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 years gone by.
This week in 1896, the Highland Weekly News reported the capture of a pair of men who were stealing chickens. Both had eluded police in previous crimes, but a recent snowfall allowed police to follow their tracks to the home of the criminals.
The paper described it as “a lively fight” that began at the Wesleyan Methodist Church on East Street and ended up with arrests at the Hillsboro Masonic Temple. The Newton Brothers, “Baldy” Kittrels, “Guinea” Trimble and “Lish” Thomas were put in the station house by police.
Spargur & Company in Hillsboro advertised that ladies with a beautiful face would be doubly attractive if that face was accompanied by a graceful figure, and its Henderson Corsets were guaranteed to bring out the curves and add grace to a lady’s stride.
Trains for the Baltimore and Ohio southwest railway left Hillsboro at 7:15 a.m. daily if riding the No. 59; No. 61 left at 2:20 p.m. daily except Sunday, No. 63 departed at 4:15 p.m. every day except Sunday and No. 69 was the last departure for the day at 6:30 p.m.
The killer of a Hillsboro man the paper described as an “old miser” was lodged in the county jail after being arrested in a hut near Jasper in Pike County. “Doc” McCoppin of Brushcreek Township led the search for the man.
This week in 1933, the Hillsboro News Herald reported that the “equinoxial storms” which whipped through Highland County the past week caused minor damage, but no major losses were reported.
No injuries had been received from former Highland County residents who were living in California when an earthquake hit. W.W. Kincaid wired from Phoenix and said he was heading east from his former home in Long Beach after “three days and nights of shaking up.”
For the sixth time since August, the Greenfield bulk station had been robbed, with thieves getting way with a quantity of gasoline, kerosene, motor oil and axle grease, all of which were taken from a large truck.
All three of the Hillsboro banks reopened Wednesday without restrictions following President Roosevelt’s bank holiday. The Farmers Exchange Bank in Lynchburg, Peoples National Bank in Greenfield, Whiteoak Valley Bank in Mowrystown and Citizens Bank and Savings Company in Leesburg all reopened as well, with strict limits on how much money account holders could withdraw for fear of more bank runs.
Mora McKeever thought he heard chicken thieves after hearing noises from the hen house when he came home from church Sunday, and promptly took aim with a shotgun and put the fowl felons to flight.
The sportswriter for the paper opined that if Babe Ruth didn’t accept the Yankee’s salary proposal of $50,000, “we think he is a poor simp and we don’t care what happens to him.”
At the New Bell’s Theatre, action, humor and romance were the main elements in “Beyond the Rockies,” starring Tom Keene, with Jack Oakie starring in “Sailor Be Good,” a comedy guaranteed to “make you roar like a 12-inch deck gun.”
Meanwhile, over at the Forum, Rin Tin Tin Jr. starred in “The Pride of the Legion,” with Flip the Frog and a host of novelty shorts, plus Chapter 3 of “The Galloping Ghost” with Red Grange.
At Kelley’s Cash ‘n Carry, Maxwell House in the one-pound can was 29 cents, a one-pound jar of peanut butter was 9 cents and Bon-Ton flour was 35 cents for a 25-pound bag.
This week in 1965, the Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported a candy sale was underway for the benefit of the Hillsboro High School bands.
Charges had been filed against the union representing employees of Collins Packing Company in Greenfield. The company was alleging unfair labor practices after picking began on March 8.
It was a special movie treat for the kids as the Colony Theatre featured the motion picture “Flipper,” the story of a boy and his underwater friend from the popular TV series.
The Ross County Board of Education voted unanimously to transfer the Buckskin Valley School District to the Greenfield Exempted Village School District. Voters approved of the transfer in the November 1964 election.
The Hillsboro senior class was taking its senior trip to the nation’s capital, and Hillsboro Dry Goods was offering 10 percent off the purchase of luggage for the rest of March to any graduate.
At the Hillsboro Royal Blue supermarket, Folger’s instant coffee was sale priced at 59 cents a jar and Buckeye wieners were only 39 cents a package.
Congressman William Harsha mailed out his annual questionnaire to residents of the Sixth Congressional District. Some of the questions sought public comment on federal aid to elementary and secondary schools, hospital and nursing care for those over 65, and whether or not to expand American involvement in the Vietnam War.
In the thick of the action in southeast Asia, the parents of SSgt. Jerry Lee Burns of Hillsboro reported he was stationed at Da Nang, South Vietnam.
A big-capacity Whirlpool freezer that could hold 500 pounds of food and would cost just $1.80 a week was ready for the utility rooms of Highland County homes. C.R. Roberts & Son, 10 miles south of Hillsboro on U.S. 62, advertised to bring your truck or arrange for free home delivery.
This week in 1998, the Hillsboro Times-Gazette reported the Roselawn Drive-In Theatre in Allensburg was reopening on Thursday, March 18 with the Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis comedy “You’re Never Too Young.” Coming for the weekend was George Hamilton as county music star Hank Williams in “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” followed by Connie Francis, Jim Hutton and Joby Baker in “Looking for Love.”
Olympic gold medalist Amanda Borden was going to be the special guest celebrity at the Highland County Society for Children and Adults Telethon. Co-chairs of the event were Dr. Mark Davis of Hillsboro and Greenfield attorney Larry Hayes.
A one-day benefit at the Highland South restaurant raised $12,595 for cancer patient Susan Hauke and her family. The restaurant reported that more than 850 people came through the doors on March 12 to help out.
Gas prices at the pumps were at a 10-year low with a picture on the front page of the Hillsboro East Main Street Marathon sporting a sign showing gas for 92 cents a gallon. Plunging oil prices were credited with the 23 cents a gallon tumble since last September.
With companies and government services rapidly migrating to something being called “the world wide web,” the Highland County District Library was offering free training on the basics of how to navigate “the information super highway.”
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.
