Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
1999
n Terre Haute voters elected Vigo County Auditor Judy Anderson (D), their first female mayor. Winners of other mayoral elections were Ron Shepard (D) in Clinton, C. Neal Heap (R) in Sullivan, and Kenneth Crabb (R) for his third term in Brazil.
n Local retailers were concerned about hiring extra employees for the holiday season because of the lack of job seekers. The unemployment rate in the Terre Haute area was 3.2 percent, the lowest in years.
n A record grain crop in the Wabash Valley forced Graham Grain, 200 Voorhees St., beyond its two-million-bushel storage capacity. Workers were now stacking the extra corn in a field off Canal Road.
n Kevin A. Hoolehan, director of development at Gibault School for Boys since 1993, was the new managing director of the Indiana State University Foundation.
n Marilyn Peffley, founder of Terre Haute Mothers Against Drunken Driving (MADD) was awarded the Indiana Communities for Drug Free Youth Enrique Camarena Award for her effort in keeping drunken drivers off the road and educating younger drivers.
1984
n James W. Shanks, president of Shanks Motor Co., received the 25-year Dealer Award from Volkswagen of America. Shanks had become a VW dealer in 1959 at 2122 Wabash Ave., and then moved to 4325 U.S. 41 South in 1970. Almost 6,300 VWs had been sold by the dealership since 1959.
n Dr. Paul Siebenmorgen of Terre Haute was chosen president-elect of the Indiana State Medical Association at its 135th convention in Indianapolis.
n West Vigo Middle School was called “a class operation” in a rave review by the North Central Association evaluation team. James Jackson was the principal and David Graesch the director of the guidance program.
n The Society of St. George hosted “Arabian Nights” featuring a dinner and folk dance demonstration at the St. George Social Center, 1900 S. Fourth St. Zack Kassis was the society president.
n Workers for Gatti Association Inc. completed a new computerized message center at Hulman Center. Terre Haute First National Bank had purchased the outdoor sign and two new computer-controlled scoreboards inside for $240,000.
1959
n The Democrats swept the Terre Haute municipal election except for the council seats of Lawrence R. Jones (R) and Dr. Malcolm E. Boone (R). Mayor Ralph Tucker defeated Ray H. Hahn (R) for his fourth term.
n Dorothy J. Clark was the top vote-getter in the city school board election which was considered a general revolt of voters against present school policies.
n The National Safety Council ranked Terre Haute second in traffic safety among 124 cities in the nation with populations ranging from 50,000 to 100,000. Racine, Wis., placed first.
n Harvest Moon, the first formal dance of the season for high school students, was held in the Mayflower Room of the Terre Haute House with music by The Monitors. The event was sponsored by the Garfield High School Y-Teens, with Judy Hamilton and Kathleen Tomlinson as co-chairs, and the YWCA Y-Teen Cabinet.
n Pete Varda, Schulte High School football coach, said, “It’s always great to beat Wiley” after his Golden Bears’ 28-0 victory over the Red Streaks.
History
LOOKING BACK: 1999: TH voters elect first female mayor
- History
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GENEALOGY: Columnist seeks info on families from Dana
Perhaps someone out there can help me with something I’ve been working on for quite a few years
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Early Terre Haute theater includes Billy Emerson
Traveling theater troupes performed in Terre Haute before the village was incorporated on Jan. 26, 1832.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: Radiant heating — a hot idea
This week’s Historical Treasure is a bit out of season, but a wood stove will help drive away the morning chill and you can make breakfast on it.
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LOOKING BACK: 1987: Record-breaking temps hit Vigo
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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BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSON: Emperor Constantine changes the world
The Emperor Constantine, the first Christian ruler of the Roman Empire and the man who ended that empire’s persecution of Christianity, died this week (May 22) in 337 AD, having lived a life that would change the world.
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GENEALOGY: Library archives contain tons of information
Inside the archives room of the Vigo County Public Library, row after row of fragile documents, rare out-of-print books, and historic photographs are kept on shelves in a humidity and temperature-controlled room.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Historic efforts to open Center Street from Cherry to Swan
Efforts to open Center Street, from Cherry to Swan, spanned a half century or more.
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LOOKING BACK: 2002 — Valley drenched in wettest spring in 107 years
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star. -
HISTORICAL TREASURE: Some history wreathed in hair
From the unfortunate occurrence of Prince Albert’s death in 1861 came the social mores of proper mourning practices and accoutrements witnessed and endorsed by the admirers of Queen Victoria in her reign-long state of grieving.
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LOOKING BACK: 1987: League of Women Voters reorganizes
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: Here comes the bride
The newest major exhibit at the Historical Museum, which opens Tuesday, showcases wedding gowns worn by Vigo County residents.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Downtown changes featured in early 1927
During March and April of 1927 – about 85 years ago – the owners of interests in four major downtown Terre Haute theaters were negotiating to transfer their interests to representatives of Paramount Studios.
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GENEALOGY: Genealogy isn’t for the easily embarrassed
The saying goes, if you’re easily embarrassed or afraid of what you’ll find, don’t start doing genealogy.
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BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: The long, lost, last — the 27th —Amendment
Our very last constitutional amendment — the 27th Amendment — was ratified this week (May 7) in 1992 when Michigan became the 38th state to approve it.
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BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: The Haymarket Square Massacre
One unhappy byproduct of the Industrial Age was the growing discontent of its industrial workers, who constantly agitated for better pay and more humane working conditions.
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: Stands packed as Wiley takes county track title
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and the Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Death of Terre Haute jeweler gains national headlines
Terre Haute sought national publicity in 1910 through “Boosterism,” lauding the city’s significant advancements during the decade ending Dec. 31, 1909.
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GENEALOGY: Cemetery Committee to conduct restoration workshop
The Wabash Valley Genealogy Society’s Cemetery Committee will conduct an all-day cemetery restoration workshop on Saturday at the Smith Cemetery near Youngstown, Honey Creek Township, Vigo County, Ind.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: Harmonious history
In 1923, a group of singers calling themselves the Harmony Four entertained regularly over the radio and at civic and various club events.
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BRUCE’S HISTORY LESSONS: Cleveland observes Lincoln’s funeral
The death of America’s greatest president, Abraham Lincoln, resulted in an outpouring of national mourning, the apex of which came in late April of 1865 when a specially outfitted train carried his body on a thirteen-day, 1,700-mile, eleven-city funeral procession from Washington, D.C., to his home and final resting place in Springfield, Ill.
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GENEALOGY: Many people can trace ancestry to Titanic
This month marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, which occurred on April 14-15, 1912.
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LOOKING BACK: 1987: ISU bowling team at nationals again
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 PERSPECTIVE: Sullivan County mine explosion kills 8 in 1878
Shortly after 4 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 21, 1878, an enormous explosion rocked the Handford Brothers mine about one-half mile north of the Evansville & Terre Haute Railroad depot in Sullivan County.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: A common feature, but memorable
As an absolute architecture nerd, I tend to look at buildings noticing the odd ball things such as door hinges and door locks in addition to admiring the overall building.
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSONS: MLK’s letter written from a jail cell in Birmingham
This week (April 16) in 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. sat in a jail cell in Birmingham, Ala., having been arrested for violating a trumped-up court order that prohibited him and his followers from conducting various protest activities, most of which you can read about in the First Amendment.
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: Swope celebrates 20th 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 PERSPECTIVE: 1955 Babe Ruth League championship team to be feted
Currently in his 25th year as a college baseball coach, Rick Heller is in the midst of his third winning season at Indiana State and has embraced the university and the community.
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GENEALOGY: Long-awaited 1940 census is now available for the public
The long-awaited release of the 1940 census took place on April 2.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: Memories baked from scratch
On my Historical Treasure hunt, I was drawn to a pasteboard barrel 28 inches high and 18.5 inches across with the words “Calumet Baking Powder Bakes Best, Received Highest Award” on one side and “Calumet Baking Powder Always Pleases, Try It” on the other.
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: Thomas Jefferson's flights of fancy
Thomas Jefferson, born this week (April 13) in 1743, is — deservedly so — in the pantheon of American heroes.
- More History Headlines
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GENEALOGY: Columnist seeks info on families from Dana
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