100 YEARS AGO — 1918

Sheriff Farris said he will arrest every person in this county who violates the speed law. If you are one of the “speed demons” you should look out. The speed limit on the public highways is 25 miles per hour.

Smith Rankin and Earl Taylor had a narrow escape from death Sunday afternoon when the car they were riding in ran off of Lexington Pike and crashed into a rock fence. The two young men were going to Dix River when a car came up behind them and attempted to pass. When Rankin pulled over to let the car pass, he lost control and ran off a 10-foot embankment crashing into the rock fence and telephone pole. Rank was thrown through the windshield and over the fence. Taylor was thrown against the fence. Rankin only suffered from a few bruises and a cut. Taylor had several teeth knocked out. The car was going about 25 miles per hour and the radiator, windshield and footboard were considerably damaged but it can be repaired at a cost of about $150.

The colored citizens of Danville and Boyle County deserve the highest praise for the ovation they give their men they send away for military service. Every time a bunch of colored soldiers leave Danville they are given entertainment before starting for the military camps and at the station before their train leaves with large numbers of our colored citizens gather to see the men leave and to bid them goodbye. Early yesterday morning, when about 55 colored soldiers left here, they were honored by their race with the beat of drums, etc. This is very commendable and we regret to say that when the white boys leave this town, little attention is paid to it.

Mr H.C. Catron was patriotic enough to run his truck to Danville Wednesday night to accommodate a Shelby City crowd who wished to go with Misses Myrtle Hogue, Grace Robinson, Clara Simpson, Ruth Fox and Earl Catron to receive their common school diplomas. Miss Kate McFarland was kind enough to go and bring back to the 14 graduates from Junction City, who did not go, their diplomas, which they can get by calling at Mr. Catron’s store.

75 YEARS AGO — 1943

The U.S.S. Halsey Powell, a destroyer named for Captain Halsey Powell of Harrodsburg and recently launched at the Bethlehem Steel Company yards, was the second ship this year named for Harrodsburg citizens. The first ship was the James Harrod, named for Captain James Harrod, founder of Harrodsburg and was launched in March.

Lieutenant Justus Foster, son of Mr. and Mrs. M.D. Foster of Junction City, is the newest war hero of that town. Lt. Foster, piloting a P-47 Thunderbolt recently in a raid over France, had the right wing of his craft riddled by five Nazi shells. Although the plane fell 10,000 feet before pilot Foster righted it, he flew the disabled craft back to England where he made a crash landing at the home base.

A county-wide collection of tin cans beginning immediately by all stores in the county serviced by Dunn Bottling Co., has been announced. Boxes will be placed in the stores and the drivers of the bottling trucks will pick up the cans when notified by the proprietor of the stores. The cans must be washed, label removed, both ends cut out an stepped on. The real value of tin is because there is no satisfactory substitute for tin in its many war uses. It’s used for the production of airplane motors, guns, hand grenades, torpedoes, war ships and submarines

50 YEARS AGO — 1968

One of a cluster of five or six houses, located behind the Greyhound Bus depot in Danville, which had been declared unfit for living quarters nearly a year ago, caught fire Saturday night, causing  three pieces of fire equipment and 18 men tied up at the scene for about 45 minutes. Only one apartment in the two-apartment shanty, owned by Mayor Eben Henson, is rented, with the occupant being Frank Bright who was treated for burns. Both city authorities and the owner of the property had been working together in an effort to get the area vacated so that it could be razed.

Charles Beck, of Long Island, president of AMBAC Industries Inc., has purchased Roselawn Farm at public auction for $765 an acre for the 256 acres for a total of $195,840. Mr. Beck, whose firm is an electronics and auto equipment business, bought the estate for a country home. He and his family plan to live in the home during the summer. The property was sold to settle the estate of the late Bessie E. Hilliard. It is located a mile north of Danville on the Harrodsburg Road. It is a brick colonial residence built in 1848 by Kentucky Governor William Owsley. It has 14 rooms, three baths and three jet-air oil furnaces.

Mrs. Paul Wood, coordinator of the Volunteer Services at Kentucky State Hospital on Shakertown Road, told a group about the urgent need for men and women volunteers to serve in various areas, including the newest program called “Whole-Way House.” Mrs. Wood said the main function of the volunteers at KSH is to help with the re-socialization of the patients and to help return them to the community at the highest level of social adjustment they are capable of achieving.

25 YEARS AGO — 1993

Two local educators received top honors from the Kentucky Association of School Administrators. Mike Swain of the Danville school system was named the top director of pupil personnel in the state. Emajo Carlton, retired Boyle County superintendent, received the distinguished service award.

Citizens Concerned for Human Relations is sponsoring a community-wide potluck picnic on July 25 at Jackson Park. Assisting in putting on the picnic is the Boyle County Human Rights Commission. “Besides just having good food and fun, the purpose of the picnic is to provide  a setting for families from all neighborhoods of Danville to get together in fellowship,” said Kathy Miles, a member of Citizens Concerned for Human Relations. It is common in Danville for families, churches and other groups to gather for picnics, but it is unusual for people of different races to do it, she added.

The Junction City city council received some disappointing news about money expected for the city cemetery. A judge in Cincinnati has ruled that money left by James Wingate can be used only to maintain his cemetery plot. The attorney for the Wingate estate had asked the judge to allow the money to e used to maintain all of the cemetery, not just the family plot. The city would have gotten $47,000. The city’s attorney, A. Jack May, had been working with the estate attorney trying to work out details. Wingate was a former resident of Junction City. The judge’s decision does not affect an earlier decision allowing some of the original $60,000 to be used to put a chain-link fence around the cemetery.

The Technical Review Committee has asked Walmart to look for ways to take care of traffic flow on Jane Trail. The discount store’s plans for a supercenter between Jane Trail and Popplewell Lane were reviewed during the committee’s regular meeting. Jennifer Bush, planning officer, said the committee was concerned about a possible bottleneck on Jane Trail since three proposed entrances will come off the street that runs by Western Steer and McDonald’s restaurants.