100 YEARS AGO — 1920

 

The annual May Day exercises at Kentucky College for Women were held on the college campus on Saturday afternoon. The triumphal march, led by the Senior Class in Colonial costumes, approached the Queen’s throne, followed by the dancers. Great silence fell over the crowd as the Queen, Miss Katherine Rawson, came down the steps of Morgan Hall and to the throne, which had been erected on the campus. After she was crowned, Katherine raised her sceptre to signal for the revel to begin.

 

Dave Gibson, his two sons and a son-in-law, have been brought back to jail in Danville from Clinton County, where they were tried and convicted of the murder of Deputy Sheriff Cummings of that county. Three of the men were sentenced to 18 years in the penitentiary, while the youngest man, who is only 18 years old, was sentenced to only two years. All of the prisoners have asked for a new trial. They were brought to Danville for safe keeping.

 

Burglars entered the store of Pushin Bros. sometime last night. Entrance to the building was made by breaking the plate glass in the door on Third Street. After breaking the glass, they opened it. The burglars took several silk shirts, ties, belts, etc. valued at more than $300.

 

Danville will entertain a party of 100 “Get-Together” tourists, who will stop overnight here next Tuesday, on a trip in pleasure automobiles through central Kentucky in the interest of “good Kentuckianism, good fellowship and good roads.” The Danville Chamber of Commerce is in charge of the arrangements. Upon the group’s arrival, they’ll receive a royal welcome and be served dinner. The night program will include special music and entertainment by the visitors for the local people. Danville businessmen have been invited to join the party and visit the other central Kentucky cities on the itinerary.

 

75 YEARS AGO — 1945

 

“Your daughter or wife, who enlists with the Women’s Army Corps, begins to draw regular Army pay as soon as she reports for duty,” said Mrs. William Martin, who is a member of the Boyle County WAC civilian committee. A WACs $50 per month is all spending money because the Army pays all of her living expenses. Mrs. Martin pointed out that not many women in civilian life have $50 a month free and clear after their food, rent, taxes, clothes, insurance, doctor and dentists’ bills are paid.

 

Private Elbert S. Mudd, son of Mrs. Myrtle Mudd, who lives on Route 2 in Perryville, has been promoted to private first class. He is a rifleman with the 91st Powder River Division of the Fifth Army in Italy.

 

The Blue Cross, a symbol of community initiative, has come to Danville. Plans for the inauguration of the Blue Cross hospitalization plan in Danville have been completed. It is sponsored by the Ephraim McDowell Memorial Hospital. It is a cooperative program through which residents in Danville may receive hospital services at extremely low costs to themselves. The cost for Blue Cross services is 65 cents per month for an employee and for an extra 65 cents the employee may protect his entire family with the exception of children over 19 years of age.

 

May 2, 1945 Headline: German Armies in Northern Italy and Western Austria formally surrender to Allies at 12 Noon

 

50 YEARS AGO — 1970

 

New parking meters are being installed in Danville today, but users are warned that only the money slots can be used at this time. The third slot, which will take tokens in the future, cannot be used now because the merchants’ tokens have not arrived.

 

A number of Danville students at the Cooper School of Dance will appear on television on Channel 62 on “Recreation Today.” Those who will appear are Karen Bugg, Jane Donlon, Rebecca Grider, Lisa Grubbs, Lisa Kelly, Libby Snedegar, Melanie Sowder and Cindy Thornburg. Shirley Cooper Wise is the hostess for the program. Also to be featured will be Jan Jones, “Miss Danville of 1970”. She will sing and be accompanied by Irene Humelsine.

 

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved a loan and grant to the Urban Renewal and Community Development Agency in Danville which civic leaders believe will be used for the Second Street Urban Renewal project. In this project, First Street from Main to Walnut will be closed and that area, plus a strip on the east side of First Street, will become part of Constitution Square. Buying of the land on Second Street and development of the area will start immediately. The area contained in the new project consists of 11.4 acres and will involve clearance of sub-standard structures, site improvements and redevelopment of the cleared area which will be restored as historical buildings.

 

The Hub, one of central Kentucky’s largest department stores, is observing its 66th anniversary with a sale. All items throughout the store have been reduced for this big annual event and thrifty buyers are taking advantage of the bargains.

 

25 YEARS AGO — 1995

 

The next time you cruise down Lexington Avenue or take a walk through Bellevue Cemetery and admire the profusion of pink and white dogwood tree blooms, take a minute to thank “Dogwood Dena.” Dena Shelby Diehl, first president of the Garden Club of Danville, led the drive to make our town “the city of dogwoods.” Back in the 1930s and ’40s when the garden club was just a sprout, Diehl and her fellow club members made it their mission to plant 1,000 dogwood trees in Boyle County.

 

Salvation Army Capt. and Danville’s Commander David Keith was dispatched to Oklahoma City last week. He has been on relief missions to sites of tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and natural gas explosions. “But nothing prepared me for what I saw and experienced in Oklahoma City. Nothing I’ve been involved in even remotely compares to that,” Keith said. He was among a group of Salvation Army officers sent to Oklahoma City to conduct funerals, provide counseling and staff army canteens stationed near the site of the bombed out federal building.