Dorothy Jerse
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE —
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
2002
• U.S. Rep. John Hostettler announced his candidacy to run for the newly drawn 8th District seat. David Lohr was the Vigo County Republican Party chairman.
• Members of the Vigo County School Corp. board voted 5-2 to close Crawford Elementary School at the end of the academic year
• General Manager Richard Payonk reported that Wabash River Energy, located at 444 W. Sanford Avenue north of Terre Haute, was statistically the cleanest coal-fired plant in the world from an air-emission standpoint. It was one of the only two coal-gasification facilities in the United States generating electricity for sale to the public.
• The project for widening South 13th Street was well under way. It was the city's part in providing a north-south connection to the proposed 641 bypass to link U.S. 41 to I-70 on the east side of the city.
• Chauncey Rose Middle School students were playing bridge one evening a week at the Terre Haute Bridge Center, 303 S. 14th St., as part of the Easybridge class. Mona Sternfeld, a math teacher, was the school Bridge Club sponsor.
1987
• Dave Bussing, former coach at North Central High School, was promoted to sales manager of M.A.B. Paints Inc., which operated 44 company stores in a six-state area. Lee Roads was the company president.
• Joseph M Zlomek, Tribune-Star publisher, Dr. Carol Heine, optometrist, and Dick Willis of Public Service Indiana were elected to the Terre Haute Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors.
• Thelma Modesitt, Vigo County School Corp. treasurer, reported the corporation finished the year with “a healthy balance of $16.8 million in all accounts.” The total interest earned in 1986 was $857,346.
• A letter from Army Maj. Gen. Nile J. Fulwyler read, “Vigo Plant (originally the Ordnance Depot built in 1942) was obtained (1944) for the manufacture of biological warfare agents and biological vaccines, filling and loading of biological munitions and breeding of laboratory animals. Its primary mission was specified as the manufacture and loading of a material (which was) anthrax.” The end of World War II (1945) brought orders to suspend further activities and the plant was later sold to Chas. A. Pfizer & Co. Inc.
1962
• Eighty-seven high school basketball teams competed in the 47th annual Wabash Valley Tournament played at 14 sites.
• Gov. Matthew E. Welsh was in Terre Haute for the dedication of the new 7.3-mile section of U.S. 41 North. The four-lane, limited access highway began at Third Street and Lafayette Avenue and continued north on Third to Maple avenue where it cut to the northeast and rejoined U.S. 41 north of Roselawn Memorial Park.
• Newlin-Johnson Co., 601 Ohio St., advertised its two subdivisions: Terre Vista adjoining Deming Woods and Lakewood by the town of Riley.
• The 55-year-old Home Packing Co. announced its plant was being closed and all assets were being liquidated affecting between 350 and 375 workers. No agreement had been reached with Teamsters Local 144.
• The bulletin board in front of the Tabernacle Baptist Church, Eighth and Lafayette avenues, read, “Christ the answer — not booze! Try faith in God.” Across the same intersection, a sign in front of a tavern read, “Booze, the Only Answer.”
