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 1902, The Hillsboro Gazette reported that the board of education for the Hillsboro special school district held their monthly meeting and hired some janitors. John Campton was hired for the Washington building for $55.00 per month and 100 bushels of coal, while F.L. Lemon was hired for Webster at a monthly salary of $38.00, 100 bushels of coal and free rent.
Typhoid fever was becoming a problem in the county, and the paper commented that “there is no good in locking the stable door after the horse has been stolen,” and encouraged the local health department to take every precaution in preventing any further spread.
Descendants of the Wilkin family, described by the paper as being one of the earliest settlers in the county, were having a reunion celebrating the 100th anniversary of their arrival in New Market township in 1802. Everyone was invited to attend the celebration scheduled for Sept. 11 in Hillsboro.
The McCoppin Hardware Co. advertised that they were “the acknowledged leaders in all kinds of hardware.” Stop in at their store in the Bell’s Opera House building.
From Rainsboro came news that clover hulling would commence this week, Joseph Ferneau, “our hustling thresher,” has bought a new clover huller, Fred Spargur was very poorly with pneumonia and Fred Kisling had removed his butcher shop to the old post office building on W. Main St.
The “drys” carried the vote in Leesburg by a majority of 62 votes in the local liquor option question, with the paper lamenting that “hereafter the thirsty citizens will have to resort to the town pump or the creek to quench their thirst.”
This week in 1943, The Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported that the Hillsboro City Council approved the 1944 budget of $34,813.56, and that any wage increases had been shelved due to the strains of the war effort.
The war overseas had claimed its tenth Highland County casualty when news was received that George Collins had been declared missing in action on July 10 after having been stationed in North Africa for six months. His parents reported their son was the pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress and had completed 24 bombing missions. They were told he had probably been shot down over Sicily or Italy.
At the Colony Theatre, “Bataan” starring Robert Taylor, Thomas Mitchell and Lloyd Nolan was showing this weekend, along with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in “Don’t Honk Now.”
Hugh Zimmerman received a letter from the president of the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., better known as A & P Grocery, for his 12 years as manager of the Hillsboro supermarket.
And when you’re at A & P, don’t forget to redeem your N, P and Q blue ration stamps since they would expire Saturday night, Aug. 7. R, S and T blue ration stamps were valid through Sept. 20, 1943. Ration stamp 13 was good for five pounds of sugar and on the way home, each No. 7 coupon in the “A” ration book was good for four gallons of gasoline.
A help-wanted ad appeared for power sewing machine operators for women ages 16 to 50. Ladies, you don’t have to go to a defense center to earn good wages, the ad stated, apply in person at Hercules Trouser Co. on N. West St. in Hillsboro.
A 60-year old “elderly” Buford man died at the wheel of his car early Sunday morning. George Hutson suffered an apparent heart attack. He was also known to many persons as George Hutchins as he served in the Spanish-American War under that second name.
This week in 1971, The Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported that now through Sunday, Kirk Douglas and Johnny Cash were starring in “A Gunfight” along with Robert Redford and Michael J. Pollard in “Little Fauss and Big Halsy” at the Colony Theatre.
The used car special of the week at Davis Chrysler-Plymouth in Hillsboro was a 1965 Chevelle SS “muscle car.” It was a two-door hardtop with a 327 under the hood and four on the floor, complete with mag wheels, for a low $595.
The Hillsboro American Legion team was headed for the state finals at Ashland College, and Dan W. Reed real estate and insurance wished Richard Shaffer’s team the best of luck.
The back to school sale was underway at Murphy’s, with girls double-knit dresses for $5.57, boys permanent press bell-bottom pants for $3.99 and to record the hits of the fall of ’71 off the radio, a cassette tape recorder was on sale for $18.88. Cash, charge or layaway at the G.C. Murphy’s in uptown Hillsboro.
Seaman Greg Zimmerman was stationed at Orlando, Fla. where he would be completing basic training on Aug. 20. He was the son of Mrs. Imogene Zimmerman of Hillsboro.
Young men born in 1952 with the birth dates of Dec. 4, Jan. 25 and Dec.15 were assigned numbers in the draft lottery. The outlook of nearly two million men turning 19 years old in 1971 was being decided in lottery numbers 1 through 366. The paper reported presidential authority to draft men for military service expired on June 30.
The early morning “Community Bulletin Board” with Bob Hodson celebrated its tenth year on the air on WSRW. The president of the Hillsboro Bank & Savings Co. could be heard from 7:30 to 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday.
This week in 1996, The Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported that the installation of new traffic lights throughout the city was bound to cause traffic interruptions and delays. Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Richard Vanzant advised motorists to be patient and let workers do their jobs.
Construction was underway on the new Lynchburg branch of the Highland County District Library system. It was hoped it would be open before Christmas.
Three Leesburg girls qualified to give their 4-H demonstrations at the upcoming Ohio State Fair. Lydia Kiesling demonstrated how to make fresh fruit pizza, while Kerry Jean Friend and Casey Priest gave a team demo on “Beef up on Bacon.” The trio would do their demonstrations at the state fair on Aug. 14.
Lisa Copeland of the Hillsboro FFA attended the 1996 Washington Leadership Conference that was held July 16-20 in the nation’s capital. It was an activity held in co-operation with the U.S. education department.
Washington Elementary School art teacher Avery Applegate was one of 68 teachers chosen to attend the Ohio Arts Council’s Summer Media Institute. It was described as a one week program for teachers and school administrators.
Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium was on the verge of getting a new name, with Hamilton county commissioners saying it would be renamed Cinergy Field. Commissioners wanted to use the money gained from the naming rights to pay off the lingering $18 million debt of the stadium, which opened in 1970.
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571
