TERRE HAUTE — Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
1998
• Terre Haute North Vigo High School students Valerie Brown, Kristin Ragle and Tiffany Powers, co-captains of the Patriot Stars dance team, were in New York City to participate in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The team was coached by Wanda Personette.
• Descendants of Reece Jones Morgan, who had moved from Kentucky to Prairie Creek in 1829, had their 100th anniversary reunion at the U.S. Penitentiary Training Center.
• Tribune-Star sports reporters chose Terre Haute North Vigo’s boys and Terre Haute South Vigo’s girls as the No. 1 high-school basketball teams in the Wabash Valley.
• The Family Service Association named the families of Mike and Janet Thompson, James and Darlene Stewart and Dorothy and the late Harry Brentlinger as “First Families of the Wabash Valley.”
• Rod O’Kelley, owner of the Boot City complex on U.S. 41 south of Terre Haute, opened Boot City of Brazil in the former Tracer Trailer manufacturing plant on Indiana 59, south of Brazil.
• Carlos Aballi, Honey Creek Middle School principal since 1993, was appointed student services assistant for the Vigo County School Corp.
1983
• Morris B. Blumberg, representing the corporate owners, assigned the downtown Meis Department Store buildings to the city of Terre Haute.
• The Garfield High School memorial monument was dedicated on the site of the former school on Thanksgiving Day, the traditional date of the annual Garfield-Wiley football game that had been played for 37 years. Carl Jones, Tribune-Star sportswriter recalled, “Wiley enjoyed a 27-23-6 edge after the last game was played in 1970.”
• Vigo County School Corp. administrators and board members and Alternatives in Living and Learning board members were guests at a Thanksgiving dinner at Vigo County’s fourth high school, 1301 S. 13th St. Lieselotte Maher was the head teacher at this alternative school.
• Betsy Sue Salmon was named winner of the Mademoiselle Charmante Award at the 25th anniversary Cotillion, where 19 members of the Junior Department Club were honored. Mrs. Milton Brinza served as chairwoman of the event sponsored by the Woman’s Department Club.
• West Vigo High School Y-Teens hosted an early Thanksgiving dinner for senior citizens. Denise Van Sandt was the club president.
1958
• The United Thanksgiving Service, sponsored by the Terre Haute Council of Churches, was staged at the Central Presbyterian Church.
• Downtown merchants announced their stores would be open until 8:30 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays during the holiday season. They also provided a parking area on Dresser Drive just south of Ohio Street with the cooperation of the city administration. Free bus service between the free parking area and downtown was provided.
• Mrs. James Clark was the general chairman of the Newcomers Club’s 10th annual Charity Ball in the Terre Haute House Mayflower Room. Proceeds were given to the Beacon School of the Valley.
• Paula Morris of Honey Creek High School and Sharon Berry of Gerstmeyer High School were selected to receive the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Awards.
• Daniel Appliance Co. celebrated a grand opening in conjunction with the remodeling of its store at 1206 Wabash Ave. The company was also celebrating its 25th anniversary having opened its first store in 12 Points in 1933. Max Einstandig was the present owner.
History
LOOKING BACK: 1983: Garfield High memorial monument dedicated on site of the former school
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: Terre Haute Works of Allis-Chalmers closes
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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GENEALOGY: BMD website great for tracing England, Wales
If you have ancestors who trace back to England or Wales within the past 175 years, then the Free BMD website at RootsWeb, at freebmd.rootsweb.com/, is the place to visit.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: WBOW introduced some fine Valley talent
When it first began broadcasting in 1927, station WRPI (Rose Polytechnic Institute) focused on educational programing.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Inventor John B. Deeds and highwayman William G. Murray
Among the many unsolved local history mysteries is the fate of master machinist and inventor John B. Deeds.
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: This little-known compromise may have saved the union
When the Constitution was signed in September of 1787 and sent to the Congress that then existed under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was instructed to send that Constitution to the states to be ratified … or not. The message to the states was clear: Accept the Constitution or reject it, but don’t try to change it.
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Traveling Civil War exhibit makes history personal
Civil War history will come alive for visitors to the Sullivan County Public Library who experience “Faces of the Civil War,” a traveling exhibition created and managed by the Indiana Historical Society.
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GENEALOGY: Virginia Historical Society takes on ambitious project
Over the past few months, the Virginia Historical Society has launched an ambitious project to scrutinize more than 8 million 17th, 18th, and 19th century documents in order to identify the enslaved population of those times.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: The Legacy of ‘The Old Silkworm House’
In 1837, and for several years thereafter, a gray sandstone obelisk was installed next to a one-story frame residence at the northwest corner of Sixth and Eagle streets.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: A blast from valentines past
Valentine’s Day — it brings to mind simple paper valentines and the elaborate, fancy store-bought cards with multiple verses and glittery covers.
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: Flu outbreak forces Schulte closed
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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Original copy of 13th Amendment at Lincoln Library & Museum
A fully signed and recently restored copy of the Congressional resolution for a 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the official act that would abolish slavery in the United States, will be on display in the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum’s Treasures Gallery.
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: Freedom of religion — beliefs and actions
Because religious faith is, arguably, the quintessential example of our right to privacy, to say nothing of its prominent place in our First Amendment, throughout our history court cases involving the free exercise of religion have been handled with great trepidation and with particular care. One of the milestone “free exercise” religion cases, Davis v. Beason, was decided by the Supreme Court this week (Feb. 3) in 1890.
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GENEALOGY: SoCal Genealogical Jamboree coming up in June
The Southern California Genealogical Society announces its 43rd Annual Jamboree, to be staged for three days on June 8-10, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel in Burbank, Calif.
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LOOKING BACK: 2002: Disco Ernie featured on Maury
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: Flashing the mayor's badge
This mayoral badge was presented to the Vigo County Historical Society by Elizabeth K. Schultz, the granddaughter of Samuel E. Beecher Sr., who served as mayor of Terre Haute from 1936 to 1940.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Deadly tornado devastates York in 1907
John T. Staff loved water and, particularly, the Wabash River.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Notorious Western desperado Ellsworth Wyatt captured in Clay County
In October 1892, Terre Haute police received a circular from the State of Kansas containing a description of Ellsworth Wyatt and offering a $1,200 reward for his capture.
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LOOKING BACK: 2002: ISU students honor Martin Luther King Jr.
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: News letter filled with wonderful local news
We recently received five bound volumes of copies of the “Terre Haute Onizette,” the Owen-Illinois Glass Company news letter for the Terre Haute Plant.
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GENEALOGY: Peyton, Downey, Fifer queries and a plea for help from Scotland
This week, we have several queries.
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Extension plans seminar on land use
The Purdue Extension Land Use Team is hosting a video seminar titled “Welcome to the Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals” from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday.
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: Kennedy, Camelot, and other myths
This week (Jan. 20) in 1961, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as our 35th president, and his tragic death by assassination notwithstanding, his was a mediocre presidency that, undeservedly, became the stuff of legend — in part because of his assassination.
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Actor to portray Lincoln at dinner for historical society
A special program, “And Lincoln Wrote,” is coming to Harlan Hall in Marshall, Ill., with a featured presentation by Dick Benach as Abraham Lincoln and Chuck Hand as the publisher of the Prairie Beacon.
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GENEALOGY: Celebrate MLK Day with the Indiana Historical Society
On Monday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Indiana Historical Society will offer free admission to celebrate Martin Luther King Day.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Light Guards savor military and social experiences
Never during the Civil War was there a time when the City of Terre Haute was in danger of hosting an armed conflict involving one or more armies.
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: 87 high school hoops teams compete in 47th annual Wabash Valley Tournament
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: A bottle of clove oil at the pharmacy
The Historical Treasure for today is a bottle of Clove Oil.
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LOOKING BACK: 1987: St. Mary’s Parish congregation celebrates 150th anniversary
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: Fire up the jukebox for a great night
The jukebox existed long before Glenn Miller’s “Juke Box Saturday Night” swing version.
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GENEALOGY: 1752 is one memorable year for genealogists
The year 1752 is one to remember if you have ancestors who lived in areas controlled by Great Britain; and this includes the American colonies.
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: Terre Haute Works of Allis-Chalmers closes








