100 YEARS AGO — 1916

The residence of Mr. and Mrs. Fisher Herring, on Drake’s Creek near the Garrard-Lincoln line, and within a mile of Preachersville, was destroyed by fire about 8 o’clock Saturday night. The structure was a familiar landmark, and was especially interesting as a type of pioneer house, and was prominently associated with the early settlement of the area. The structure was a two-story stone building. The interior woodwork was cut out by whip saw and put together by hand-forged nails and wooden pins. Is was built prior to 1794 by the Rev. Thomas Williamson, an early Baptist preacher who was one of the 13 original members who organized Drake’s Creek Church in 1801. The windows were narrow and quite high above ground — a precaution against Indians — and the doors were of heavy oak boards and battens with smith-wrought laches, while the cellar was provided with port holes for defense against Indian attack.

A unique industry for extraction of the essential oil of sassafras, used in medicinal purposes and flavoring, is in Junction City. There are 12 plants in the United States and this is the only one in Kentucky. Sassafras, which springs up in clay soils and has no other commercial use, is found in such abundance in the Junction City area that the industry has a supply for a long time. Only the roots are used. This business grinds up to 7,000 pounds every morning. Then the afternoons are when the distilling takes place. After being macerated the material is carried by an endless chain to a large steel tank where it is steamed, and the extract is then carried along to another tank and is distilled. The steamed wood is used for fuel under the boilers and the oil is placed in a third tank containing cold water. Here the process is reversed and the oil separates from the water by gravity. Unlike most oils, sassafras oil sinks to the bottom of the tank and is drawn off and filtered through paper. The business in Junction City is operated under a government license and the principal markets are in New York and Chicago.

Mrs. Sam Owsley sustained a very painful fracture to her ankle when a buggy in which she and Mrs. W.A. Tribble were riding in struck a pile of rock which had been left piled up in the center of the Danville Pike. The crew working on the pike didn’t leave a red lantern on the pile to indicate its presence. When the buggy struck the heaped up stone and began to go over, Mrs. Tribble jumped to safety but Mrs. Owsley was caught under the vehicle. There was a passage way on each side of the rock pile but in the darkness the ladies couldn’t see the obstruction.

75 YEARS AGO — 1941

Seven hundred acres near the federally leased state hospital at Herrington Lake have been “loaned back” to the state for farming. The land was included in the 1,300-acre tract taken over by the army recently for use as a federal hospital at a rental for $1 a year until two years after the present national emergency ends. The federal lease was amended to provide indefinite use of the farm land by the state without any money consideration. Twenty five trusty prisoners from the La Grange State Reformatory are kept on the farm to do the work under supervision of guards.

A white baby boy estimated to be about three weeks old was found in a cardboard box in the driveway of the Robert Quisenberry farm on Perryville Road early this morning where Danville police said he had apparently spent the night. The baby was found about 7 in the morning by a farm employee who was attracted by his cries. The baby was taken to the Ephraim McDowell Memorial hospital. Mr. Quisenberry said he had noticed the box beside his driveway about 5 o’clock Thursday afternoon. Parents of the baby are unknown and there was no note left with the baby. The boy was clad in a white dress trimmed in pink, and had a blue and a pink blanket in the box with him.

The Boyle County refrigerator locker plant will open for business on Monday, Oct. 27. This modern locker plant is located at Fourth and Walnut streets and is the ninth such plant in Kentucky. It is owned by E.C. Faber. This “Food Bank” will save the housewives and farmers money by quick freezing food for their future use. This quick freezing warehouse has 350 private refrigerated lockers to rent to individuals either by the month or by the year. This is a fine method of preparing and storing meats and vegetables when they are abundant and then using them out of season when prices are higher. During this national emergency, farmers are asked to produce more of certain food products in order to improve the diet of our own people and to produce extra for export to countries resisting aggression.

Perryville High School’s six man football team piled up their biggest score in history in their 80-0 rout of Mount Washington Friday night.

50 YEARS AGO — 1966

Ground breaking took place for the new 10,000-square-foot A&P grocery store building on West Main Street. The target date for finishing this fine, modern structure is March, 1967. The new building will face West Main Street, just west of the old post office and is adjacent to the new city hall, now under construction, on the east side. It is on the north side of West Main and almost directly across the street from the old Freeman Furniture Co. Building.

Genesco shoe manufacturers, which have had a plant in Danville since 1946, announced that plans are underway to expand the plant on Hustonville Road from 48,000 to 62,000 square feet and to eventually add about 250 more employees to the 450 who now work there. Genesco has been at its present location since 1951 having moved there from a smaller building it occupied on Russell Street. Genesco makes a wide line of quality shoes and was originally known as General Shoe Company.

The Moreland Grade School will have its annual carnival in the gymnasium on Oct. 28. In addition to door awards, there will be awards for the tackiest, the most original and the most Halloweenish costumes. The Black Cat Cafe will open to provide hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, pie and cake. The annual grand march, the cake walk, the country store and the old fashion auction will be among the attractions.

Galen Martin, executive director of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, spoke to the Danville Council about human relations. Most of the discussion concerned the report that the four federal housing projects in Danville are racially segregated. It was reported that no white persons live in the projects on South Second Street, and no negroes live in McIntyre Homes or in the Nicholas Terrace Shakertown Road project. It was then discussed that steps should be taken at once to force the local Housing Authority to comply with the spirit and letter of the law.

25 YEARS AGO — 1991

A dozen people were injured in a wreck on Sunday on Lexington Road in front of Richardson’s IGA. The people were all taken to Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center and released.

The name of City Commission candidate Fred Wilder, who died Oct. 12, will be on the ballot on Nov. 5; however, votes cast for him will not be counted. A placard will be posted in city precincts reminding voters that votes cast for Wilder will not be counted.

A resident of Indian Hills subdivision came to the Danville city Commission and expressed concern about what she called Kentucky Utilities Co.’s “cut and slash” practice of trimming trees. The KU general manager didn’t disagree with her description. He said, “Our primary purpose is to keep the lines clear of trees. We do trim beyond the 5-foot easement line. We don’t have the money to shape them.”