Railroad lobbying, Uncle Orrie, the class of 1970

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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 1876, in the Highland Weekly News, fruit growers were lamenting about the unstable winter, with the paper reporting that from Chillicothe to Dayton, growers were already predicting the destruction of the peach crop. A farmer west of Hillsboro wrote that on his farm that peach and cherry buds had been killed and that a neighbor said most of the early apples met the same fate.

In news from Leesburg, in a play on words, Martha Bridwell was always a great girl for fruit, and last week publicly declared her intention of devoting the remainder of her life to the cherry, consenting to marry Richard Cherry of Monroe.

In Belfast news, it was reported the Presbyterians in and around the village purchased a new organ for their church, the only one in the township. The editor commented that he thought the pastor, Bro. Lee, was one of the most industrious preachers he had ever seen. It was also reported that Thomas Baskins had sold his farm to John Haigh for $27 per acre.

A veteran of the War of 1812, Mr. Dennis Corbin, was reported to have died at the age of 90 years. The native of Rappahannock County, Va. had lived in Highland County for about 26 years before passing into the portals of glory.

In a letter to the editor, the writer stated that Winchester was moving vigorously to secure the extension of the Cincinnati-Batavia-Williamsburg narrow gauge railroad, and that it was “high time our citizens in Hillsboro went to work, if they want the road to come in this direction.”

This week in 1932, The Hillsboro News-Herald featured a front page photo taken many years before of several prominent citizens who were members of The Walking Club. The paper said that the men of the club would start from Hillsboro and take a long walk to a point of interest in the county.

Leonard Roush of Danville reported that he killed a blue racer snake that he said was more than three feet long. Roush was an employee of the telephone company and said he never heard of a snake being out and about in the middle of February but attributed it to the “long list of freak occurrences in this unusual winter.”

In basketball, the Hillsboro High School’s Cowboys enjoyed sweet revenge by defeating the Chillicothe High Red Devils at the Hillsboro Armory, 21-16, coming off a humiliating loss the week before, losing to Chillicothe 30-7.

A team of horses driven by Carl Abraham stepped on a live wire and threw the Hollowtown man to the ground. He only received a mild shock, but it incapacitated his horses for several minutes. He said he was driving the team hitched to a wagon and when rounding a corner, stepped on the electric wire and “they all went down like they had been shot.”

Showing at the New Bells Theatre was Walter Houston and Harry Carey in “Law and Order,” with Ruth Chatterton starring in “Tomorrow and Tomorrow” the following week.

Squire Willis was the man to see for a new broom, reportedly the oldest broom maker in Hillsboro. His ad admonished housewives to bring in their broom corn and have their brooms made it in his shop at 464 E. Walnut St.

Celebrating the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth, the paper reported that schools in the county that had radios could hear the ceremonies as they were broadcast from the first president’s home in Mt. Vernon, Va. on NBC.

In the paper’s “There Ought to be a Law Against” column, it said there ought to be a law against wearing blue sweaters with purple and white band uniforms, Greta Garbo bobs, crystal ear rings on basketball players and people that take their gymnastics while chewing gum.

This week in 1967, the Hillsboro Press-Gazette had a picture of WHIO-TV’s Uncle Orrie (Joe Rockhold) doing magic tricks with fifth-grade student Bobby Barger at Washington Elementary School.

Showing at the Colony Theatre for the weekend was the Walt Disney film “Follow Me Boys” starring Fred MacMurray and Vera Miles. Tickets were $1 for adults, 50 cents for children.

Still holding hands after 50 years were Mr. and Mrs. Fred Barney of Lynchburg Rt. 2 as they celebrated their golden anniversary. The couple tied the knot on Feb. 17, 1917. On the flip side of the coin, another Lynchburg girl announced she was getting ready “to take up housekeeping,” as Cheryl Miller and Loren Meddock of Hillsboro planned a July wedding.

Due to health reason, Dennis Jewelers in Hillsboro was having a going out of business sale, with all merchandise being sold for 10- to 30-percent off. There was unlimited credit available to qualified customers at the store located at 137 S. High St.

It was a rough season for the Hillsboro Indians, and the paper reported it “was thankfully coming to an end” with the final game of the year pitting the undermanned Indian squad against the 13-3 Miami Trace Panthers.

Returning home from Vietnam was Lt. Col. Glenn Ison, son of Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Ison of South East Street. Hillsboro. Col. Ison made his home in Kileen, Texas and would be enjoying a change of scenery from serving a one-year tour in southeast Asia.

This week in 1991, the Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported on the death of a familiar name that appeared on Highland County property tax statements for two decades. Former treasurer Herschel Creed passed away Feb. 7 at the age of 89.

The Hillsboro High School class of 1970 held its 20th reunion at the Wooden Spoon Restaurant. Notable awards for the class included “shiniest head” to Kirk White, “youngest child and most children” to Lori (Eubanks) Moon and “longest distance traveled” to Cindy (Anderson) McMonigle of Augusta, Ga.

The big-hair of the ‘80s was alive and well in 1991 with an ad from Fiesta Hair & Tanning Salon in Hillsboro. Women could “see the difference and feel the difference” during their perm sale, starting at $27.99.

Radio Shack had the modern way to take home movies with an 8mm camcorder complete with hi-fi mono sound and all the accessories for $799.

On the sports page, “Indians Down Dayton Stebbins,” “Lynchburg Nails North Adams,” Whiteoak Whips Warriors in O.T.” and “Mustangs Outgun Georgetown.”

Former Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson was to be the featured speaker at the fire broiled steak dinner of the Highland County Chamber of Commerce to be held at the senior citizens center.

The Colony Theatre recommended taking your valentine to a movie, and their ad suggested going to see “Kindergarten Cop” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, showing through Wednesday.

“It’s always convenient to stop at Ameristop” and in its carnival of values sale, you could save on two loaves of white bread for 99 cents, lowfat milk in the one-gallon jug for $1.89, Kahn’s wieners for $1.99 and two-liter bottles of Pepsi were $1.09.

Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.

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A look back at news items through the years

By Tim Colliver

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