Free concerts, storms and Amish buggies

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As The Times-Gazette celebrates its 200th anniversary, we’ll take 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. Today, you may notice some instances where history repeats itself.

This week in 1879, the Highland Weekly News reported a free concert drew a large crowd to a park in Hillsboro, and the paper commented, “Hillsboro is fond of anything that is free.”

An assessor came through Highland County and registered personal property, finding 611 carriages in Paint Township, 533 in Liberty Township and 468 in Madison Township. In addition, the assessor reported registering one watch and one piano in Jackson Township, one watch in Whiteoak Township and one piano in Hamer Township. There were no watches or pianos in Concord Township.

Two women “indulged in a free fight and hair-pulling matinee last Saturday week,” the paper reported, after one reportedly accused the other of stealing turkey eggs. The accuser was fined $50.

A local man cut off his own thumb in a wood-splitting accident.

The 13th Regiment Band was scheduled to come through Hillsboro, but according to the article, “we understand they will not favor us with any music.”

Newspaper subscriptions were $1.50 per year.

J.M. Heistand offered the the largest selection of wallpaper in Hillsboro at his home goods store on North High Street.

Dr. Harper’s Iron Tonic, a mixture of iron, Calisaya bark and phosphates, was advertised as a cure for “general debility.” An advertisement for Parson’s Purgative Pills claimed the medicine would give the user “new rich blood!”

This week in 1943, the Hillsboro News Herald reported there was likely to be a serious shortage of meat in Hillsboro, and while it was not expected to be as dire as in other places, “it is probable… there will be little if any meat in the Hillsboro area in the near future” due to meat packers closing down in larger cities.

Another article advised Highland County residents to “tighten your belts!” because canned fruits and vegetables, dehydrated eggs and dry milk supplies were expected to fall short of demand.

The Highland County Welfare Board hired a new child welfare worker.

Local dentist Roy Rogers Jr. was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army.

An advertisement for the Chatterbox Restaurant in Hillsboro showed a flag waving near a church with the caption, “Long may it wave… and continue to bring hope and courage to all men who fight for freedom… Everywhere!”

A political cartoon showed huge pigs labeled “military requirements,” “food production needs” and “essential driving” lapping at a trough representing the nation’s gasoline supply while a small pig was shown sputtering to a halt in a car labeled “pleasure driving.”

This week in 1965, the Hillsboro Press Gazette reported a severe thunderstorm rolled through the area, and the newspaper observed, “unsavory as it was, it did break the back of a heat wave that had gripped the area for five days.” The storm resulted in considerable damage and a number of fires.

Crowds from Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus “smashed all previous attendance” at Rocky Fork Lake after $2.1 million was funnelled into the state park for improvements.

The Colony Theatre advertised showings of “How to Commit Marriage,” starring Bob Hope and Jackie Gleason.

At Hoagland Grocery west of Hillsboro, fresh ground beef was 69 cents per pound, pork chops were 89 cents per pound, tomatoes were $1 for five pounds and bananas were 10 cents per pound.

Four juveniles who broke into Greenfield Elementary School were placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay for damages to a phonograph they stole.

The Buford Church of Christ was set to hold a revival over the weekend featuring evangelists J. Donald Sams and T. Ronald Sams.

David Lee Kier was shown holding a six-pound, 27-inch carp he caught at a friend’s farm pond.

This week in 2006, The Times-Gazette reported a Greenfield man sustained life-threatening injuries after he was electrocuted while trimming a tree near an electric pole.

Chuck Miller, a sales associate with The Times-Gazette, was named president of the Greenfield Rotary Club.

In sports, members of the Highland County Family YMCA Waves swim team – Emerson Babington, Mitch Watson, Jessica Holt, Jackie Watson, Amie Griffith, Nathan Boone, Allison Boone, Michael Saaranen, Aesa McComb and Joci Taylor – were shown in a photo after a swim meet.

A former Greenfield man was found guilty of attempted murder in Waverly.

U.S. Army Pvt. Michael Lloyd Durham was set to deploy to Iraq at the end of the month.

Kick Back Relax in New Vienna was running Festival of the Bells specials on spas, pool supplies, sheds, play sets and gazebos.

A front page story advised drivers to be mindful of horse-drawn buggies on Highalnd County roadways after several Amish families moved to the area.

Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570, or on Twitter @DavidWrighter.

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A look back at news items over the years

By David Wright

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