100 YEARS AGO — 1920

 

Education will find her own in Danville next week with the opening of the city schools, Kentucky College for Women and Centre College. All city schools are having informal opening exercises in which the public is invited to attend. There are well over 700 students expected to attend classes in Danville. There will not be a vacant room at the Kentucky College for Women this season. With girls coming in from 12 states, it has been necessary for authorities to establish a waiting list.

 

Fourteen hundred soldiers, members of the First Division, passed through Danville last night on two troop trains enroute to Camp Dix, New Jersey. Another lot of the “Fighting First” is expected to come through Danville this evening.

 

C.M. Fackler, who was employed to take the census of Danville, reported to the Chamber of Commerce that there’s an increase of 296 over the official government report. According to Fackler, there are now 5,330 residents living within the corporate city limits. By adding West Danville and other suburbs there is a population of 6,500. It is estimated that there are 1,500 college students in Danville nine months of the year, which makes the total population about 8,000. In 1910, the census showed a population of 5,420.

 

In the Boyle County Courthouse, Albert Burkett, who was charged with stealing a harness in Junction City failed to appear for his trial. Since the case was a misdemeanor, the presence of the person being tried isn’t necessary. The evidence was heard and the jury returned with a guilty verdict. But just as the judge was about to sentence Burkett to 30 days in jail, he dashed into court and asked for another trial. The trial was given, and without any legal assistance, he conducted his own trial and was acquitted on the charge.

 

The poor streets in Danville and throughout Boyle County were discussed at the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce. For the past year practically no work has been done on the streets because the city has been contemplating the building of sheet asphalt streets. They are in such bad condition now that it is almost impossible to run an automobile over most of them without breaking a spring.

 

75 YEARS AGO — 1945

 

A spirited discussion of Danville’s future, particularly its industrial future, was held at the Chamber of Commerce regular meeting. Secretary Jay Harlan said a number of industrial firms are interested in being located in this area. Each one of the manufacturers wants a building of certain specifications. They want to rent with a privilege of purchase, but there are no buildings in Danville available to these people.

 

The sale of 11 acres of building sites for homes or factory locations will be held at auction tomorrow. The property is located between Rosemont and Harding streets. The seller will give away $25 in cash during the auction.

 

Seaman 2-c Oscar Antle, of Shelby City, recently wrote to his wife that Victory Day was observed by his unit in prayer, party and production. The climax of the festivities was the unveiling of the 600-pound cake, of which he had a hand in baking. Pictures were taken and stories were written about the biggest cake ever baked in the Pacific, and an account of it was broadcast from San Francisco.

 

A discussion on the subject “Civilian Duties and Problems in Accepting and Employing Returning Soldiers” was heard by members of the Lions Club. A survey shows that a large percentage of returning servicemen expect to re-enter their former lines of work. About 7% plan to enter business for themselves. And a large number of boys and men discharged from hospitals will be compelled to seek other lines of work than those which they previously pursued.

 

50 YEARS AGO — 1970

 

Perryville Battlefield State Shrine has been selected as the top State Shrine for the month. The award is based on general park and overall maintenance appearance.

 

A set of local twins has led almost identical lives up to and beyond college graduation. James M. and William S. Critchfield, sons of Mr. and Mrs. James M. Critchfield of Danville, graduated from Danville High School and received their masters degrees at Eastern Kentucky University. On Sept. 1, they were commissioned second lieutenants at the U.S. Army Infantry School at Ft. Benning. The twins entered the Army Reserves on FE. 23, 1969 and are stationed in the Second Battalion 8830th MPTC in Lexington. Both men are married and they each have a son.

 

The first term of Boyle Circuit Court since the new 50th judicial district was created began with Judge Henry V. Pennington presiding. Prayer by the Rev. Ivan Shelburne opened the session. Judge Pennington is the first Boyle resident in more than 100 years to serve as judge of the district which includes Boyle County. The new district is composed of Boyle and Mercer counties. Boyle was formerly in the 13th district which included Boyle, Garrard, Mercer and Lincoln counties.

 

25 YEARS AGO — 1995

 

Kateri Bart-Skelton and Angel Pfeiffer love horses and they love children. That’s why they started the local chapter of the U.S. Pony Club.  Bart-Skelton had been an instructor for the Jump for Joy Pony Club in Mississippi and moved to Perryville recently after her husband took a job at Matsushita Floor Care Co. She was disappointed to learn there wasn’t a Pony Club here.

 

The Kentucky School for the Deaf Advisory Board unanimously approved the city’s proposed park and encouraged the school’s superintendent to continue working for it. The proposal to lease 94 acres of KSD land for the park still requires approval from the state Board for Elementary and Secondary Education. The lease price has not yet been determined. 

 

A poorly run purchase order system in the Danville-Boyle County Recreation Department was the main reason large bills were run up without board knowledge, an auditor said. The Boyle County Fiscal Court and Danville City Commission met Monday with the RecreationBoard to review the audits and decide what steps to take to erase a debt of nearly $100,000.