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 1883, the Hillsboro Daily Evening Gazette reported that the baccalaureate sermon ceremonies for the graduates of the Hillsboro Female College happened at the Presbyterian Church.
From Harwood came word that there was a good prospect for blackberries. Frank Chaney planned to plant about 20 acres of potatoes on his farm and Chris Sanders reported he had a large sow and nine piglets that were killed by lightning earlier in the week.
The correspondent who submitted the Buford news wrote that whooping cough was raging in the vicinity, the corn was not coming up good on account of the late rains and the boys of the village were trying to organize a band by subscription.
In the Traveler’s Register, hack lines were leaving Bainbridge Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 6 a.m., and from Belfast Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m. For those riding the hack line to catch the Columbus & Maysville train, its arrival in Hillsboro was at 10 a.m. and departure at 12:40 p.m.
Joe Baige advertised his Jefferson House livery and feed stable was now open on West Main Street in Hillsboro, with horses boarded at reasonable rates.
Haynie & Gutridge’s Palace Restaurant and Confectionary was open at No. 27 W. Main St. in Hillsboro, featuring fine creams and ices, tobaccos and cigars, tropical and domestic fruits, and an elegant soda fountain.
This week in 1943, the Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported the city was cooperating in the war effort by ordering residents to advance their clocks by one hour on June 12. A recent emergency ordinance passed by Hillsboro city council re-established Eastern War Time during the summer months.
Applications for basic gasoline cards would be available on June 22 as the county endured gas rationing. The “A” books could be renewed by mail to eliminate unnecessary trips to the ration boards, thereby saving gas for the war effort.
The women of Hillsboro who operated Independence Hall set as their goal the sale of $100,000 in war bonds by the last day of June.
Effective July 1, 1943, the Tax Payment Act would go into effect, which allowed the government to withhold income taxes of 20 percent from salaries and wages.
At the Colony Theatre, Roddy McDowall, Preston Foster and Rita Johnson were starring in “My Friend Flicka.”
At the Rand Theatre in Lynchburg, movie goers could enjoy air-conditioned comfort as they watched Roy Rogers and Smiley Burnette gallop across the screen in “King of the Cowboys” along with Simone Simon and Dennis O’Keefe in “Tahiti Honey.”
Specials for the week at Albers included Jell-O for 6 cents a box, fresh large eggs at 40 cents a dozen, Alberly farm-fresh creamery butter for 47 cents a pound and Lifebuoy soap, three big bars for 20 cents.
This week in 1959, the Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported David Winslow sold Hillsboro’s local radio station to former newspaper publisher Mack Sauer and local minister Tom Archibald. The sale of WSRW-AM, which was licensed Aug. 29, 1956, was subject to FCC approval.
A longtime voice of southern Ohio farmers died at Brown County Hospital in Georgetown. Earl Neal was the operator of the farm where WLW’s daily farm show “Everybody’s Farm” originated from. The show lasted from 1937 to 1951 when he retired and moved to Mowrystown.
It was reported that Greenfield pharmacist John T. Stewart caught a 44-inch, 22.5-pound muskie while trolling on Rocky Fork Lake. Iit was the largest muskie taken from the lake that season.
Five area high school juniors were selected to Buckeye Boys State. Chosen from Hillsboro High School were Randy McKenzie, Kenneth Doss and Perin Johnson, with delegates Wayne Walker and Billy Shaw representing Belfast and Marshall High Schools, respectively.
At the Colony Theatre, the first 500 girls who showed up on Sunday got a free 8 X 10 photo of Ricky Nelson. It was all a part of the promotion for the movie “Rio Bravo,” which starred Nelson, John Wayne and Dean Martin.
There was labor unrest brewing at Hercules Trouser Company in Hillsboro as workers staged a wildcat strike. County prosecutor Richard Davis advised the workers to maintain order as negotiations continued between the company and the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America.
This week in 1998, The Times-Gazette reported that local residents could step back in time to the days of the Civil War during Flag Day observances. Liberty Park would be home to more than 200 Union and Confederate re-enactors, staging battles both Saturday and Sunday. One of the nation’s foremost Abraham Lincoln impersonators was to appear in both Greenfield and Hillsboro as well.
Also celebrating an anniversary was Con-Way Central Express, marking its fifteenth year as a regional trucking company. Twenty-three employees worked out of their facility on U.S. 50 west of Hillsboro.
A new Burger King restaurant was coming to Hillsboro. Applications were being taken for all positions.
“Lightning fast” dial-up internet service was available to all Highland countians who had Windows 95 or the new Windows 98 system on their computers. Dragon BBS in New Vienna had it all for $12.50 per month with a one-year prepaid subscription.
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.
