100 YEARS AGO — 1918

Tilden Parks, of Danville, if the first of the many Danville and Boyle County boys to be reported injured in the battle in France. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. W.S. Parks, who live on Stanford Pike about a mile and a half from Danville, received the telegram yesterday. Tilden Parks enlisted in the old Second Kentucky Regiment in Lexington last July and sailed for France last April with the First Division, 28th U.S. Infantry of the American Expeditionary Forces. Also, Sergeant Donald L. Lester has been listed as missing in action and Sergeant Frank Jessee has made the supreme sacrifice on the battlefields of France. And Elwood Montgomery is listed as lost on Cyclops.

A Lancaster man who had been spending the day with relatives in Wilmore returned home and found his wife in the barn lot milking the cow. Apparently in the best of humor, he got a rope out of the barn and suddenly becoming a demon grabbed his wife in a most brutal manner and tied her to a stake with a rope and said he was going to kill her as soon as he could go to the house and get his gun. When he walked away, his wife succeeded in extricating herself and fled. When the man returned with the hammer of his gun set and found that she had fled, he became doubly enraged and chased his wife and overtook her and holding the rope, it is said, which she had been unable to loose from around her neck, he shot her four times and she fell dead in the road. He then turned the gun on himself and sent a bullet into his breast which barely missed his heart. Spectators of the deed were unable to reach him in time to save either of their lives. He told the people what he had done but gave no reason for it. It is thought today that he also will die. The man has always had a good reputation and his friends are certain that he suddenly became mentally unbalanced. He had just bought a $2,000 automobile and it is rumored that he worried over this until his mind became deranged.

Edward Hines, chairman of the Kentucky Council of Defense, writes to the Boyle County Council of Defense, stating that the time has come when every organization or society in the state, bearing a German name or displaying a German sign, should change the name to its English equivalent.

George Burdett, an old Boyle County man  with Guardian Life Insurance Company, has appointed Miss Lydia Lewis, district manager for Boyle and Lincoln counties. So many women are now becoming self-supporting, that they are buying insurance freely, and the life insurance companies are giving them the same benefits as they give to men.

75 YEARS AGO — 1943

One of the thrills of a lifetime was experienced this morning by Mrs. W.H. Leigh of Baughman Heights when she received from her son, Corporal Horace Leigh, a recording of his voice. The record which opened with the words, “Hello Mom” was altogether natural, and had been played four times almost before the day began, the proud mother admitted. Corporal Leigh is a member of 345th Infantry, Company C in Mississippi. He has won at least three medals for sharpshooting.

Members of the enlisted men’s detachment at Darnall General Hospital participated in a swimming meet, attended by a large crowd of interested townspeople and was held at the new Sunnyside pool, just beyond the city limits of Danville. A challenge meet between members of the 20th College Training Detachment at Centre College and the Darnall men will be held at the same place at a later date.

A German bomb has landed in Danville and is on display at Burke the Florist on North Fourth Street, where it is attracting attention. Although nearly as long as an ordinary table or desk, the bomb is the medium-size type. It’s painted a silvery color with a red tip and bears the Nazi insignia. The bomb was sent to the store from a friend in Florida to whom it had come from England and North Africa.

50 YEARS AGO — 1968

Dedication of the new George J. Mayer plant in Stanford has been slated for August 10. The plant makes auto trim and trim for lots of other uses including that for television sets and household appliances.

The Sweepstakes Award in the Horticulture Division at the Flower show of the Danville-Boyle County Fair and Horse Show was made to Mrs. Roy Johnson. The Best of Fair Award was won by Mrs. James F. Clay. There were 91 Horticulture Division entries and 44 Artistic Division entries from the Little Garden Club, The Garden Club of Danville and other interested flower growers in the community.

Marine Lance Corporal Donald E. Girdler, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry P. Girdler of Harding Street, is serving with the Second Battalion, First Marine Division in South Vietnam. As a member of the battalion, he recently took part in Operation Allen Brook in the Go Not Island area, 14 miles south of Da Nang. The operation was conducted to find the enemy forces and destroy their capability to strike against the Da Nang area.

Directors of the Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce have voted to join with the Danville and Boyle County Historical Society in efforts to save Jacobs Hall on the Kentucky School for the Deaf campus. Other voices being raised against the possible destruction of Jacobs Hall include The Stanford Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln County Historical Society, Pulaski County Historical Society and the Kentucky Historical Society.

The Gethsemane Baptist Church has voted unanimously to air condition its auditorium. Since its erection 22 years ago, the church has undergone six major building programs and has property now valued at about $400,000. The pastor, H.C. Hedgespeth, began his 13th year with the church last Sunday. The church membership is about 1,000.

Charles Reed, a Boyle County resident and a returned veteran of the Vietnam War, gave a talk on Vietnam, accompanied with slides and a film at the weekly meeting of the Danville Lions Club. Reed earned bronze and silver star awards for meritorious services. Reed had high praise for General Westmoreland to whose staff he was attached for the greater part of his tour of duty. He also expressed himself as understanding why it’s necessary for the U.S. to continue the Vietnam War. He explained that the area’s rich ricelands were coveted by Red China to provide food for its teeming millions and give the Communists an opportunity to spread the war to other areas.

25 YEARS AGO — 1993

Businesses in Harrodsburg need to prepare for the opening of the Walmart SuperCenter in Danville in 1994 and the bypass around Harrodsburg in 1996, said Harrodsburg First executive director Robyn Cutter. Both of these events will hurt Harrodsburg’s economy unless plans are made now on how to deal with them.

A group of senior citizens from around the United States is participating in a theater workshop at the Pioneer Playhouse this week. This is the second year the playhouse has held an Elder Hostel theater program. Hostelers will participate in classes in voice, improvisation, mime, scene study and staged play readings. The Elder Hostel program was begun in 1976, with the goal of giving people over age 60, the opportunity to travel, learn and meet new people, all at a low cost.

Alexander & Royalty Funeral Home, of East Lexington Street in Harrodsburg, has installed a new background and chapel music service. The system is called “Musical Presence” and provides background music throughout the funeral home. The music is designed to have a therapeutic effect on families or friends who are grieving.