100 YEARS AGO — 1916

Boyle County gave to President Wilson the largest vote, as well as the largest majority, it ever cast in a presidential election.

The ever efficient and always popular soda dispenser, Oscar Webb, returned to Danville for a visit with his parents. He happened in at a very opportune time and was slipped into a vacancy at the Shop Perfect. His friends were very pleasantly surprised to see him again behind the counter. He is an expert soda man with years of experience and was holding a position in Ashland. When he found the head soda position open here and got a breath of the home town air, he was not long weighing the question of accepting the position and he soon wired his firm at Ashland that he would stay in Danville. Mrs. Webb will come down next week.

Tuesday night, probably 1,500 Democrats and Republicans came to the Advocate office for the election returns. Col. Key, the dyed-in-the-wool Perryville Democrat, contended violently that returns from the outlying precincts would put Wilson in the running, although everybody else gave up hope. Col. Key’s predictions were given no credence at the time, but the late reports say that he was exactly correct. If Wilson wins on the final count, local leaders expect to give Col. Key a banquet in the immediate future.

Headline: Peace and Prosperity will reign on in this country under the present able administration of Woodrow Wilson — Victory perches upon his banner!

The daily Advocate office has been thronged all week with those interested in the very latest election news. All sections of the country have been strongly represented in the crowds that have thronged the office in quest of the very last word and they all have been most welcome. The Advocate hopes they will always feel free to come and be here.

75 YEARS AGO — 1941

The Centre College Colonels and the Kentucky Wildcats are on the 1942 Vanderbilt football schedule according to a news dispatch by Coach “Red” Sanders. Kentucky will play Vanderbilt at Lexington Oct. 10 and Centre will play Vanderbilt at Nashville Oct. 24. Now we will see which has the better team, Kentucky or Centre.

The American Red Cross is making its greatest Roll Call effort since World War days. Scott Glore Jr., chairman of the Boyle County chapter, stated that a goal of 2,700 members — more than double the membership of last year — has been set for the Boyle County Chapter of the American Red Cross. In order that the people of Danville may visualize more clearly what the Red Cross production program is accomplishing under the local leadership of Mrs. W.C. Wilkinson, a complete display of garments and supplies will be open to the public at campaign headquarters, located in the old Kroger building on the corner of Main and Third streets.

Whether the city of Danville will press its condemnation suit for more land at Bellevue Cemetery or increase their original offer of $350 per acre to T.E. Quisenberry of Chicago, who owns the land the city wants, was pondered at the regular meeting of the city council. Chenault Huguely, attorney for the city in the condemnation suit which has been filed in Boyle County Quarterly Court, told the council that after correspondence with Mr. Quisenberry, he indicated that he might consider negotiating instead of taking the suit to court. Councilman L.E. Rue, chairman of the cemetery committee, said there were few remaining lots in the cemetery and that it was necessary to obtain more land there soon. Funds for purchasing the land were made through the will of the late J.M. Wallace who left about $5,000 for the erection of a chapel at the cemetery, but since it has been decided that a chapel there is unnecessary, a court order was obtained permitting the money to be used for the purchase of land for the cemetery.

50 YEARS AGO — 1966

The first teletype machine to be installed in any Kentucky high school is now operating in the Danville High School lobby. The cash for renting and maintaining the Associated Press equipment is being contributed by Corning Foundation of New York. The machine is the same as those of the AP in the newsrooms of the Danville Advocate-Messenger and Radio Station WHIR, and will be available to the entire student body.

Now that the people have voted for a City Manager form of government, after rejecting the proposal on two previous referendums, Danville’s City Council looks forward to better things for the town. Good things don’t come easy, and neither will the City Manager form of government, off street parking, and development of Jackson Park playground. One of the big questions is when will the manager form begin? In one case, it says it will begin at the end of the mayor’s term.

George Davis, elected mayor last fall after serving a portion of Roy Arnold’s term when Mayor Arnold resigned, has been forced to resign because of “conflict of office.” In a released statement Davis said, “ The sole reason for my resignation is because the Department of Personnel, Commonwealth of Kentucky, has directed that I do so. Since becoming staff dentist at Kentucky State Hospital I have come under the regulation of the Department of Personnel…there is a conflict of office in my being both Mayor of Danville and staff dentist at Kentucky State Hospital.”

25 YEARS AGO — 1991

A rezoning request that would turn the backyard of a historic Danville estate into a condominium development was rejected by the Danville-Boyle County Planning and Zoning Commission. The request to rezone 3.4 acres behind the home of George Gwinn on Lexington Avenue from single-family residential to multi-family residential was denied by a vote of 3-0.

Voters defeated by a margin of nearly 5-to-1 the question of changing to a mayor-council form of government from the current city manager-commission form. The question of changing the form of government got on the ballot because a committee of five people obtained 968 valid signatures on a petition.

The winner of the sixth seat on the Junction City Council will be determined by a drawing. A recount was done by the Board of Elections and verified that Steve Martin and Connie Vernon each received 175 votes, which tied them for sixth place. Martin is part of the group seen as against Mayor Harold Leach. Vernon ran with candidates, including the mayor’s wife, who supported Leach. The other five winners are part of the slate opposing Leach.