100 YEARS AGO — 1919

 

The land belonging to L.P. Yandell, known as the Mock Farm, was sold to R.W. Gwinn, of Mercer County. The price paid is not given, but it is known to have been considerably over $100,000, being one of the largest land deals ever made in this county. Mr. Yandell is known as one of the best and most successful businessmen that ever lived in this county. His tax list is exceeded by that of the late Jerre C. Caldwell.

 

The Alumnae Association of Kentucky College for Women will have a rummage sale in the Weisiger sample room on Fourth Street. There will be among other things, fresh country butter, eggs, cottage cheese, dressed chickens and guineas and those good old ribs and back bones that make town people envious and country people fat at “hog killing” time. In the afternoon, there will be a social hour with hot chocolate and an auction of interesting and mysterious packages. There will also be fortune telling by a beautiful and famous Gipsy Queen.

 

A very bold effort was made to force open the safe at Stout’s Theatre. Entering through the back door, the burglar proceeded to the front of the building and went to work directly behind the glass doors in plain view of the street. The woodwork around the safe was torn loose showing that he first tried to roll out the entire safe. He next tried to force out the lock with a chisel and hammer. This didn’t work either, for the would-be-thief finally departed, leaving behind his hammer and badly battered safe. The strange part is that anyone could make such a noise on the street at any time of the night without being heard, at least by police.

 

At least 12 people, mostly women, were cheated of $1 each on Tuesday by a pair of crooks that operated a scholarship ruse. They were described as a dapper pair of young men looking like collegians, and solicited $1 from each person on the plea that they were working their way through college, and would be awarded a scholarship if they obtained a certain amount. In some cases, they said they were Centre College students, and in others University of Kentucky, and once said they were trying to get through business school. One of the young men is said to have a most pleasing personality and persuasive manner. They are not thought to be Danville boys.

 

75 YEARS AGO — 1944

 

Captain Justus D. Foster, known as the “Wingless Wonder” arrived in Junction City on Saturday after being overseas for two years, to spend his 30-day leave with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. M.D. Foster. His brother, Carmillon Foster, is now in North Africa with the U.S. Navy. Foster is a hero of early American-German air battles over Europe. He spoke to the Kiwanis Club and said he was in one of the first fighter groups sent to England. At that time, American planes had not reached England, and much of their training in the early months was done on English bicycles. Foster described some of the destruction of London and related his own experiences with the “buzz bombs,” which he said are more destructive of property and morale than the regular “blitz bombs.”

 

1. Hughes Jackson, owner of the Jackson Boudoir Chair company estimated that $75,000 in damages were incurred in a fire which broke out behind the company’s office at 482 West Walnut Street. Completely destroyed was a 500-foot storage shed where lumber, bales of cotton and sisal hemp were stored.

 

A joint committee from Danville and Boyle County has received assurances from state and federal officials that the proposed Main Street viaduct will be Danville’s No. 1 post-war project.

 

The Danville office of the Kentucky Utilities Company has sought to enlist its customers’ cooperation in carrying out the spirit of the nationwide fuel conservation campaign with the following statement: The Office of War Utilities of the War Production Board has asked city officials, civic clubs, chambers of commerce and merchants and citizens to dispense with outdoor decorative lighting this Christmas for the third year. The attitude of the OWU toward Christmas lighting was announced after numerous inquiries had been received as to whether the restrictions of the last two years could be dispensed with this Christmas. However, it is not asking for indoor Christmas lighting to be stopped.

 

50 YEARS AGO — 1969

 

The state will make an Urban Transportation study of Danville in 1979. The Ky. State Highway Commissioner said, “This study will investigate, appraise and reach conclusions about Danville’s traffic needs, not for 1970, but for the Danville of 1990.”

 

The Boyle County Drug Abuse Education Committee will hold its first training session at the First Christian Church. Planning for a Drug Abuse Education Program in Boyle County was initiated several weeks ago.

 

Dear Editor, … We have watched with great anxiety the developments that have taken place in the Seventh Street Urban Renewal Area. At first this land was declared a blight area in the city. It was inhabited 100% by the black race. Everyone agreed that the area being developed by Urban Renewal was a fine gesture, that federal money would be used. However, somewhere in small print, Centre College would be entitled to buy about 65% of the land due to the credit given on their building program. This agreement may have been the only way we could have gotten the Urban Renewal Program in Danville, but it short-changed the black people in this area. … It seems to me to be a great loss of money to build nice streets with sidewalks, water, gas, sewers, electricity and landscaped, then allow only one side of the street for construction. We need all the building lots that we can get and in a price range we can afford. … I hope that the citizens of Danville will make a big effort to help the black citizens get both sides of the street in the Seventh Street Urban Renewal Area. Written by Cecil Cohen

 

25 YEARS AGO — 1994

 

Denyo America, a division of the largest manufacturer of portable generators in Japan, has announced it will open its first American operation in the old Clark Equipment building off Lebanon Road. The generators made here will be like those a hospital would use during an emergency when electricity wasn’t available.

 

Due to a lack of interest, there will be no Breakfast with Santa at the Greenhill Restaurant or Danville Christian Bookstore on Saturday.

 

Boyle County Clerk John B. Nichols received the 1994 Award of Merit of the Friends of Kentucky Public Archives. Nichols was cited for his special efforts to improve the management, preservation and accessibility of records in the clerk’s office and for his commitment to using new technology in keeping clerk’s records. He has been county clerk since 1966.