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 1912, The News-Herald reported that the Hillsboro Fair held during the week was a success. The article said Thursday more than 7,000 people paid admission to the grounds and that it was “probably” the largest crowd to ever attend the Hillsboro Fair.
Hillsboro Public Schools opened and totaled 809 students, which was an increase of 23 students compared to the year prior. The article said that of that number, 431 of the enrollment were boys and 378 were girls.
A plan to earn $30,000 for building additions to the hospital building, as well as repairing, remodeling, furnishing and equipping it, was underway. It was also said that this type of plan had been used successfully for other hospitals and YMCA buildings.
There was an advertisement for Hillsboro Ice Delivery by Stevenson & Stevenson Proprietors. The ad said the delivery service had prompt delivery and courteous treatment. The advertisement also said that the delivery service could be for either wholesale or retail.
This week in 1945, The Press-Gazette reported that 850 motorists had purchased their 1946 driver’s licenses since they had gone on sale on Sept. 10. The article urged people to get their licenses as not to wait until the last minute.
A Hillsboro trucker David Boothby said that he saw a cherry blossom tree limb that was in full bloom. The article said that Boothby stopped his truck to break off the twig to prove that he knew what he was talking about.
The Highland County Amateur Horse Show from the Highland County Horse Club changed from the Hillsboro High School grounds to the local fairgrounds. A total of $210 would be awarded in prizes while ribbons would be given to the first, second, third and fourth place finishers.
Adult Hillsboro High School football fans saw a small reduction in ticket prices, as the price went down from 50 cents to an astonishing 49 cents. The article said the reduction was made to save on taxes that would need to be paid to the state. The old ticket set-up was 42 cents for admission and 8 cents for federal tax.
The Hillsboro Booster Club met and made plans to support Hillsboro schools during the 1945-46 school year. The boosters also voted to pay for the construction of a scoreboard to be built at the northeast corner of the Hillsboro High School football field.
This week in 1975, the Hillsboro Press-Gazette reported the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Cleveland Browns by a score of 24-17 in the 1975 season opener. The Bengals flew to a 24-3 lead, but then the Browns came back to nearly tie the game before the Bengals defensive tackle Hugh McKinnis stopped the opposition on fourth down.
The Cincinnati Reds also won, beating the Atlanta Braves with a score of 3-0 thanks to the pitching of left-hander Don Gullett, who allowed only two hits. Ken Griffey Sr. started the scoring thanks to a two-run homer, which also scored Pete Rose, while a Dan Driessen double brought home the third run.
Galen Landess of Hollowtown Road saw the world’s largest corn research and testing program at Dekalb AgResearch, Inc. in Dekalb, Illinois. Landess was among more than 4,000 people that attended a convention that honored Dekalb dealers around the country.
This week in 2000, The Times-Gazette reported that state college officials were finishing a two-year spending plan that was heavy on new initiatives that would nurture educational opportunities and economic development.
The Highland County commissioners met, and the topic discussed was the placement of the tornado sirens in the city of Hillsboro. One of the sirens had already been placed on top of the Hillsboro Fire Department. Another place where a siren was planned was for city property off of Oak Street, which was also home to the water tower.
The paper reported that thousands of Kroger employees voted to reject a contract offer from the company and also to authorize a strike after negotiations between the union and the company fell through.
The response for the 2000 census, which was that 72 percent of people returned their census, was below the state’s goal, which was for an 80 percent response rate. The gap in response meant taxpayers would spend about $27 million in in-person interviews.
The paper reported that the 11th annual Thunder in the Hills, an American Power Boat Association-sanctioned race, was being prepared to take place at Rocky Fork State Park over the weekend. The article said about 80 boats were preparing to race in the event.
Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.
