Drunk fish, go Greyhound, murder conviction upheld

Editor’s note — We’re continuing our tradition of taking a look back each Saturday at some of the important, interesting or even odd events as they were reported during the same week throughout the years, along with interesting advertising features from back in the day.

This week in 1901, the Leesburg Buckeye reported that the Highland County Board of Education met in regular session and completed hiring teachers for the new school year. In particular, sub-district No. 3 in Leesburg was to have its’ pupils conveyed to and from school by William Williamson.

In a related story, the Highland County Teachers Institute, held at Hillsboro, reportedly was one of the most popular in the country, with more than 300 in attendance, and the schools of Leesburg and Fairfield townships well represented at the institute.

In the advice column, an advertiser proposed to reveal for 25 cents an easy way for any young lady to keep her hands nice and soft. A budding damsel in Sturgeon, Mo. mailed in a quarter and received this advice: “Soak your hands in dishwater three times a day while your mother rests.”

Horr Brothers in Leesburg advertised for area dairy farmers to sell it their milk, and they would pay 15 cents a pound for butter fat as well.

From the paper’s “Believe it or not” column came a story about a distillery that burned in Trebeins, Ohio and barrels of booze flowed into a nearby river. Reports were the fish got drunk and people waded in and caught them by the hundreds.

Fairfield Township’s popular breeder of white-faced Hereford cattle, J.B. Fernow, won first [prize money at the Fayette County Fair in Washington C.H. with a bull described as “an extra fine individual.”

The members of the Leesburg Brass Band were going to have a concert and festival on Aug. 27.

This week in 1938, the Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported that Congressman James Polk of Highland County received the nomination for Sixth District for the fifth consecutive time.

Officials at Bells Foundry in Hillsboro were getting ready for a busy week ahead, with Mr. Bell visiting the Philadelphia Electric Co. in Westchester, Pa. to display and demonstrate feeds mills that used electric motors manufactured at the Hillsboro plant.

Clarence Knisley, state treasurer and one of the winners in the recent primary election, invited readers to enjoy his band at the annual Bainbridge-Rocky Fork Fish Fry, set to be held five miles west of Bainbridge near “The Point” on Aug. 18.

At the Hillsboro A & P food store, Sunnyfield corn flakes, in the big 13-ounce, box, were just 9 cents, Soft Twist bread, a 20-ounce loaf, was 8 cents, Country Roll butter was 28 cents for a pound package and Whitehouse milk was four tall cans for a quarter.

The new Bell’s Theatre had a big double feature on tap for the weekend, with Bob Steele starring in “Thunder Desert,” followed by Lew Ayres, Helen Mack and Alison Skipworth in “King of the News Boys.”

Meanwhile, at the Forum action and thrills filled the bill with Robert Wilcox in “Reckless Living” and Ken Maynard and June Gale starring in “Heroes of the Range.”

In news from Flat Run, quite a number attended the Flat Run Sunday School picnic at Serpent Mount in Adams County.

Greyhound Bus Lines, with regular departures from the Parker Hotel in Hillsboro, offered daily one-way trips to the nation’s capitol for $7.95, to St. Louis for $6.59, $16.50 to New York City and $34.80 for a cross-country trek to Los Angeles.

At Gordon’s Auto Supply in Hillsboro, Motor King batteries with a nine-month guarantee were $2.48 for the 39-plate model, de-waxed motor oil, guaranteed 100-percent pure Pennsylvania crude, was 29 cents a gallon and spark plugs with a 10,000-mile guarantee were 19 cents for a set of eight.

This week in 1977, the Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported that it was back to school time once again, with nearly 2,550 children enrolled in grades K-12 in Highland County schools for the 1977-78 school year.

Ron Howard starred in “Grand Theft Auto” and David Carradine appeared in “Cannonball” at the Roselawn Drive-In in Allensburg, with a free auto giveaway scheduled for Labor Day weekend. Monday and Tuesday nights were $4 a carload.

In the society pages, Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Caplinger of Sherwood Drive in Hillsboro celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on Aug. 28.

At Great Scot, with a coupon you could get two cans of Starkist tuna for 49 cents, Parkay margarine was two one-pound packages for 29 cents, and Gala paper towels were 39 cents.

The deadline was Friday, Aug. 26 for entries for the Highland County Junior Fair Queen Contest. It was open to single girls of Highland County or who attended schools in the county, with candidates having to be between the ages of 15 and 18.

Actor Sebastian Cabot, who played Mr. French on the CBS-TV series “Family Affair” and narrated Winnie the Pooh television specials, died at the age of 59.

This week in 2003, The Times-Gazette reported that recent proficiency tests were favorable for several local schools, with Bright Local and Lynchburg-Clay showing the most improvement of the five Highland County districts.

Steve Haag of Jerry Haag Motors was recognized for his 25th anniversary in the industry, being honored by General Motors for becoming a partner with his father 1972.

The Hillsboro Athletic Boosters burned their mortgage on construction of a new concession stand at Richards Memorial Field.

A 1975 Hillsboro High School graduate was taking part in the Centennial National Pistol and Rifle Matches at Camp Perry, competing with 250 other soldiers from the 88th Regional Support Group. SSgt. Harvey Nelson was a member of the 810th Quartermaster Company from Kings Mills.

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled unanimously to uphold the death sentence for Gary Hughbanks, a Hillsboro man convicted of stabbing a Hamilton County couple to death during a 1987 robbery.

In their first soccer match of the season, the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs took down the Western Brown Broncos, 5-2, in a dramatic come-from-behind victory.

Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.

https://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/08/web1_f-look-back-logo-new.jpg
A look back at news items through the years

By Tim Colliver

[email protected]