Editors note — We’re continuing our tradition of taking a look back each Saturday at some of the important, interesting or even odd events that were reported during the same week throughout the years, along with interesting advertising features from back in the day.
This week in 1862, the Hillsborough Weekly News reported that the new Hillsboro Machine Shop, operated by J.F. Bell, was open at Reece’s Building opposite the railroad depot and featured repairs on all kinds of farm machinery.
News of “The War of the Rebellion” dominated the pages, with a report that reinforcements arrived from Harper’s Ferry by a forced march on Wednesday evening. The Union and Confederate armies rested through Thursday, “with only occasional firing between pickets.”
Lt. Samuel Fellers of 73rd Ohio Infantry was presented with what was described as a “splendid sword” for his service in the war. The Greenfield soldier had been severely wounded, captured and “compelled to surrender his sword in one of the late sanguinary battles before Washington City.
“Richmond Taken but Ike Myers Never Surrenders!” was how an ad for his clothing store read, with new supplies of clothing and gents’ furnishing goods having arrived for winter and spring — all to be sold at “wartime prices.”
This week in 1886, the Hillsborough Gazette reported in the Rainsboro news, Harry Barrett and wife had a new baby girl, W.J. Redkey was having a stable built at his home on College Hill, and there was a rumor going around town that there would “be a wedding or two before the cold, chilly winds of December blow through.”
The Highland County commissioners were having a new kitchen and dining room built at the jail since the old structure, which the paper said served as a kitchen “since the time when the knowledge of man runneth not to the contrary,” was so dilapidated as to be a disgrace to the county.
Denig’s Cough Balsam was described as always reliable, safe, pleasant and effectual, and would cure when others failed. It was available at W.R. Smith & Co. druggists in Hillsboro for 25 cents a bottle.
In the Hillsboro commodity market, wheat was selling for 75 cents a bushel, dried apples were bringing 2 cents a pound, feathers were selling for 40 cents a pound and fresh farm eggs were 14 cents a dozen.
This week in 1961, the Hillsboro Press-Gazette showed a front page picture of five lovely young ladies who constituted the homecoming queen and her court. Front and center was senior Shirley Main, with junior attendant Jane Reffitt, senior attendant Nancy Hiestand, eighth grade attendant Pam Limes, freshman attendant Susan Banyas and sophomore attendant Julie Bare.
In the sports section, Lynchburg High School showcased its array of beauty with seven young women whose objective was “to boost the Bobcats.” Pictured were basketball cheerleaders Sara Murray, Janice Scott, Norette Hughes, Beverly Doty, Suzanne Eglin, Joyce Wells and Carolyn Dorton.
The board of governors finalized plans for a months worth of open houses to celebrate the partially completed new Highland District Hospital.
The Colony Theatre showcased a pair of hit movies for Friday the 13th, with Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead starring in “The Bat,” with “Hot Car Girl” as the second feature. Coming soon was the maiden voyage of the submarine Seaview in “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea” with Walter Pidgeon and Peter Lorre, plus Audie Murphy in “Battle at Bloody Beach.”
At the Twi-Lite Drive-In theatre at the “Y” of U.S. 62 and SR 321, Alan Ladd starred in “The Man in the Net,” with “The Wonderful Country” also showing, starring Robert Mitchum and Julie London.
At Owens Super “E” Market, at the corner of South High and Walnut streets in Hillsboro, fresh cut-in-the-store steaks were 69 cents a pound, all-meat wieners, a two-pound package, was 89 cents and fresh ground hamburger was 39 cents a pound.
Thieves broke into the New Petersburg School sometime overnight with the vandals making off with some small change from a teachers desk, and drinking three small cartons of chocolate milk in the cafeteria.
In sports, the Hillsboro Indians were facing Circleville at 8 p.m. Friday night at the “new, superbly lighted John Wayne Richards Field.” The tribe would take on Miami Trace the following week and face arch-rival Greenfield McClain on Nov. 10.
This week in 1984, the Hillsboro Press-Gazette featured a picture on the front page of members of the Hillsboro High School band leading a homecoming procession down Main Street. The Indians were hoping to improve their 5-2 overall and 1-2 league records against Washington C.H.
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Hillsboro was celebrating its first homecoming Oct. 21. The church was consecrated on Oct. 25, 1855, and it was hoped the homecoming celebration would be an annual event.
Anchor Savings Association was offering free gifts and a whopping 13-percent interest rate on three-, five- or seven-year certificates of deposit. You could deposit $2,534 for seven years, get a new Zenith 19-inch color TV courtesy of Nolan’s TV, and at maturity collect $4,840.
The Hillsboro Kmart was “the savings place,” and for Octoberfest, you could own a 12-inch black and white portable TV for $59, and all Kodacolor or Focal prints from 126mm or 35mm cartridges were on sale.
A Halloween jack-o-lantern contest was underway at the Hillsboro Rax restaurant near the Highlands Plaza Shopping Center. Prizes would be awarded for all entries, plus a grand prize for the most outstanding pumpkin.
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.
