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 1897, The Hillsboro News-Herald reported that the Hillsboro football team gave the visiting Woodward Warriors a walloping, describing the players at the fairgrounds as “soaked with water, sated with applause, bruised, battered and covered with mud.” The final score was 16-0.
J.C. Ferguson, Berry Beavers, L.C. Workman, Branson Roades, William Sanders and Edward Smith brought in 77 rabbits as the result of a few hours spent hunting in the vicinity of the Spargur school house.
Civil War veteran Russell Holliday received a pleasant surprise on his 66th birthday as friends and family showed up at his residence with baskets filled and celebrating in their hearts. Holliday was a member of the 89th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, enlisting in the Grand Army of the Republic in 1862.
The paper reported a roller coaster ride of temperatures for the first week of December, with readings between Wednesday and Friday morning rising some 38 degrees, and then dropping a full 50 degrees between that Friday and the following Tuesday.
The new ice plant will probably be erected on or near the site of the old Boyd flouring mills, the paper said, close to the Baltimore & Ohio southwest passenger train depot.
In news from Samantha, the wheat was looking well, farmers were coming on nicely with their corn gathering and despite the ravages of hog cholera, most of the hogs had made it to market.
This week in 1931, The Hillsboro News-Herald reported that during the entire month of November, only one marriage license had been issued whereas the year before, 30 couples got licenses. The clerk of courts reported that never before in the county’s history was only one license for matrimony issued in a single month.
Duncanson Bros. offered a new eight-tube tabletop radio in an oriental wood cabinet for $49.75, inviting customers to listen to “Amos & Andy” and the news of the day with Lowell Thomas in sparkling clarity.
At Bells Theatre, a complete evening of entertainment could be enjoyed in the Howard Hughes’ film “The Front Page” starring Lewis Milestone, and chapter 6 of the serial thriller “Danger Island.”
At Strain’s Market, located at Main and West streets in Hillsboro, oysters in bulk for the holidays were just 28 cents a pint or 50 cents a quart, Wisconsin cream cheese was 19 cents a pound, Kentucky sorghum molasses was 75 cents a gallon and tender crust white or brown bread, a large loaf, was 6 cents.
A Fayette County man reported he couldn’t recall where he misplaced his wallet, whether in Hillsboro or Wilmington, and that it contained $1,950. Neal Connor of Milledgeville said he thought he last saw it after putting a receipt into it at the treasurer’s office before placing the billfold in the inside pocket of his “wampus.”
This week in 1972, The Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported that congressman William Harsha had asked that Ohio be declared a disaster area because of the inability of farmers to harvest crops due to excessive rainfall.
It was billed as “the hottest thing on wheels” and it was showing at the Colony Theatre starting Wednesday. “It” was the film starring Raquel Welch in “Kansas City Bomber,” along with Charleton Heston in “Skyjacked.”
The Hillsboro Bank & Savings Co. was encouraging shoppers to go plastic for Christmas by using their new Master Charge or Bank Americard cards when shopping.
Highland County basketball teams fared badly in weekend contests, with the Lynchburg-Clay Mustangs the only winner in a 60-58 squeaker over Eastern Brown. Fairfield took one on the chin from the Georgetown G-men 75-64 and the Broncos galloped over Whiteoak 83-62.
Their radio jingle said “you get more to like at Burger Chef” and to prove it, several coupons were in the paper, like two Big Shef’s for 89 cents, the Super Shef, two for 99 cents, and the Skipper’s Treat fish sandwich, two for 84 cents.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Williamson of Seaman were to celebrate 50 years of marriage along with Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Hall of Hillsboro. Just starting out, the society pages featured a photo of Joyce Ann Walker after she said “I do” to J. Avery Proffitt, and Debra Young tied the knot with Barry Singleton.
This week in 2004, the Hillsboro Times-Gazette reported that a $51 million lawsuit filed against the city of Hillsboro by the Save the Lake Association had been rejected by the Ohio Supreme Court.
The city of Greenfield had applied to host a second Ohio Chautauqua event, with development director Cindi Pierce telling city council she had submitted the paperwork for the 2006 edition. The theme for event was “War and Peace.”
In what was described as a “see-saw, blistering battle of shooting,” the Fairfield Lady Lions edged by the visiting girls from Whiteoak by one bucket, 54-52.
Several area teens got their picture in the paper after decorating the Christmas tree at the Highland County District Library in Hillsboro. Pictured were Laura Butler, Amy Petzold, Daniel Devine, Heidi Davidson, Jason Sharrett, Katie Duff and Anthony Parker.
Highland District Hospital honored volunteers for their many hours of service. Toasted for 1,000 hours of volunteer work each were Pat Sonner, Jean Walt and Jane Conley. Susie Ruggles was saluted for 3,000 hours and Joyce Ward for logging more than 300 hours.
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.
