The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, March 31, 2021 D-3 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.historyextra.com Wednesday, March 31 • "The Matrix" released in theat- ers (1999) • Eiffel Tower opens (1889) Thursday, April 1 • April Fools tradition popular- ized (1700) • Marvin Gaye is shot and killed by his own father (1984) Friday, April 2 • Pope John Paul II dies (2005) • Ponce de Leon discovers Flori- da (1513) Saturday, April 3 • Pony Express debuts (1860) • Unabomber arrested (1996) Sunday, April 4 • Dr. King is assassinated (1968) • Hank Aaron ties Babe Ruth's home run record (1974) Monday, April 5 • Pocahontas marries John Rolfe (1614) • Kurt Cobain dies (1994) Tuesday, April 6 • The United States officially en- ters World War I (1917) • First modern Olympic Games (1896) Pregnant... or think you are? Call:1-877-257-1084 or Locally Call: 1-812-354-2814 • Free pregnancy testing • Free counseling and info. on pregnancy options. • Confi dential counseling for women & men who are suff ering from post-abortion syndrome. • Residential Care • Health and assistance referrals. • Training and education. • Assistance in getting baby and maternity clothes washpcc@sbcglobal.net www.washingtonpregnancycenter.com Old Methodist Church altar This is a view of the altar in the old Petersburg First United Methodist Church just after remodelling was do- ne in the early 1960s. Church members thinK it was in about 1961 that this photo was taken and made into a postcard. Rowdy Boger published the postcard. The church had just finished replacing the woodwork on the altar and other areas of the sanctuary. The church was destroyed in the 1990 tornado and the new Petersburg First United Methodist Church, at 9th and Walnut streets, stands in its place. SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO The Petersburg Press Friday and Tuesday, Mar. 29 and Apr. 2, 1946 Accidentally shot by her fi- ance on the eve of their wed- ding, Miss Estel Lynn Hayes, 17, passed away Wednesday afternoon at the Washington hospital. Little hope had been held for her since the shoot- ing occurred at close range with the shot puncturing her intestines in at least 10 places. The accident happened at her home in Ayrshire just shortly after William Hensley, her fi- ance, had returned from tar- get practice in a wooded area nearby last Friday afternoon. Denzil Scraper announces that he will open his depart- ment store on Saturday, March 30. He and Mrs. Scraper have been working very hard trying to get the new store in shape to serve the people of Pike Coun- ty. They have traveled far and wide in their efforts to pur- chase stock for the store. In their advertisement, they are announcing their policy con- cerning nylon hosiery, which has been devised to make an equal distribution. The store is located on Seventh and Main in Petersburg. The Lincoln Hotel Cafe, un- der the management of Frank Crecelius will open Saturday, March 20. The cafe is com- pletely redecorated and re- built and is situated in front of the Eight St. entrance. All new equipment has been in- stalled with chrome fixtures and leather upholstering, giv- ing the place a very nice ap- pearance. Briggs Kepley, former ed- itor of the Pike County Re- publican, died at the home of his son, William, in Califor- nia, last week and was buried there. He was 88 years of age at the time of his passing. Mr. Kepley made his home in this city for many years, where he owned and published the Pike County Republican, and was at one time the editor and pub- lisher of the Petersburg Press. He also owned and published the Oakland City Enterprise for many years. His father, Dr. Kepler, was a practicing physician in this city for ma- ny years. Marriages: Frieda Irene Robling and Paul Edward Weintrant were married March 21 by Justice of the Peace Clifford Newton in Shel- byville. Deaths: Ethel May Fleen- er, 39, of near Simtown, died Wednesday in her home; Bob- by Joe Jones, 6, of Otwell, died Tuesday morning in Washing- ton Hospital. SIXTY YEARS AGO The Pike County Dispatch Thursday, Mar. 30, 1961 The Handy Hardware in Petersburg was entered early Wednesday morning and the thieves carried away about $ 300 worth of merchandise. Taken were five shotguns and rifles, power tools, pock- et knives, flashlights and bat- teries. The combination was knocked from the safe, but it was not entered. The thieves helped themselves to gloves in the store to wear during the operation so they would leave no fingerprints. Tools from the store were also used to knock the combination from the safe door. A fter getting what they wanted, the thieves walked out of the back door into the alley. Stanton Traylor discovered the break-in when he reported for work Wednesday morning at 7 o'clock. The Handy Hard- ware is located directly across the street from the Petersburg City Hall and police station. A former Pike County wom- an and her daughter were in- volved in an accident Mon- day night four miles east of Mt. Carmel, Ill., which fatal- ly injured the 17-year-old girl and left the mother in seri- ous condition in the Wabash General Hospital in Mt. Car- mel. Mrs. Lloyd Lear and her daughter, Patricia, has been to Petersburg and were return- ing to their Mt. Carmel home when the accident occurred. They had brought a chair to Mrs. Lear's mother, Mrs. An- na Beck, who lives on South Seventh St. Mrs. Beck is seri- ously ill. According to police, the Mt. Carmel high school se- nior was driving the car when she apparently became blind- ed by lights from an oncom- ing car and struck the rear of a truck which was parked partially on the highway with a flat tire. The truck involved in the accident was carrying an oil drilling rig and was driv- en by C.R. Wagstaff, of Robin- son, Ill. The driver said that he had flares set on the high- way. The impact knocked the heavy truck into the ditch, up- setting it. Miss Lear was killed instantly. Mrs. Lear's head was pushed through the wind- shield of the car by the impact. She is still listed in very seri- ous condition. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. Roy Toney, of Otwell, twin sons at the Stork Hospital in Huntingburg Friday morning. Deaths: Algernon S. Fred- erick, 102, of Union, died Tues- day at 10 :05 a.m. at Deaconess Hospital; Samuel O. Newton, 73, of Ayrshire, died Wednes- day at 4:05 in the Daviess County hospital; Doyle Jones, 50, of Oakland City, died Tues- day at his home; Mary Jewell Marsee, 59, of Petersburg, died at 4:15 p.m. Thursday at the Daviess County Hospital. FIFTY YEARS AGO The Press-Dispatch Thursday, Apr. 1, 1971 Pike County Commission- ers signed the deed to the for- mer poor farm land and offi- cially transferred it to the Pike County School Corporation last Friday. The proposed high school building for the entire county is now underway, along with a new elementary build- ing for the Otwell area. The land was transferred Friday following action of the county council last Monday. Council- men signed an order to delete the portion of their ordinance which required a declarato- ry judgment be made by Pike Circuit Court. Before land can be transferred or sold by commissioners the transac- tion must be approved by the county council. Councilmen filed an ordinance recently in the school matter requiring that a declaratory judgment be obtained on certain laws pertaining to transfer of land from one governmental body to another. This was attempt- ed, but delays in the form of intervening petitions and oth- er complaints were filed by an attorney. Deteriorating school buildings have made it imper- ative to go ahead with the new school buildings. Com- missioners and councilmen both made statements about the matter to the effect that the county must have school and the situation has reached the point where delays cannot be tolerated. No definite plans have been made for demolition of the 1925 structure of Peters- burg High School. The target date for the new high school is September 1973. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. Donnie Hamm, of Winslow, a son, David Wayne, Friday, March 26 in Wirth Osteopath- ic Hospital in Oakland City; To Mr. and Mrs. Jon Teague, Sat- urday morning, March 27 in the Daviess County Hospital, a daughter, Kathy Jane. Deaths: Robert Gainer James, 78, of Oakland City, died at Gibson General Hos- pital Saturday; Earl Vaughn, of Oakland City, died at 2:25 p.m. Monday, March 29 at Wirth Memorial Hospital; Cal- lie Thompson, 89, of Winslow, died Thursday, March 25 in the Holiday Home in Peters- burg; Cecil McKinney, 66, of Oakland City, died Sunday at Gibson General Hospital; Tim- my Wayne Riley, 9, of Mackey, died Sunday afternoon. TWENTY- FIVE YEARS The Press-Dispatch Thursday, March 28, 1996 The first day of spring of 1996 will probably be remem- bered for many years to come. Like a lion roaring through the county, mother nature dumped between 12 and 16 inches of heavy snow on Pike County. The storm erupted on Tuesday morning and by afternoon had virtually shut down Pike County. By 1 p.m., schools were letting out and many businesses were shut down. At least seven school buses became stranded on county roads in snow drifts five to six feet high, accord- ing to Pike County Highway Superintendent Roger Young. The Pike County Sheriff's Of- fice and dispatchers became inundated with reports of au- tomobile accidents, stranded motorists, downed trees and power outages. For nearly 30 hours, mother nature kept up her furious assault. Wind gusts were estimated to be 20 to 25 miles per hour. By Tuesday evening, Pike Coun- ty Sheriff Jeff Clements had declared a snow emergency and ordered the public to stay off county roads. By Wednes- day morning, most county roads were impassable. Some of the roads were covered by snow drifts as high as six or seven feet. Young said it was one of the worst snowstorms since the blizzard of January 1978. He said it was a pitched battle fighting the snow- storm and trying to get coun- ty roads open. Clements said his department was swamped with phone calls from people in need of medicine, food and rides to work. At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, the American Red Cross Disaster Team was acti- vated by Emergency Manage- ment Director Ernie Hume. Births: To Lana McCord, of Otwell, a son, Laron Joseph, on Thursday, March 7 at jas- per Memorial Hospital. Deaths: Una C. Wither- spoon, 95, of Petersburg, died Sunday, March 24 at 10 :37 p.m. at Washington Nursing Center; Frank N. Fitch, 87, of Oakland City, died Saturday, March 23 at 4:30 p.m. at Wirth Regional Hospital in Oakland City; Elbert F. Hembree, 57, of Francisco, died Friday, March 22 at 11:30 a.m. at his residence; Ray Stafford, 84, of Monroe City, died at 6:40 a.m. Saturday, March 23 at Gentle Care Nursing Center in Vin- cennes; Ramona Winchell, 95, of Oakland City, died Friday, March 22 at 7:28 a.m. at Wirth Regional Hospital in Oakland City; Jessie A. Richeson, 83, of Oakland City, died at 5:55 a.m. Thursday, March 21 at Welborn Baptist Hospital in Evansville; Jack E. Rhodes, 60, of Oakland City, died at 4:37 p.m. Tuesday, March 19 at his residence. Quality Drive Away, Inc. needs CDL drivers with EXPERIENCE to deliver Motorhomes, Trucks, Buses, and Tractors throughout the USA. We have 20+ pickup locations. Must have DOT physical and be willing to keep logs. No DUIs in last 10 years, and clean MVR. Some Non-CDL positions available. Driven to Be the Best! TM OVER 30 YEARS OF SERVICE Apply Online at www.qualitydriveaway.com or call 574-642-2023