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 1877, the Highland Weekly News reported that in news from Belfast, James Berryman had bought George Saylor’s blacksmith shop and intended to run it. Saylor had run the shop for about 30 years and was returning to Hillsboro to run a similar shop there.
Two promising young lawyers, Kirby Smith and Robert Ditty, left the friendly confines of Hillsboro last week for San Jose, Calif., where they proposed to settle and “grow up with the country.”
Mr. C.S. Bell, chairman of a railroad committee, called a meeting to hear arguments concerning a petition in favor of one particular route for the proposed new railroad.
The Hillsboro railroad schedule had Nos. 102 and 110 leaving Hillsboro westbound daily at 6:25 a.m. and arriving at Russell’s at 6:43 a.m., Lynchburg at 6:58 a.m., Westboro at 7:12 a.m., Blanchester at 7:37 a.m., Loveland at 8:23 a.m. with arrival at the final destination in Cincinnati at 9:45 a.m.
Feibel the Clothier was having its grand spring opening “at the temple of fashion,” touting the greatest bargains ever offered in its after-Easter clearance.
This week in 1914, the Hillsboro Dispatch reported that Hillsboro High School would have senior orations, with performances by Rachel Caldwell doing “Honor to Whom Honor is Due,” Robert Duffy speaking on “The World of Molecules” and Anna McQuillan talking about “Know Thy Self.”
Police court was kept busy with bootleggers Saturday, with two other Hillsboro men sent to the Cincinnati workhouse on charges of buggy theft and breaking and entering.
“Squire Jim” passed away over the weekend at the age of 72. James C. West of Marshall was described as a unique character with a common school education who studied law by the fireside as a young man, enlisted in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Civil War and later became the justice of the peace in Brushcreek Township.
Grace Simbro reported in news from Little Rocky Fork that William Setty was now connected with the outside world with a home telephone.
Two car loads of potatoes were waiting for customers of Charles Galtabillotta’s fruit store at the Hillsboro B. & O. Station. One car contained Michigan eating potatoes at 85 cents a bushel and the other had Red River District seed potatoes for $1.15 a bushel.
The M.F. Carroll & Sons Co. had new buggies for $70 and up, with a new type of axle guaranteed to never break, plus second growth hickory construction and Norway wrought iron in all its gear parts.
Bell’s Opera House was presenting Harmount’s big scenic production of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” on Saturday, April 4. The stage spectacle featured a pack of Siberian blood hounds, a quartet of singers, brass band and orchestra and all new special scenery. Advance tickets were on sale at Vanzant’s for 25, 35 and 50 cents.
This week in 1949, the Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported the proposed Rocky Fork dam and reservoir project in southeastern Highland County had been taken off the list of 1949-50 flood control projects.
Rear Adm. Thomas Combs was going to take over as commander of Carrier Division One, which included the 45,000-ton Franklin D. Roosevelt, the flagship of the division. He would be relieving Rear Adm. John Ballentine of Hillsboro, who had been ordered to Washington to serve on the general board.
The Greenfield Church of the Nazarene had recently purchased a bus to transport children to Sunday services who would ordinarily have no means of transportation. The 1939 bus had a capacity of 35 passengers.
Showing at the Colony Theatre was Ida Lupino, Cornel Wilde, Celeste Holm and Richard Widmark in “Road House.”
Freedom was short-lived for a trio of escapees from the Chillicothe Federal Reformatory. All three were serving time for automobile thefts and were apprehended near Rainsboro.
This week in 1986, the Greenfield Daily Times reported that honors continued to roll in for McClain’s standout forward Tony Jackson. The 6-3 senior would be participating in the annual North-South Cage Classic on April 12 in Canton.
On the baseball diamond, the McClain Tiger baseball squad bounced back from a pair of losses to open the season with a pair of victories over Western Latham and East Clinton.
Radio Shack had a special on a new “3-in-1” TV antenna, complete with a bonus signal splitter, for $21.88.
Area churches were observing Palm Sunday, and the paper featured a photo of celebrants walking the streets of Bainbridge in the spirit of the first Palm Sunday. About 150 adults and children took part in the celebration, which was sponsored by the Presbyterian churches of Bainbridge and South Salem.
Showing at the Ranch Drive-In Theatre on Centerfield Road for three big days, was Michael J. Fox in “Back to the Future” and Chevy Chase in “Fletch.”
Sexton’s Used Cars had some great spring bargains on its lot such as an ’81 Ford Mustang, four-banger with a stick fir $2,695; a 1977 Plymouth Volare Wagon priced at $1,095, and a ’79 Ford Pinto two-door, four-cylinder and automatic transmission for $1,295.
County singer Johnny Paycheck was ordered to inform the judge in his shooting case who his new lawyer would be. The 47-year-old future Grand Ole Opry member was facing trail in a barroom shooting in Hillsboro that injured a man.
The paper’s front page proudly displayed an aerial photograph of McClain High School, which the paper said was once labeled “one of the most beautiful high school facilities in the United States.” The picture was shot by photographer Don Watts with local pilot Chuck Burgess.
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.
