SERVING HENDRICKS COUNTY SINCE 1847
Page A-2
The Republican
Delving Into Yester~Year
Local historian and writer Paul Miner takes items from
The Republican’s Yester-Year column to develop an interesting, informative and often humorous article.
To the Editor: Quebec hosted a massive Sunday tent revival in September 1896, according to The Republican, with 900 under the Middle Township tent and 500 more gathered outside. The biggest area revival was likely the Billy Graham Crusade at the State Fairgrounds Coliseum Oct. 6-Nov. 1, 1959, when 318,127 souls attended. The revivals I recall from my childhood were “Angry God” themed, leaving some squirming like spiders over flames, wrapping up with a convert call. A brimstone revivalist brought in at church camp told us kids that hell was women burning to horrific deaths in a WWII napalm factory fire. Scared me and other wicked young adolescents. Perhaps we really were Sodom and Gomorrah types. I’ve always wondered how preachers gauged the time was right for revivals. New church needed, greater tithes desired, more discernible sin? Correspondent Rex in “Reno Ripples” reported Coatesville’s Reverend Daniel Webster Risher conducted “quite a revival of religion” in February 1882. There was now “a strong probability that a substantial brick church” would be built. The reverend gave a speech on “Punctuality” in 1883 for the Hendricks County Sunday School Union meeting in North Salem. Two years earlier, he debated the question, “Whiskey or no whiskey, that is the question.” I think he was Coatesville postmaster as well. Thirteen converts were baptized into the Plainfield Christian Church on one day alone during a March 1883 revival, “and much good it is said is being done.” Numerous Dover Dale citizens attended the Friends revival in February 1885. Attendance exceeded church capacity. Dover was Liberty Township District School 3, and was around County Roads 350 S and 200 W. The area, Dear Editor tells me, was known as Dover Dale, and the school, reputed to turn out scholars, was known as “the Harvard of Hendricks County Schools.” The paper reported in late 1881 about Danes in Leadville, Colorado, who belonged to “a religious body called Skagea.” The group centuries earlier practiced human sacrifice “and still hold to it in theory.” During an anniversary event, their leader cut himself, “shedding a bowlful of sacrificial blood.” What happened at their revivals? Stilesville, known for dynamiting drug stores, launched a temperance revival late in 1881, but the Union’s Clayton correspondent called the leader “a deadbeat and crank.” In his defense, the Stilesville correspondent agreed he had “evidently drunk enough to appreciate its ruinous tendency.” A fashion revival of crinoline in England had Paris “aghast” at the re-apparition by “barbarian medievalists” in March 1882. Remember, Dear Editor, that local woman whose hoop skirt was crushed in a crowd to the point where it resembled a canoe? Gad! A protracted revival left an anonymous minister in declining health in mid-1882. Despite a vacation, he seemed to be “sinking into a state of general weakness and prostration.” Then a friend gave him a bottle of Dr. Guysott’s Yellow Dock and Sarsaparilla. He was cured! Ingredients treated pain and swelling in the nasal passages. Guysott’s was a laxative; it fought bacterial, intestinal and fungal infections; arthritis, hemorrhoids and rashes; sexually transmitted diseases; and more. An empty Guysott’s bottle recently sold for $49 on eBay. I caught a fall 1883 glimpse of Pittsboro’s Christian church where a revival the winter before added 25 members. The church was painted white, with green shutters. The sidewalk was a narrow plank. A brick walk lined with young maples led to the meeting house. The interior was “tastily finished” in gold wallpaper with a wide dark foliage border. The pulpit was furnished with heavy purple velvet. Ash-colored chairs seated the congregation numbering around 125. Minister Wallace Cox Tharp traveled there “for public worship” once a month from Kentucky. There was a Sunday School, with weekly prayer meetings in winter. Sugar Grove (Guilford Township, northwest corner of CR 700 E and 600 S) correspondent Dick reported in February 1884 about a highly successful revival meeting in Beech Grove, “with the exception of one beastly, pugilistic encounter” during the service. Most on hand “labored with the ministers,” which I don’t understand, “and a better and more agreeable understanding was effected between the brethren and their tormentors.” A truce between good and evil? A preacher’s pointed exhortation inflamed an unrepentant impenitent? Paul Miner Lizton ______________________________________________________________________
Safely Dispose of Unwanted or Expired Medicines at 6 Locations
There are six locations in Hendricks County where you can safely dispose of prescription or non-prescription drugs that are outdated or unwanted. Avon Police Station: 6550 East US Hwy 36; Hours, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-F; 317-272-4485. Brownsburg Police Station: 31 North Green Street; Open 24 Hours; 317-852-1109. Danville Police Station: 49 North Wayne Street; 8 a.m. - noon & 1 - 4 p.m., M-F; 317-745-4180. Hendricks Co. Sheriff’s Office: 925 East Main Street, Danville; 24 Hours; 317-7456269. IU Health West Hospital: 1111 Ronald Regan Pkwy, Brownsburg; 24 Hours; 317217-3000. Plainfield Police Station: 1075 West Main Street; 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., M-F; 317-8383565 No illicit drugs or medical sharps accepted. Medicines should be kept in their original packaging. Personal information may be removed or blacked out. This program is a partnership between local law enforcement, the Hendricks County Recycling District and Covanta’s Prescription for Safety Program (RX4Safety). ______________________________________________________________________
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If you have a local news item to share, our deadline for receiving news items is noon on Monday for inclusion in Thursday’s edition. You can send your local news items to us by e-mail to therepublican@ sbcglobal.net. Call 317745-2777, send by fax to 317-647-4341. After hours, news items may be slipped in the mail slot in the front door at 6 E. Main, Danville. ____________ Flattery won’t hurt you if you don’t swallow it. Kin Hubbard
Thursday, September 30, 2021
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 1, 1896 Amo: Messrs. Dungan and Cofer, of Danville, came down Thursday evening and the former organized a McKinley club of near one hundred members and the latter made a rattling good sound money speech. Hazelwood: A young mare belonging to Hiram Aldridge died Saturday from a wound received from a wire fence. Clayton: Our McKinley club now has about 125 members. Humphrey Thompson has a fine new bread wagon. The McKinley and Hobart bugle and drum corps received their equipment Tuesday evening and will start into the campaign hammer and tongs. The Brownsburg Silver Club has challenged the Pittsboro McKinley club to a discussion of the financial issue. A good crowd is assured at the pole raising east of Stilesville on the National road, Saturday at one o’clock. The Cartersburg McKinley club will attend. A question for the student is presented on the bank corner. The old Gregg house, which stood there for forty or fifty years, was removed in the spring. Where it stood is now covered with Jimpson weeds. Has the seed been dormant under the house all these years? Attend the pie social at the Christian Church Friday evening, October 9th. D.W. Hawkins, southwest of town, has fruit trees that are keeping up with the procession this year. His June apple tree has ripened its second crop of apples and has a good start on a third. Hazelwood: Several people gathered at Leitizman’s track Saturday afternoon to see the bicycle races which were postponed from the Saturday before. Cyclists from Clayton and Plainfield came to enjoy the sport. Coatesville: Al Warren left last week for a visit in Illinois, riding through on his wheel. Stilesville: The brothers Austin and Ray Swope left Tuesday for the course in medicine in Indianapolis. _____ ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO Issue of September 29, 1921 It is figured that tourists on the Pike’s Peak Ocean-to-Ocean highway spend in excess of $200 daily in Hendricks County. The length of the road through Hendricks county is about 20 miles. President’s day of the Browning Club was observed Monday afternoon with Miss Dana Enloe on West Marion street. It being the thirtieth anniversary of the club, it was quite apropos that the three charter members of the club furnish the program: Mrs. Barnette, Mrs. King, and Miss Scearce. The town board has given permission to an advertising company to erect traffic signs at Main and Washington streets and Main and Jefferson streets without cost to the town. These ill be lighted by electric lights and carry advertising. Percy Moon, the musician, formerly of Danville, was married in Indianapolis last week to Miss Ada Warrenburg, of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Moon will spend the winter at a resort near Los Angeles, where Mr. Moon has an engagement with an orchestra. Next Sunday will occur the annual reunion of the Jackson-Whyte families at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John C. Taylor. As Kin Hubbard, the “Abe Martin” of the Indianapolis News, “belongs,” it is suspicioned that he plans to appear in his Brown county makeup. Walter Clark goes to Montgomery county next week to inspect and cull out a number of flocks of high-class poultry. Oliver H. McCoun, better known in the community as “Tony,” has spent several years and much energy in getting together a small but remarkable collection of old violins. Saturday, the National road in Marion county will probably be thrown open to traffic, the new cement road being completed to the Hendricks County line. _____ SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of October 3, 1946 The Plainfield Rod and Gun Club will be host to the ten conservation club of Hendricks County at a meeting in the Plainfield high school gymnasium, Saturday evening. James and Eleanor Alley have leased the business room in the Royal Theater building owned by Mrs. Elsie Blessing and now occupied by the Nay Sales Co. They will not take possession until July of 1948. The Hendricks County Medical Society passed a resolution stressing the importance of immunizing against diphtheria…
the group also adopted a resolution sponsoring a Hendricks County hospital and appointed Dr. Scamahorn and Dr. Thomas as delegates and present plans to the County commissioners. Women are scarce this season on the Canterbury campus. The present ratio of men to women is 3 to 1, being 246 men on the campus and 85 women. The Clayton Cardinals were presented a large trophy by Arthur Davis, Avon coach, when they won the county championship in the soft ball league. The first social function of the Danville high school is tomorrow evening, when the seniors will give the annual reception for the freshmen in the high school gymnasium. _____ FIFTY YEARS AGO Issue of September 30, 1971 Over 50 boys and girls registered and participated in the Firearm Safety Course, Sunday, at the Danville Conservation Club, under the leadership of John R. Piper, Danville. Jeffrey K. Baldwin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Keith Baldwin, 201 High Street, Danville, has been named a semi-finalist in the 197172 National Merit Scholarship Program. Edwin Rader was at London, Ky., Sunday, to acquire two new dogs from the Ernest Kidd Kennels. Ed, whose hobby is raising and training bird dogs, is competing in the Association Field Trials. William Huntley, of Danville, has been named “Jaycee of the Quarter.” He has been a member of the Danville Jaycees for 15 months. Among 140 top Indiana artists present for the Indianapolis Festival of the Arts, Saturday, at University Park, were Danville artists Joan Kisner, Mary Dill, and Marty McCoy. Kevin Sweeney, son of the Marvin Sweeneys, 47 Price Road, Plainfield, has recently returned from a State Fair Board 4-H and FFA Achievement Trip to New York City and Washington, D.C. Miss Betty Jean Weesner, editor of The Republican and Robert Pearcy, editor of The Danville Gazette, when told of the need for books by Mrs. Nancy Sutton, journalism teacher at the high school, responded with checks to be used to purchase the books. _____ TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO Issue of September 26, 1996 The target date for the new Danville Town Hall to be in the north section of the former National City Bank building, which they have purchased, is early spring. A total of 18,277 students are attending public or church school in Hendricks County, compared to 17,666 last year. The 130-year-old building housing the Hendricks County Museum will get its first face lift as renovation work begins this month. The Hendricks County Chapter of the Indiana Deer Hunters Association will have an organizational meeting on September 30, at the Danville Conservation Club. North Salem: The newly-reopened Red Dog is doing well and the food is good. D’ville’s Vocal Boogie Band is beginning their eighth year under the direction of Mark Montgomery, at Danville Community High School. The theme park for southern Hendricks County was literally “up in the air” requesting a variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals in order to erect a 300-ft. high roller coaster. The $120 million amusement park could be opened in May, 1998. _____ TEN YEARS AGO Issue of September 29, 2011 Danville will welcome runners to the Inaugural Greater Indianapolis Half Marathon on Sunday, October 2, beginning on the court house square. The Haunts of Hidden River have turned the Hendricks County Fairgrounds into the Hendricks County Feargrounds during October. Beasley’s Orchard will host the 25th Annual Heartland Apple Festival, Oct. 1-2. It’s here - the big 175th Birthday Celebration for the North Salem Christian Church, on Sunday, Oct. 2. A ribbon-cutting symbolically opened two new parking lots adjacent to the Danville’s town square. The lots, located at the northeast corner of Indiana and Marion and the other at the southeast corner of Jefferson and Broadway, were put in to relieve the parking situation on the square. The Social Helpers of the Stilesville Christian Church will be celebrating their 100th anniversary on October 9. __________
