the newly-formed Town Park Advisory Board Committee.

The Brownsburg Jaycees are sponsoring a Christmas decoration contest for all private homes within Brownsburg city limits.

Complaints from area residents about chickens at the Roy Lewis residence caused Police Chief Merle Funk to enforce an 1878 ordinance prohibiting the keeping of swine and poultry within the corporation.

Miss Alice J. Parker, Stilesville, junior at Ball State University, has been selected to appear in the 1971-72 edition of “Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.”

Monday, the Hendricks County Commissioners studied the new specifications and estimates for construction of the jail . Armstrong & Associates of Indianapolis, came up with a new estimate of $554,000 for the project.

The Harold Hiser family is moving to their new home on the old Greencastle Road.

Dale Denny was elected fire chief, Sunday, by the Clayton Volunteer Fire Department.

The Danville Community High School will present the annual Christmas Concert, December 16, 8 p.m., in the Bosstick Gym.

“Dear Santa, I want a bathinette, a training wheel bike, a play game doll, a red purse, and a talking Barbie and some surprises. Love, Tammy Houser.”

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of December 5, 1996

Danville’s traffic count per day in 20 years is predicted at 46,000 vehicles as compared to 26,000 per day through the town at present.

James Summers retired December 1, after 22 years as head of maintenance at the Danville schools. He will be honored at a retirement party, Sunday, December 7, at the Danville Christian Church.

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Leach Jr. will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, Sunday, Dec. 7.

Tri-West and Carroll went to the Class A state finals and Tri-West won, 37-14. Also, this is Tri-Wests first unbeaten season, 14- 0, and the second Hendricks County team to win a state title in any sport. Brownsburg took the 4-A state title in 1984-85.

Hendricks Civic Theater is currently in rehearsal for the fifth annual Christmas musical revue, “Reason for the Season V” on Dec. 12, 13, 14 & 15 at the Royal Theater.

The new bath house at Gill Pool in Ellis Park, Danville, is under roof. It is located at the west end of the pool.

Danville Kiwanis Club, in co-operation with the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Department, has plans underway for their annual holiday project, Project A.N.G.E.L.

TEN YEARS AGO Issue of December 8, 2011

The Town of North Salem, known for its Old Fashion Days celebration on Labor Day weekend, will host a holiday version with its Old Fashion Christmas , Friday Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10.

On Monday of this week, visitors to the Hendricks County Court House found the north, east and south doors locked. Now, the only public entrance to the building is on the west side. Those entering must go through an airport security-style metal detector.

The Hendricks County Sheriff’s Dept. recently received a $1,500 grant for their K9 program from the Duke Energy Foundation.

The Hendricks County Extension Office will host a retirement open house for Office Manager Sharon Wilson on Wed., Dec. 14, from 2-4 p.m.

Bartlett Chapel United Methodist Church invites the public to help celebrate the retirement of Beverly Griffith, who has served as the church’s secretary for 46 dedicated years.