From our files

Published 3:39 pm Friday, June 5, 2020

 

100 YEARS AGO — 1920

 

Willie Lee Prewitt was plowing on his place on the Bellows Mill Road when he found a large roll of copper hidden in a fence corner, covered with trash. Chief of Police Bonta was notified and after investigation, found it had been stolen from the city of Burgin. It was worth about $125 and they are guessing that the thief hid it until he could dispose of it safely.

 

The 15th annual Centre College Carnival opens tonight at the Perryville Street Warehouse. There will be seven fraternity booths and a big midway with the carnival of shows featuring “The Blue Grass Girls from Musicland; The Fat Girl; the extravaganza from the far Orient; a fish pond, and other attractions too numerous to mention. All proceeds of the gala night will go toward the purchase of blankets for the football team.

 

Sheriff M.J. Farris Jr. and Jailer Timoney raided a gambling game near West Danville Sunday afternoon. Warrants for 13 offenders, both black and white, have been issued and they will be tried before Judge Coulter tomorrow.

 

George Bishop and Wash Hines were tamping a blast in the rock quarry on Old Fort Hill in Harrodsburg, that contained eight sticks of dynamite, when it prematurely exploded and hurled the men several yards. They escaped with slight bruises.

 

Headline: Editor of Advocate goes after Congressman in strong language: Our sweet-scented, lavender-watered and talcum-powdered Baby Congressman King Swope, flied into an inordinate rage because there appeared in the Kentucky Advocate some days ago, a criticism of his vote on the Soldier Bonus Bill.

 

75 YEARS AGO — 1945

 

Attendance had more than doubled over the first day and increased to 115 on the second day of the local Food Handlers school in progress this week under the sponsorship of the Danville Chamber of Commerce. New businesses sending representatives to the school on the second day were Begley Drug Store, Burke’s Bakery, The White Tavern, Spoonamore’s Drug Store, Ferguson’s restaurant, Magnolia Inn, Whitehouse restaurant, Waters, restaurant, City Cafe, the Sandwich Shop, Seale’s Ross Cafe and Parker’s Eatery. Sessions for white persons handling and serving food will be held in the afternoons at the State Theatre this week. Colored employees will meet at the same location next week.

 

Pfc. Ted Hillard, husband of Katherine Hillard of Danville, is now serving in the South Pacific area of war after having been overseas about seven months. He was awarded the Bronze Star for landing on a Japanese mandated island during the course of his operations. During his tour of duty in the Pacific zone, the Danville serviceman met his brother, Pfc. Luther Hillard, whom he had not seen for three years. The young men hope to soon meet another brother, Pfc. James Hillard, who is serving in the same war area. The boys are the sons of Ben Hillard of Boyle County.

 

A fat, 40-pound catfish was hooked on a trot-line by Tom Routt, who is a city of Danville employee. He caught the fish near Stony Point on Herrington Lake. He said he hooked the catfish with a 4-inch minnow on an average size hook and he battled it for about 15 minutes.

 

Police Chief Tom Clark is looking for a group of local young men who are creating disturbances late at night by shooting off firecrackers. “We will definitely break up the practice of this bunch or lock them up,” he said.

 

50 YEARS AGO — 1970

 

A Rain Tree was virtually unknown in Danville until a famous movie by that name was filmed in Danville, and it is now a fairly  common sight in the city. The Smoke Tree gives promise of becoming more popular here since some of them have begun to appear and have been an instant hit with tree lovers. They can be seen at a home on Meadow Lane, in Bellevue Cemetery, and in the yard on the northwest corner of Lexington and Fourth streets.

 

One of the final acts of the old 12-man City Council of Danville was to borrow from the three local banks, $84,000 on sewer and water projects and $5,250 for extension of a runway at the airport. Notes on the loans have now been renewed three times. The city expects to obtain the money to pay off the notes from the federal government.

 

A steam locomotive 4501 pulling a 12-car train will stop in Danville and stay overnight before returning to Louisville where the excursion began. The train will make two stops so that camera-carrying passengers can dismount and take photos as the train backs up to make a run-by for the photographers. In Danville, the locomotive will take on coal and water, which is always a photographer’s delight, and the exhibit car will be open to the excursion passengers. and to the general public. The exhibit car will show a panorama of color slides that shows modes and dioramas that traces the development of railroads.

 

25 YEARS AGO — 1995

 

Actress Lynn Redgrave gave the Centre College Commencement address and urged students to stand up to injustice.

 

“Where Legends Live Again” is the summer’s motto for the Fort Harrod Drama Productions, and legendary frontier figures such as Daniel Boone and Shawnee Chief Blackfish come alive on stage throughout the summer in “The Legend of Daniel Boone.” About half of the show has been rewritten by Emmy award-winning and original “Legend” playwright Jan Hartman for the 30th anniversary of the production.

 

The section of U.S. 68 that runs through Boyle and Mercer counties has been put into the state’s Scenic Highways and Byways program. The designation preserves scenic and historical roadways and is sponsored by the Transportation Cabinet.