100 YEARS AGO — 1920

 

The new Piggly Wiggly store in Danville will open on Saturday, March 27 at the corner of Third and Main streets, provided the storeroom, which is being remodeled, is ready for occupancy. Following the opening of the Piggly Wiggly in Danville, the same company will open a store in Lexington a week later, and arrangements are being made to open several more stores in Kentucky. 

 

The weather of today brings back to the memory of the older inhabitants the big fire in Danville on Feb. 22, 1860, when nearly all of the north side of Main Street was destroyed, including the courthouse, the old Batterson Hotel, and many buildings. Capt. S.D. VanPelt said the day was just such a day as today — a heavy wind blowing from the south and weather conditions the same. Here’s hoping we will not have another fire like the one of 60 years ago.

 

The City Council of Danville has decided to reconstruct certain streets in town this year, at the expense of the property owners whose properties are located along the streets to be built. The following streets will be reconstructed: Main from Fourth to Maple; Maple from Main to Walnut; Walnut from Maple to Railroad; Fourth from Walnut to Lexington; Third from Green to Lexington; and Second from Walnut to Broadway.

 

Advertisement for the Danville Jewelry Co.: You may hate to get up on a cold morning and go to work, when the bed coverings feel so snug and warm and outside is the cold, cruel world. But the alarm clock is your guide, philosopher and friend and when he tells you it’s time to dress and get on the job, you’ve simply got to. Get one from us today and you’ll never be late. 

 

John Turner, who recently moved to Parksville, was severely frightened yesterday afternoon when he went into the attic of his home to repair the roof which had been leaking. He stumbled over something on the floor and found that it was a skeleton of an infant. He called Sheriff Farris who went immediately to Parksville and removed the skeleton. The child had been tied up in a sack and placed in the attic. The entrance to the attic had apparently been nailed up after the infant was hid. Sheriff Farris thinks that the body was placed there several years ago. A large number of families have lived in the house and a considerable portion of the time the place was vacant. The find has caused considerable excitement in the neighborhood and the good people are anxious to locate the criminals who placed the child in the attic.

 

75 YEARS AGO — 1945

 

In a move to meet, in some measure, the acute housing shortage in Danville, conversions of existing dwellings into additional units will be authorized, so far as materials are obtainable. Application to convert should be filed with the nearest FHA office.

 

An open meeting will be held at the Danville courthouse for the recruitment of medical and surgical technicians for the Women’s Army Corps. Boyle County has a quota of seven women to join. Women between the ages of 20 and 49 who have no dependent children under age 14 are eligible. Applicants must have a good social background and at least two years of high school education.

 

Memorial services will be held at the Neighborhood Home on South Fourth Street for three young men from this community who died in the service of their country in World War II. The servicemen who will be honored at the ceremony are George Ray Clarkson Jr., Morris Fowler and Lester Farmer.

 

The next of kin and close relatives in Danville and Boyle County of prisoners of war of the German and Japanese governments are invited to attend a meeting in Louisville where 12 American servicemen repatriated from prison camps, will describe conditions in the enemy camps and hospitals where they were held.

 

50 YEARS AGO — 1970

 

A fire destroyed the old Young Science Building on Centre College campus Saturday. Arson is suspected. The building had been abandoned within the past few weeks and equipment had been moved into the new $2 million science building, which was located within about 25 feet of the one that burned. It was built in 1909. It had served continuously since then as the classroom and lab building for the biology, chemistry and physics departments. All utilities had been disconnected and contractors had started razing the building on Friday. There was a cold east wind at the time of the fire and many of the residents on Grant and College streets and other nearby streets  were outside shouting and stamping out sparks that were falling in their yards as a light snow fell.

 

Bids for the construction of 60 dwelling units for the elderly in Danville will be opened on April 21. The new facility will be constructed on Swope Avenue, which is the street that runs between Kentucky Towers and the lower entrance of Henry Jackson Park. The site was formerly a portion of the Mal-Mar Gardens Nursery.

 

Postmaster Frank Edwards announced that because of the letter carriers’ strike In New York, mail to certain cities in New York State is not being accepted or forwarded from the Danville post office at this time. Those cities include New York City, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Flushing, Far Rock-A-Way, Jamaica, Long Island City, Staten Island, Mineola, Hicksville and Riverhead.

 

25 YEARS AGO — 1995

 

The guidelines for riding Danville’s trolley were adopted by the City Commission and include a ban alcoholic beverages and all passengers must be seated. Community events will get first priority for using the trolley, but everyone will have to pay a $100 deposit to reserve the trolley’s use. Usage fee is $50 per hour, which includes the cost of a city-supplied driver. Other regulations include users will not be allowed to smoke, use drugs or have firearms on board; passengers will not be allowed to ride on eh back platform; and the trolley must be returned clean and damage free.

 

Developers of a proposed 28-unit, upscale apartment complex next to the Piggly Wiggly shopping center on Lexington Road have been given approval for their project.

 

Members and leaders of the Calvary Baptist Church are exploring the possibility of beginning a private Christian school.

 

Battle Creek, Michigan and Danville each has a brass band that Vincent DiMartino plays in. And this summer both towns will have a Great American Brass Band Festival. The Danville festival committee has a contract with the United Arts Council of Battle Creek for a brass band festival there. The local committee will maintain control over how the festival is presented and receive money to help finance the local festival. While the festivals will carry the same name, there will be differences in them. In Battle Creek, there will be no parade or history conference; it will only be a 1-day festival and admission will be charged.