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 1898, the Hillsboro Gazette reported that the young men of Sugartree Ridge had arranged for a race meeting at the village Sunday afternoon. Horse racing, bicycle racing and a great day of general sport was promised for all the visitors.
In news from Buford, Uncle Jacob Waver has been laid up for over a week with sore hands, caused by hurting them on the wire screens of the threshing machine, the village’s band boys were practicing twice weekly preparing for the fall political campaigns, and Birch Brown and Ed Lewis bought the grocery stock of Wilbur Mabin and planned go into the mercantile business in the same building.
In New Market, several cases of fever had been reported, Joe Strain sold a steer weighing 1,485 pounds and brought a “nice sum of $58,” and Mrs. I.T. Vance was the loser of 65 turkeys by thieves. On the same night, George Vance lost 19 turkeys. The paper commented that “a dose on the stone pile is what such parties need.”
The Highland County commissioners awarded contracts for the construction of seven new iron bridges to take the place of those washed out by flooding in early August. The new spans were 20 to 102 feet in length.
Workers sinking a well on the farm of Asa Haynes accidentally hit a pocket of natural gas 100 feet down, and when a worker struck a match to it, there were reports of a geyser of flame shooting 15 feet high and burning for several hours. When it burned out, the drill hit oil at the 110-foot level and 10 feet beyond that, reached sand.
This week in 1929, the Hillsboro News Herald reported attendance was down at the Highland County Fair with the only big crowd reported to be the one that saw the Thursday night fireworks.
A proposal for the consolidation of the Highland County rural schools was put forth by the state department of education, and the Concord Township Board of Education accepted a proposal for the construction of a new school building at Sugartree Ridge.
The Buckeye Stage bus lines were taking folks to the Ohio State Fair in Columbus. One-way fare was $1.95 and a round trip was $3.50.
At the Hillsboro Kroger, Country Club corn flakes were 8 cents a box, pure lard was 15 cents for the one-pound bucket, and bread was 9 cents a loaf.
Studebaker announced the larger and finer Dictator Six automobile, with a 115-inch wheelbase and more passenger room. It was available at the dealership of A.W. Robison on Court Street in Hillsboro for $995.
This week in 1952, the Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported that flooding of the new Rocky Fork Lake basin would commence in the fall, with the third and final gate at the dam at McCoppin’s Mill scheduled to be closed in late September.
The State Conservation and Plowing Matches were underway at Serpent Mound farm near Peebles. WLW Radio in Cincinnati was at the event with entertainers and farm program representatives broadcasting live thoughout the day.
Cpl. Donald L. Swearingen of Hillsboro was coming home from Korea. His name was among the 1,308 soldiers rotating stateside aboard the Navy transport Sylvester Antolak, which was scheduled to arrive in Seattle, Washington.
At the Colony Theatre, it was “typhoon and temptation … and the devil sailed with them on the terror-ship called Mara Maru!” Errol Flynn and Ruth Roman starred in the adventure film, and coming Sunday was Walter Brennan in “Lure of the Wilderness.”
At Albers Super Market in Hillsboro, fresh ground beef was 59 cents a pound, Van Camp pork and beans in the big No. 2 can was 23 cents, a 20-ounce loaf of Alberly bread was 16 cents and Jack Frost sugar in the 25-pound bag was $2.39.
Former Highland County Sheriff Howard Miller was pictured holding the 28-pound catfish he snagged at Paint Creek, reportedly with a fly rod.
The Hill City Hotel in Hillsboro was open, with rooms for permanent and transit guests. Weekly rates were available.
Action and thrills filled the bill at the RoseLawn Drive-In Theatre in Allensburg. Thursday was Lucky Buck Night with Bobby Driscoll, Robert Preston and Martha Scott starring in “When I Grow Up.” For the weekend, it was a double bill Friday and Saturday night with “Fort Osage” and “Anne of the Indies,” and then at midnight Saturday, Linda Darnell was on the big screen in “The Lady Pays Off.” To wrap up the weekend, Sunday night featured “Skirts Ahoy!” starring the million-dollar mermaid Esther Williams.
The Civil Air Patrol was going to “bomb” Seaman on Sunday, with civil defense director Wilbur Williams saying that 20 to 30 planes would be staging simulated bombing runs over the village after leaving Tyler Airport in Aberdeen.
This week in 1984, the Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported that in a surprise development, Madison Township Bailiff John Delph had been designated police chief of Greenfield, a move that would require a formal appointment from mayor William Wisecup.
State lottery receipts were lining the coffers of local districts, with Hillsboro City Schools alone set to rake in $53,000, and possibly another $7,000 later in the year.
Showing at the Colony Theatre was the Disney classic “The Jungle Book.”
Back-to-school specials were being featuring at Hillsboro’s Convenient Food Mart. A half-pound bag of Grippo’s potato chips were 99 cents, an eight-bottle carton of Coke, Diet Coke, Tab or Sprite was $1.89 plus deposit, and grade-A large eggs were 75 cents a dozen.
Carmon Fetters of Hillsboro, Rickey Carmean of Greenfield and Jill Van Den Berg of Lynchburg were featured in a photo from the Ohio State Fair. The trio were members of the All-Ohio State Fair Youth Choir.
Highland County baseball fans were ecstatic over the news that “Charlie Hustle” himself, Pete Rose, was returning to the Cincinnati Reds as a player-manager.
Channel 9’s Allison James was using her daily “Rollin’ Along with Allison James” TV segment to promote tourism in Hillsboro. The paper reported that James and the Ohio Southland Tourism Council would be showcasing Ayres’ Drugstore, the Highland County Courthouse, Bell’s Opera House and the Highland House Museum.
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.
