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 1899, The Hillsborough Gazette reported that people had arrived by train and horse and buggy for the second annual Whiteoak Farmer’s Institute, which was held at Mowrystown town hall.
The paper proudly reported that a former Highland County boy, who was then 35 years old, had been chosen as a state senator in Indiana. A.J. Beveridge hailed from Sugartree Ridge.
Dr. J.J. McClellan announced he would be holding office hours at the Parker House Hotel for one day only, on Jan. 27. According to his ad, the specialist had the cure “for whatever ails you.”
In Lynchburg news, Ayres Bobbitt had opened a barber shop in the Holiday property on Main St., R.P. Murphy and his wife welcomed a baby girl into the home, and quite a number of citizens attended the sale of personal property of John Klock near Webertown as he was selling out and moving to Oregon.
It was reported that a man from near Leesburg had “indulged in a large quantity of lush and was full of woozy-wiggles.” The man was hauled into the police station to recover from his “jag.” The guilty party, who was a first-time offender, was acquitted by Mayor Wilkins in police court and to show his appreciation, told the mayor, “Partner, let’s go and have us a drink.”
From Harrisburg, Henry Miller was doing quite poorly and was in his 87th year, S.L. Sanders took in a nice lot of hogs for John Miller of Hillsboro and fetched nearly $3 a hundredweight, and friends of Mrs. Nathan Gibler showed up at the widow’s house last week and cut her a nice lot of firewood.
This week in 1943, The Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported that a Highland County family had given 10 grandsons to the war effort. Thomas Brown, 82, Hillsboro, said he had 10 grandsons in the service with another five set to enter Uncle Sam’s armed forces in the near future.
In other war news, Army Tech. 4 Karl Leus, formerly of Hillsboro R.R. 8, was seriously wounded in northwest Africa on Dec. 11. The telegram relating the incident, signed by the adjutant general of war information, was received by his wife Mrs. Kathryn Leus, who had since moved to Cincinnati.
The superintendent of Hercules Trouser Co. put out an appeal that it needed at least 50 women workers to keep the plant functioning due to the addition of new equipment and the number of men who were either working at defense factories or were in the service.
At the Hillsboro A & P Food Store, Marvel enriched bread was three loaves for 29 cents, and Jane Parker donuts were a penny apiece at 12 cents a dozen.
Over at Kroger, sliced bacon was 35 cents a lb., grapefruit was 10 for 39 cents, and a large box of Kroger granulated laundry soap was 49 cents.
In sports, the Greenfield McClain cagers took over undisputed possession of first place in the South Central League by knocking off Hillsboro’s Indians 44-35.
“Gentlemen Jim,” starring Errol Flynn and Alexis Smith with Jack Carson and Alan Hale, was billed as “a knockout of a show!” and was showing at the Colony Theatre over the weekend. Also showing was “Careful Soft Shoulders” with Virginia Bruce and James Ellison, plus all of the war news.
After 23 years, Caldwell’s department store in Hillsboro was calling it quits. No refunds and no exchanges, but bed spreads were $1.37, ladies fancy bedroom slippers were just a quarter and 300 pairs of men’s, boys, ladies and children’s shoes were priced to sell at only $1.77 a pair.
Highland County fur buyers reported that, despite what they called an unfavorable season, an unusually large number of muskrats, opossums and raccoons had been taken by hunters and trappers, but that skunk pelts had not been sold in any large quantities so far.
This week in 1975, The Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported “The Great American Cowboy” had been held over through Sunday at the Colony Theatre in addition to the intriguing 22-minute news report concerning Unidentified Flying Objects entitled “UFO: Fact or Fiction.”
A total of 17 management and supervisory personnel from Hillsboro Manufacturing Co. (Moore Drop Forge) completed an eight-session management training seminar sponsored by the company.
Merchants National Bank invited its customers to “stop sliding and start writing” by paying bills by mail. As an added incentive, anyone over the age of 60 could get free checking so as to avoid paying bills in person and by simply putting a 10-cent stamp on an envelope.
Meanwhile, over at Leesburg Federal Savings & Loan, investors could get 8.06 percent on a six-year certificate of deposit with a $1,000 minimum. Member FSLIC, substantial interest penalty for early withdrawal and proceeds over initial deposit subject to local, state and federal taxes.
The third major snowstorm of the winter didn’t prove as severe as forecasted, with official weather observer Tom Knott reporting only about two inches on the ground.
This week in 2006, The Hillsboro Times-Gazette featured a color front page picture of Molly and Shelly McComas enjoying the unseasonable warm weather for January by roller blading and walking around Southern State Community College’s track.
Members of the street and safety committee of Hillsboro City Council mulled over the possibility of allowing participants in the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure to use the city for the GOBA Grand Prix that was coming up in June. The two-day event was predicted to bring nearly 4,000 people to the city.
The Hillsboro Fire Department proposed to the city that it buy a new fire engine at a cost of $340,000, plus an additional $30,000 to update accessory equipment. Chief Jerry Powell said the old truck was 24 years old and had recently “blew out the engine.”
Rainsboro Elementary held a spelling bee, and trophies were awarded to Nick Young for first place, second place went to Haley Sims with Tiffany Edenfield placing third.
The Whiteoak Lady Wildcats knocked off the Lynchburg Lady Mustangs in a battle for a piece of the Southern Hills League title. Final score: Whiteoak 50, Lynchburg 48.
Congressman Mike Turner was planning a visit to Hillsboro to tour Bell’s Opera House. Turner came at the invitation of the Highland Community Preservation Committee.
Construction was underway at the future site on Harry Sauner Rd. for the Hillsboro Lowe’s store. Lowe’s press relations representative Jennifer Smith said the company was aiming to have the new home improvement store open by the third quarter of the year.
Holding hands for 50-years were Roger and Jeanette Gossett, who were observing their golden wedding anniversary on Jan. 28, and celebrating her 90th birthday was Ione Hamilton Priest, who was going to enjoy birthday cake and friends at the First Presbyterian Church in Greenfield on Jan. 15.
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571
The 1960 Volkswagen Bus mentioned in a recent “Looking Back” article, in the used car lot of Hillsboro Auto Co. circa 1964 from a photo provided by Nina Couser of Hillsboro. Couser said while enjoying “Looking Back” in last Saturday’s edition of The Times-Gazette, something caught her eye: the mention of an Hillsboro Auto Co. ad for a Volkswagen Bus Type 2. Couser said her husband Jim was a salesman for the dealership at the time, and Jim’s cousin, David “D.L.” Couser, had traded in the old 1960 van for a new Ford Galaxie 500. In fact, she said her husband recalled making two sales that day: Jim also sold a new Galaxie to D.L.’s father, who was with D.L. that day. All three vehicles have since been relegated to the scrap yard, but Couser said D.L. is still “alive and kicking” at 90 years young, and lives in a senior living facility near Troy, Ohio.
