100 YEARS AGO — 1919

Rev. H.G. Turner, of Danville, received a telegram stating that the first oil well of the Ross-Saunders-Morehead Oil Company, in San Augustine, Texas, has brought in oil. It was reported to be a very fine well, and there are great prospects for more good producing wells, as this company has leases in one of the finest oil fields in Texas. Several Danville residents have stock in this company and the announcement of the first well coming in will be pleasing news to their many friends here.

The Danville Chamber of Commerce appointed a committee to secure a suitable field for a landing place for airplanes. Camp Knox has become a permanent air station and the government officials are requesting the cities and towns of Kentucky to provide suitable landing fields for the machines in order that cross-country practice flying may be successfully carried on. If there is any progressive farmer who is interested in this and has a field which he thinks might be used, it will be very much appreciated if he will take the matter up with any of the committee members. What is needed is a field containing about 40 acres which is as nearly level as possible, about 1,200 square feet. If we can’t get a perfect natural field we must do the best we can.

Charles Hoge, 12, fell from his pony in front of the Palace of Sweets this morning, but he wasn’t seriously hurt. He was riding his pony “Flossie” at a pretty rapid rate up Fourth Street and when he turned the Main Street corner, his girth broke, causing him to get a pretty bad fall on the hard street. But he was on his feet almost as soon as he landed and was the first to catch Flossie, who had trotted peacefully on down the street.

75 YEARS AGO — 1944

The Danville school district, one of 257 in the state, will receive from the state in the new fiscal year the sum of $33,606.64 representing per capita of $19.16 for each of the 1,754 students in the district.

The new “wonder drug,” penicillin, has been used with satisfactory results for about one month at Ephraim McDowell Memorial hospital, which has been designated a distribution depot hospital the drug. Not previously available for civilian use, the hospital as a distributing depot, may now order a certain allotment of the drug per month. The Danville hospital is one of about only 20 in the state using penicillin under this special setup. The new medicinal agent has been referred to as “man’ greatest defender against bacterial enemies.”

The bank room of the Farmers Bank will be air-conditioned as soon as the priority restrictions are removed.

It is necessary for the second time to ask the residents of Danville to open their homes to the men students of Centre College who will have no dormitory room available to them this fall. The request was made to those who previously opened their homes to the students again, since Centre has made the college for women co-educational for the duration, and since there will be no dormitories open on the campus for men. It is not known how many men students will be enrolled at the school this fall. Anyone interested in opening their homes should call the college office at 238 and file the information regarding the rooms, locations and prices. These lists will be given to the incoming men as they arrive, so that they may immediately find living quarters.

50 YEARS AGO — 1969

Marvin Graves of the State Employment Services Division Office has announced that his agency will be undertaking an aggressive, and extensive campaign to solicit summer job opportunities for the youth of Danville. The agency has more than 140 applications on file from high school and college students who are seeking any summer employment.

The Department of Highways has agreed to install synchronized traffic signals at the corners of Fourth and Main, Fourth and Walnut and Fourth and Greene streets in Danville. It will also install a traffic signal at the intersection of Fourth and Second streets in south Danville. It is believed that these traffic light improvements will greatly aid the traffic flow in and through the downtown area.

On July 15, beginning at 9 a.m., many people are expected to take the first step toward their dream of owning their own home by applying to the Model City offices. Maximum house costs allowed will be $15,200, except where a family of five or more require a minimum of four bedrooms. In that case the limit will be $17,700. The purpose of this program was to provide new, additional housing for those who previously couldn’t afford it. Mortgages allowed on the new, low-income housing will be 30, 35 or even 40 years. The downpayment can be as low as $200, but those with higher incomes can pay a minimum of 3% down payment.

25 YEARS AGO — 1994

Local and county police are investigating a rash of vandalism that occurred in the western part of Boyle County during the past few days. The latest was the destruction of 24 tombstones at Hillcrest Cemetery. Vandals broke, or turned over grave markers and ransacked the tool shed. A few days earlier, vandals spray-painted trees and the roadway at Perryville Battlefield State Historic site and set a barn on fire.

An agreement has been struck for the purchase of the first major piece of property by the Perryville Enhancement Project. Melvin and Gladys Bottom have agreed to sell their 149-acre farm on the Hayes-Mayes Road, adjacent to the Perryville Battlefield site. The Bottom farm increased the size of the park from 98 acres to nearly 250 acres.