The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, December 23, 2020 A-7 HISTORY Submit history photos: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: news@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg Source: www.history.com • Photo source: www.loc.gov Wednesday, Dec. 23 • Van Gogh chops off ear (1888) • George Washington resigns as commander in chief (1783) Thursday, Dec. 24 • Bob Hope gives his last show in Vietnam (1972) • President Coolidge lights first national Christmas tree (1923) Friday, Dec. 25 • "To Kill a Mockingbird" opens in theaters (1962) • Washington crosses the Del- aware (1776) Saturday, Dec. 26 • Bugsy Siegel opens Flamingo Hotel (1946) • George Washington wins first major U.S. victory at Trenton (1776) Sunday, Dec. 27 • Radio City Music Hall opens (1912) • Prohibitionist Carry Nation smashes bar (1900) Monday, Dec. 28 • First commercial movie screened (1895) • American's first Labor Day (1869) Tuesday, Dec. 29 • U.S. Army massacres Indians at Wounded Knee (1890) • Texas enters the Union (1845) SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO The Petersburg Press Friday and Tuesday, Aug. 17 and Aug. 21, 1945 Japan, in a radio broadcast through the Swiss legation, ac- cepted the terms dictated to it by the Allied Nations through President Truman, who act- ed for the Allied Nations. Gen. Douglas MacArthur has been appointed supreme Al- lied commander to receive the surrender and has issued orders to the Japs to send an envoy who will have the pow- er to act for the Japanese na- tion to the Island of Iwo Jima. This envoy is to come by plane using the code word "Bataan" as their safe conduct pass. From there, the envoy will be flown in an American plane to the site of the actual surren- der and returned via the same route. As the great news be- came known, hundreds of Washingtonians race to the White House to join hundreds already massed around the grounds. Mr. Truman, accom- panied by his wife, walked out on the porch and stepped up to a hastily erected microphone. He wave and smiled. Then he spoke, "Ladies and gentlemen, this the great day. This is the day we have been looking for since December 7, 1941. This is the day when fascism and police government ceases in the world. This is the day for the democracies. This is the day when we can start on our real task of implementation of free government in the world. We are faced with the great- est task we ever have been faced with. The emergency is as great as it was on Decem- ber 7, 1941. It is going to take the help of all of us to do it. I know we are going to do it." With the end of gas ra- tioning Wednesday, those few stations that had re- mained open did a real busi- ness with the old saying "fill 'er up" once more coming into use. Also with the end of gas rationing, came the end of ra- tioning for fuel oil, oil stove and all blue point foods, but rationing of meats, fats and oils, butter, sugar, shoes and tires will continue until pow- ered military requirements and increased production bring civilian supplies more nearly in balance with civil - ian demands. Price Adminis- trator Chester Bowles made the announcement of the first big break in rationing. The or- der became effective immedi- ately. All that filling stations and merchants had to do was hear the news through press or radio. Shortly after Bowles' announcement, Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes, as petroleum administrator, said ample quantities of ci - vilian gasoline will be avail- able immediately. The petro- leum administration said on- ly a few days would elapse be- fore better grades than the low octanes civilians have been us- ing will be available. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. William Jenne, a daughter, at their home in Petersburg, Sat- urday, August 18; To Mr. and Mrs. Fred Weaver, a daughter, Marynell, at the Washington Hospital, Friday, August 17; To Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth McA- tee, near Union, a son, at the Washington Hospital, Satur- day, August 18. Marriages: Martha Nelle Scherer and T/Sgt. Fentress Taylor were married at Sts. Pe- ter and Paul at 9 o'clock Sat- urday morning; Jean Greene and Pvt. Eldon Roy McCrary were united in marriage on Saturday, August 11 in Hen- derson, Ky. SIXTY YEARS AGO The Pike County Dispatch Thursday, Nov. 17, 1960 One of the most costly fires in a rural area of Pike Coun- ty occurred Friday night when the large dairy barns on the farm of John P. Hornbrook, of Union, were destroyed by flames, which swept through the huge structures at about 5 p.m. Damage was set at about $50,000, although there was no loss of livestock. Mr. Horn- brook was in one of the dairy barns, finishing with the milk- ing, when the fire was discov- ered. Fames were first noticed in the adjoining barn which was used largely for storage of hay and feed for the stock. The Petersburg Fire Depart- ment was called and when it arrived after traveling the ten miles to Union, the entire structure was ablaze. Two oth- er large barns were near the burning structures and the work of the fire department, a truck hauling water and volun- teers carrying water to keep the truck filled saved both of theses buildings. The home of the Hornbrooks is located just across the highway from the dairy barns. With very little wind, the house was not threat- ened. A fter the fire was discov- ered, Mr. Hornbrook drove all of the cattle into an adjoin- ing field and to safety. Satur- day morning, Mr. Hornbook issued an appeal for housing for the cattle and said that he would sell any amount of the cattle to anyone who cared to purchase them. He had to either find shelter for the 75 head of cattle or sell them so that they could be properly cared for. The dairy, one of the most modern in this section of the country, was partially cov- ered by insurance. Most of the buildings and equipment were new. The one barn, which was filled with hay, sent up flames and smoke, which could be seen for several miles away. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. Dave Arendell, of Oakland City, a son, Jerry Scott, born Thursday, November 10 at Gibson General Hospital; To Mr. and Mrs. Charles Folsom, of Oakland City, a son, Billy Joe, born Tuesday, November 8 at Gibson General Hospital. Deaths: Charles M. Mill- er, 40, of Petersburg, died at 11 a.m. Saturday at Boehne Hospital in Evansville; Anna Beardsley, 77, died suddenly Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. in the Jasper Memorial Hospi- tal; Donald Thompson, infant son of Thomas and Shirley Da- vis Thompson, of Otwell, died Tuesday at 7 a.m. at his home; Maude Lounsdale, 75, of Pe- tersburg, died at 12:30 p.m. Sunday in Daviess County Hospital; Roy L. Gladish, 62, of Bowman, died at his resi- dence at 7:30 p.m. Monday. FIFTY YEARS AGO The Press-Dispatch Thursday, Dec. 3, 1970 "Hoopla," a new monthly sports magazine devoted to southern Indiana high school basketball, will make its de- but on Tuesday, December 15, it was announced today. Published in Jasper by Hoop- la, Inc., the magazine will fea- ture information about high school basketball teams in the southern Indiana area, which feeds into the Evans - ville Semi-State tournament. This includes teams in the 16 sectional tourneys in an area generally bounded by Terre Haute and Martinsville on the north, as far east as Jefferson- ville, west to Vincennes, and south to Evansville. Although another realignment of tour- ney teams is due because of consolidations and new gym- nasiums, the southern Semi- State area probably will in- clude about 120 teams. Ac- cording to Howard Webber, of Jasper, general manager of the new publication, the 32-page magazine with full-color cov- er will be produced on slick paper and will be circulated through school clubs and or- ganization which are looking for fundraising projects. An initial printing of 3,000 cop- ies is planned for the first is- sue, he said. Six issues are planned, including a special tournament edition just before the Sectionals in February. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. William Jones, of Somer- ville, a son, Jeffery William, at Wirth Osteopathic Hospi- tal Sunday, November 29; To Mr. and Mrs. Randall K. Kat- ter, of Washington, a son, Ran- dall Scott, Saturday, Novem- ber 28; To Mr. and Mrs. Fred- erick Rose, of Oakland City, a son, David Glenn; To Mr. and Mrs. David A. Dorsey, a daughter, Kelli Renee, Friday, November 27 in Daviess Coun- ty Hospital; To Mr. and Mrs. Gary Williams, a son, Gary Gene, November 24; To Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Wheatley, of Winslow, a daughter, Sandra Dee, Wednesday, November 18 in Daviess County Hospital. Marriages: Charlotte Ann Jones became the bride of George Brian Klaas at 7:30 on November 20 at the First Church of God in Vincennes. Deaths: Loren Hill, Jr. 43, of Otwell, died Thanksgiv- ing Day at 8:45 a.m. at Da- viess County Hospital; Glen E. Robling, 63, of Petersburg, died at 9 p.m. Sunday, No- vember 29 at Wirth Memorial Hospital; Virgil Haley, 66, of Somerville, died at Wirth Os- teopathic Hospital Monday, November 23; Ralph Helsley, 65, of Francisco, died at Wirth Osteopathic Hospital on Sat- urday. TWENTY- FIVE YEARS The Press-Dispatch Thursday, Nov. 16, 1995 Teresa Houchin, 34, of Route 3, Petersburg, had to be extricated from her vehi- cle by members of the Jeffer- son Township Volunteer Fire Department's Squad 51 after she lost control of her vehicle and overturned, according to police reports. Houchin was traveling on County Road 375 S., about one-half mile past the Ayrshire Church, last Fri- day evening when she left the side of the road, traveled through a yard, hit a tree and overturned, coming to rest 88 feet from the point she left the roadway, according to Sher- iff's Deputy Joe Hill. Houchin was semi-conscious and was taken by ambulance to Wirth Hospital in Oakland City. Several parents and mem- bers of the community attend- ed the monthly meeting of the Pike County School Corpora- tion Board of Education last Thursday evening to urge the board to improve the quality of Pike Central's football pro- gram. Earlier in the meeting, Superintendent Mark Rans- ford told members of the board that Stan Shoultz and Steve Carter had voluntarily stepped down from the foot- ball coaching position at the end of the season. In order to hire a new football coach, Ransford explained, a teach- ing position had to be open. He said an opening has oc- curred and they would soon begin looking for a new head football coach. During the pa- tron concerns portion of the meeting, Richard Ridao, act- ing as spokesman for the con- cerned parents and fans, sug- gested that the quality of the program be improved by hir- ing a new coach. Ransford as- sured the group that a com- mittee would soon begin the search for a new coach. Rid- ao suggested parent repre- sentatives be members of that committee. Other patrons ex- pressed their concerns about the football program. Some suggested looking at coaching qualities first, and then look- ing at teaching abilities. "It's our responsibility as a board to hire a good teacher," respond- ed board president Jerry Bar- rett, "Education comes first. Extracurricular activities are just that —extra." Births: To Pastor and Mrs. Mike Shirey, of Petersburg, at Deaconess Hospital in Evans- ville, November 7, a son, Paul Michael. Marriages: Tina Lynnette Weisman and Donald Lane Booker were united in mar- riage on October 14 at First Christian Church in Peters- burg. Deaths: Mary Ella Fowl- er, 64, of Petersburg, died Friday, Nov. 10 at 1:50 p.m. at Amber Manor Care Cen- ter in Petersburg; Billie G. Holman, 67, of Monroe City, died at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12 at Good Samaritan Hospi- tal in Vincennes; William N. Mineheart, 85, of Petersburg, died Saturday, Nov. 11 at 3:24 p.m. at Petersburg Healthcare Center; Edwin W. Ross, 77, of Stendal, died at 12:45 p.m. Sat- urday, Nov. 12 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Huntingburg; Mer- ilyn Alexander, 77, of Peters- burg, died Thursday, Nov. 9 at 6:45 p.m. at her residence; An- nabelle Willis, 71, of Winslow, died Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 12:15 a.m. at her residence; Esther I. Knight, 82, of Oakland City, died Thursday, Nov. 9 at 6:45 a.m. at Wirth Regional Hospi- tal in Oakland City. Schmitten school students and families The Schmitten schoolhouse, their students and families were photographed on December 24, 1897. The school was located in Lockhart Township. There is no indication about the event, but it was Christmas Eve and proba- bly it was a Christmas gathering. The photo was courtesy of the Pike County Museum through the efforts of Sandy McBeth.