The Press-Dispatch
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B-10 Wednesday, May 12, 2021 The Press-Dispatch 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.nytimes.com Wednesday, May 12 • Body of Lindbergh baby found (1932) • Berlin blockade lifted (1949) Thursday, May 13 • President Polk declares war on Mexico (1846) • Pope John Paul II is shot (1981) Friday, May 14 • Lewis and Clark depart (1804) • The Warsaw Pact is formed (1955) Saturday, May 15 • The Seven Years War begins (1756) • Governor George Wallace shot (1972) Sunday, May 16 • First Academy Awards ceremo- ny (1929) • New York City establishes hos- pital for cholera victims (1849) Monday, May 17 • Brown v. Board of Education is decided (1954) • Televised Watergate hearings begin (1973) Tuesday, May 18 • Pope John Paul II is born (1920) • Mt. St. Helens erupts (1980) PUZZLED ABOUT WHAT TO READ? ..and you will have your solution. subscribe to 812-354-8500 SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO The Petersburg Press Friday and Tuesday, May 10 and May 14, 1946 A few days ago, a dog in this county became sick and final- ly died. The veterinarian who attended the sick dog sent the dog's head to the labora- tory at Indianapolis. The re- port promptly came back that the dog had hydrophobia. Six persons possibly were infect- ed and are now taking the Pas- teur treatment. This mad dog was with several other dogs and may have infected them. Miss JoAnn Seal, well- known in Petersburg, had the honor to be crowned "miss Sub-Deb of 1946" at a Cinder- ella Ball at the Knights of Co- lumbus Club at Indianapolis Saturday evening. There are 30 Sub-deb clubs in the city and Miss Seal was chosen from representatives of each. She is a junior at St. Agnes Academy. She is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Charles Seal, formerly of Petersburg, and now of Indianapolis. Marriages: Helen Culb- ertson and Cpl. Elwood Pride were married March 21 at Greensboro, N.C.; Myrtle Jane Jerrell became the bride of Herbert M. Steele at 6 p.m. Saturday evening, May 4 at the home of Rev. Grover Krieg, of near Glezen. Deaths: James G. Weath- ers, 65, of Otwell, died at his home Wednesday morning at 7 o'clock; John Kemlo, 55, of Petersburg, died at his apart- ment Friday at 8 o'clock; Oliver W. Brenton, 75, of Winslow, died at his home Sunday, May 12; Florence Cox, 67, died Sun- day morning at 4:30 o'clock at the Daviess County Hospital. SIXTY YEARS AGO The Pike County Dispatch Thursday, May 11, 1961 Pike County faces one of the worst floods in the past 24 years due to the heavy rains which dumped about nine inches of rain on this area over the weekend. White River, which was nearing bank level Saturday, suddenly began ris- ing and is expected to crest at better than 27 feet Sunday. Patoka River is also nearing the 1937 mark and has closed roads and covered all of the bottom land. Much damage had been done in homes of this area due to basement flooding. It has been reported by some farmers that should the rivers crest this week as expected, it would be close to a month before the ground could be worked and crops planted. Planting of crops is now about two weeks late. Dr. J.W. Elbert, Pike County Health Commis- sioner, has issued an emergen- cy flood notice to the people of Pike County. He told the Dis- patch that the recent record flooding is a very real threat to the health of Pike County people. The low areas of the Winslow School—Fourth Grade 1949 The Winslow fourth grade in 1949 was taught by Diamond Abell and Helen Ballard. In the first row were: Helen Corn, Deanna Hart, Taunya Jones, Ronald French, Larry Jones, Jimmie Dickerson, Jerry Carter, Michael Roberts, Sharon Selby, Janice Morton and Wanda McDonald; second row: Billy Rolens, Rhea Carter, Beverly Cur- tis, John P. Fettinger, Richard Harper, Carol Britton, Sue Erwin, Wanda Luttrull, Joe Black and David Copple; third row: Diamond Abell (teacher), Sammy Beadles, Jer- ry Lee, Lowell Kent Soderling, Louise McQueen, Peggy Ann Stevens, Maurene Vestal, Sue Deen, Kay Arnold, Myra Fettinger, Beverly Coleman and Helen Ballard (teach- er); fourth row: Howard Esmeier, Edna Rainey, Robert Thurman, Donald Wood, Judy Robling, Donald Stephens, Nancy Thompson, Sharon Norrington, John Young, Sha- ron Tooley and Joan Tevault; fifth row: Charles Sims, Marie Long, Lennis Townsend, Doyal Shoultz, Gordon Barnett, Larry Batch, Terry Kent McQueen, James Vinyard, Robert Wallace, Noel Thompson and Linda Lou Ross. county along White and Pato- ka Rivers where wells and cis- terns are used, should all be considered contaminated and the water should be boiled and treated with chlorine. Dr. El- bert also said that many wells and cisterns on farms that do not lie in low areas are al- so contaminated, due to sur- face drainage from livestock. The health commissioner said that both he and Dr. Milton Omstead, Petersburg Health Commissioner, shall be glad to advise any person as to water problems from contamination. "If we do not follow emergen- cy drinking water procedures, we will invite an epidemic of typhoid or paratyphoid fever in Pike County," said Dr. El- bert. One Petersburg man was fa- tally burned Monday and an- other critically burned at the Day Coal Mine four miles east of Petersburg when fumes from a gasoline can exploded in the mine and caught their clothing on fire. Dying a few hours after the explosion was Harold F. McClellan, father of six small children, and in crit- ical condition is Donald Neal, of near Petersburg. It was re- ported that the explosion oc- curred while McClellan and Neal were filling a gasoline tank for a pump to be used to pump water from the mine, which is located on Highway 57. Cause of the explosion re- portedly was from a match which McClellan struck to light a cigarette. Water had seeped into the mine during the hard rain Sunday night and the owner of the mine, Goodie Day, had sent tot he Davis Coal Mine, about a half mile away to borrow a pump to help remove the water. Mr. McClellan had brought the pump to the Day mine and was helping get it started when the explosion occurred. His entire body was burned when his clothing caught fire. Mr. Neal was burned about the hands and face. It was reported that he was wearing a heavy rain coat, which kept his body from being burned. Following the explosion, it was reported that Mr. McClellan crawled part of the way out of the slope mine and other miners then tore his burning clothing from his body and carried him to the scales house on a stretcher. Both he and Mr. Neal were rushed to the Daviess County Hospital in the Harris ambu- lance, where McClellan died at 1:30 p.m., about five hours following the accident. It was reported Wednesday that Mr. Neal was badly burned on both hand and that they may have to be amputated. Deaths: Ruth Melinda West, 48, of Glezen, died sud- denly at her home at 4:30 a.m. Thursday; Roxie Sanders, 84, of Petersburg, died at the Da- viess County Hospital at 11:50 p.m. Saturday; Minnie Sutton, 76, of Madison Township, died at the Good Samaritan Hospi- tal at 10 :25 a.m. Wednesday; John Frederick Freeman, 71, of Spurgeon, died at Deacon- ess Hospital last Wednesday, May 3 at 7:15 p.m.; Alma War- ner 71, of Petersburg, died at 1:35 a.m. Saturday at Good Sa- maritan Hospital; Charles E. Corn, 84, of Stendal, died at 11 p.m. Sunday in Stork Hos- pital; Edward Otto Jones, 81, of Petersburg, died at Daviess County Hospital. FIFTY YEARS AGO The Press-Dispatch Thursday, May 13, 1971 Postmaster Don- ald Whitelock and Offi- cer-in-Charge Clayton Curtis, of Petersburg and Winslow, said today that increases in most postage rates will take effect May 16 as the new Unit- ed States Postal Service be- gins its task of achieving self-sufficiency as required by the Postal Reorganiza- tion Act. Mr. Whitelock and Mr. Curtis noted that general postage rates have not been in- creased since 1967 when Con- gress passed what was to be- come its final legislative act in this respect. They pointed out that, earlier, requests for rate increases were proposed to Congress in 1969 by both President Johnson and Presi- dent Nixon. In addition, Pres- ident Nixon proposed an in- crease again in 1970, although none of the proposed increas- es was acted on by Congress. They further explained that the new increases, autho- rized on a temporary basis until the newly created Post- al Rate Commission can make recommendations to the Gov- ernors of the Postal Service on permanent changes, will raise first-class letter rates from 6 to 8 cents an ounce, and air- mail letter rates from 10 to 11 cents an ounce. Postcards will go from 5 to 6 cents each and airmail postcards will go from 8 to 9 cents each. The in- creases will be borne more by business than by individuals, since about 75 percent of first class and airmail is from com- mercial mailers. In addition to increases in first-class rates, second and third class will al- so go up on May 16. Howev- er, the full increases proposed by the Postal Service will not be put into effect on a tempo- rary basis, in second and third class, since the postal reform legislation contemplates that such increases be phased over 5 years, or 10 years for nonprofit organization, pro- vided Congress appropriates the necessary funds to ease the transition to full rates. Because of the phasing provi- sion, the increases to become effective May 16 for second and third class will generally be only one fifth of the total increase which has been pro- posed by the Postal Service. No changes are made in the rates for parcel post, which is the principal component of fourth class mail. However, initial increases will be made in the "book rate," which is classified as fourth class. Births: To Mr. and Mrs. Pearly Hamm, of Petersburg, in the Daviess County Hos- pital, Tuesday, May 4, a son, Chadley Tyrone; To Mr. and Mrs. Bill Phillips, of Oakland City, a daughter, Lorrie Gene, at Gibson General Hospital, Wednesday, May 5; To Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Hobson, of Petersburg, in Daviess Coun- ty Hospital, Monday, May 10, a daughter, Nichole Antoi- nette; To Mr. and Mrs. Rob- ert Harris, of Petersburg, in the Daviess County Hospital, Tuesday, May 11, a daughter, Gretchen Ann. Marriages: Cheryl Davis became the bride of Eddie Til- ford Saturday, May 1 at 8 p.m. at the home of the bride's par- ents. Deaths: Herman F. Helfen- bein, 72, of Pike County, died at 2:45 a.m. Sunday, May 9 at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville; Nellie Fork, 81, of Winslow, died Thursday, May 6 in Memorial Hospital; Clyde e H. Davis, 66, of Peters- burg, died at 8:45 a.m. Tues- day, May 11 in Good Samari- tan Hospital; Ruby Traylor, 71, of Iva Community, died Sun- day, May 9 in Daviess County Hospital at 11:45 p.m. TWENTY- FIVE YEARS The Press-Dispatch Thursday, May 9, 1996 The good news is both the Patoka and White Rivers are on their way down. Also, the American Red Cross has de- clared flooding in southern In- diana a national disaster and will be making funds avail- able to help those affected by it. The bad news is there's more rain coming. The Pato- ka River has dropped more than three feet near Winslow, receding away from houses and off streets, but it is still a long way from being back in its banks. White River, at Pe- tersburg, crested early Mon- day morning at 25.9 feet, the highest level since May 1961, when it reached 26.14. David and Lynn Fiscus were closely watching it as it came within only a couple of inches of get- ting into their house along the White River. Mrs. Fiscus said it would take a level of 26.2 be- fore the water would be level with their floors. She said they have lived there for 10 years and this is the third time it has been right up to their floors, but the water has never come in their home. She said Tues- day evening the water was at 25.4 feet on a river level gauge in front of her house. Howev- er, she said that was about a tenth of a foot different from the National Weather Ser- vice's river level gauge that is just upstream. Al Shippe, of the National Weather Ser- vice, quipped the White River wouldn't fall below flood stage of 16 feet at Petersburg until December 31. In reality, he said it would be at least mid- May before it fell below flood stage. It is not projected to fall below 24.5 feet until Thurs- day. However, that is all de- pendent on rainfall this week. The National Weather Service is calling for possible thunder- storms nearly every day this week. "It could have signifi- cant impact," said Shippe of the coming rainfall. Deaths: Clester Dawson, 82, of Petersburg, died at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 1 at his residence; James Ta- ton, 58, of Otwell, died Mon- day, May 6 at 5:27 p.m. at his residence.