100 YEARS AGO — 1919

Chrisman Bros. of Boyle County, have leased from Anton Bodner, the portion of his building located on the corner of Main and Stanford streets, which he has been using as a planing mill. This building will be remodeled and used as a garage and repair shop. The firm is composed of J.B. and E.A. Chrisman, sons of Mary Chrisman and their father, the late John Chrisman who was one of the best known farmers in the area.

The trial of Will Leavel, for shooting Ernest Turner on Main St. last week was called before Judge George Coulter last Saturday. On account of the absence of Turner, who was the principal witness, the trial was postponed until Jan. 27. Turner has skipped town. No warrant had been issued for his arrest and it is a mystery why he left. Leavel’s bond was reduced from $1,000 to $500, which he gave and was released.

In Junction City, Mrs. E. L. Grubbs has a good driving horse to sell, that is gentle and not afraid of auto nor train. It will pull well and plow. She will take a reasonable price for the horse. Mrs. Grubbs also has a buggy and surrey with harness for sale. She wishes to buy an auto for traveling over the country and has no use for horse and buggy. She can be reached in Junction City at phone number 46.

John G. Minor of Boyle County, writes of his experiences with the Army overseas. In a letter dated Dec. 25, 1918, he wrote: “… The Battalion gave us a Christmas tree and we were presented by a box from the folks at home thru the YMCA. A very fine dinner which consisted of chicken, cake, pie, jam and may other things were served today. It was prepared by a Frenchman who was formerly engaged as a cook for the Czar of Russia, also for the Queen of Holland. And believe me, he sure does know how to cook. … Our battalion is located at this time in a little village which is about five miles from Blois. … Our sleeping quarters are quite up-to-date, that is for the A.E.F. (American Expeditionary Forces.) The billet I am located in is the barn loft of a Frenchman. I have four comrades with me and we sure do have some time reading and writing by candle light. One of them remarked the other night, “That Abraham Lincoln had nothing on us.” He had a fire to read by but our means of light gives us no heat.”

75 YEARS AGO — 1944

Officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisville, will arrive in Perryville today to investigate the shooting of a carrier pigeon yesterday off the roof of a residence in Perryville. Sheriff John McGinnis notified the FBI and said the person who shot the bird didn’t know he was killing a carrier pigeon, which is government property. The bird was tagged with the bands which read, “USA, 1943, Signal Corps, 30271.”

Sergeant J.H. Bugg, son of Jim Bugg of Boyle County and brother of Mrs. Richard Dean of Danville, recently returned to the U.S. from Overseas after having been wounded twice in battle. He is now recuperating in a hospital in Charleston, South Carolina. Sgt. Bugg was injured the first time in North Africa. Removed to Italy, he was again wounded within six days. One of the first volunteers for military service from Boyle County, Sgt. Bugg is a veteran of three years.

PFC Marshall Webb, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jess Webb of Junction City, is another Boyle County hero who was awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded in action on November 20 in the Gilbert Islands. Webb is a member of the U.S. Marine Corps and was sent overseas last June. He is now in a U.S. Naval hospital in California, where he was taken after being removed from a Pearl Harbor hospital. Although he received a bullet wound which involved his mouth, ear and eye, Webb considers himself luck because many of his buddies were lost in the terrific fighting which lasted for days. Webb was wounded while in the sea and when he regained consciousness, found himself fighting to keep his head above water. Refusing to give up the fight, he continued to battle the waves until he was eventually rescued.

A list of welfare needs for families of servicemen and the men themselves has been furnished by the Danville Navy Mothers Club. The organization has placed a box in the Hub department store to receive the much needed contributions. The drive is part of a hospital shower program by the national Navy Mothers Clubs organizations and donations from here will be mailed to the proper destination to become part of the project.

50 YEARS AGO — 1969

The January Grand Jury of Boyle Circuit Court, having concluded its return of indictments, submitted the required report following inspections of local public buildings. For Kentucky School for the Deaf, the grand jury found that the school campus was neat and clean. Recommendations included new drapes for the dinning hall, immediate repair to the ceilings in the Argo McClure building; air pollution equipment be installed on the smoke stack; a guard for the saw in the industrial arts building and new screening wire for the trash pit behind Jacobs Hall. The grand jury also found an urgent need for the Kentucky State Hospital to add 400 more beds. It also strongly recommended that the farms where the hospital is located on either be operated by the state, leased or sold so that the land can be placed back upon the tax roles.

National headline: Richard Nixon becomes the 37th President of the U.S.

Danville, “The City of Firsts” will experience another first on Sept. 20 when the registered voters in town will vote in a primary to name nominees for the first city government set up here under the city manager plan which goes into effect early in 1970. To be elected at the regular election on Nov. 4 are a mayor, a city police judge and four city commissioners to take office in early January, 1970. The city manager form of government was voted her, 1,549 to 774 this past November.

The 400-acre Gwinn Acreage farm, which has been used as a tobacco farm and home of one of the biggest training and selling stables of standardbred horses in the south, has been sold. George and Herbert Gwinn, owners, said they were not at liberty to reveal the buyer at this time, but his plan is to continue the operation of the horse farm. The Gwinn brothers have operated as a partnership since 1933. About three years ago the Gwinn brothers sold their Mercer County holdings of 1,926 acres to Shakertown. George Gwinn opened his horse business in 1925 when he brought one horse to the Gwinn farm , which did not have a Gwinn Island development until that year. George’s family rebelled when he brought in his second and third horse and he moved his training operations to the stables of the late James T. Ware on E. Main St. in Danville.

25 YEARS AGO — 1994

The week’s sub-zero temperatures didn’t stop Carol Johnson Senn from moving her business, Carol’s Bridal and Gift Boutique, from 305 Main St. to 309 Main St. Employee Marti Caywood and Senn’s father, James Johnson were among those who helped with the move.

The new Boyle County swimming team is learning how to compete this year. When Kim Monaghan assembled the first Boyle County High School swim team, for the first time this year, she found some swimmers knew what they were doing and some did not. Collectively, they are going where no Boyle County students have gone before. “This year we didn’t really set any team goals at the beginning of the year. I had no idea what I was getting into,” Monaghan said. “Next year we’ll set goals.”