100 YEARS AGO — 1921

Four rare trees, known as the “gate tree” have been planted on Centre College Campus by Dr. Rainy, who received the seedlings from Mrs. Charles Berry of Carmi, Illinois. The trees are from the Owenite colony at New Harmony, Indiana, and there are only four clumps of the trees in the entire United States. The tree is a native of China, where it is known as the “Golden Shower Tree,” because of its golden foliage which it puts out in the spring. The trees were planted last year along the walk from Main Building to Young Hall. It will be several years before the trees are sufficiently mature to show the beauty of the foliage.

At the Danville City Council meeting, Judge E.V. Puryear, representing the residents of Walnut between Second and Third streets made a vigorous protest against that street being used as “Jockey Row” on county court days. He said that the jockey crowd is so objectionable that he would not ask that it be transferred to some other street. But he is of the opinion that a lot should be secured and the traders charged an admittance fee. After hearing the protest, the council directed that the jockeys be moved back to Main Street as soon as the rock used in the new street construction has been removed.

The Boy Scouts of Danville went on a 10-mile hike and most of them took their Second Glass tests. They are going on another hike next Saturday and take some more tests.

Mr. I.S. May, sales manager for the Indian Refining Col, who lives on East Lexington Street, took a couple of shots at two would-be thieves last night. Mr. May had placed some potatoes in his back yard lot to dry and the men were seen picking them up. They were frightened away by the shots, leaving the potatoes.

Everything is in readiness for playing golf on the Danville Country Club’s grounds at the end of North Third Street. Quite a number of players have already been out trying their hands. Danville has one of the best golf courses to be found anywhere and this year playing will be a popular sport in this community.

Two unknown white men, one a large tall fellow and the other one small, went to the Danville Buick company’s garage on Walnut Street and held up Bruce Steele, the night man at the garage. They pointed a gun at Steele’s face and robbed the cash register of $10 to $12 then fled. They had cut the telephone line and headed to the Southern Railway station where they boarded a freight train. Officers at Junction City and Somerset were notified to keep a watch out for them. However, they were not seen and it is believed that they got off the train before reaching Junction City.

75 YEARS AGO — 1946

One hundred fifty chickens were lost and the inside of a brooder was badly scorched last night when an oil stove in an out-building exploded at 255 Cecil Street, on property owned and occupied by Marvin Phillips. The fire department put out the blaze within a few minutes after arriving.

Action toward installing parking meters in Danville, improving city streets and establishing a city planning and zoning commission marked the busy session of city council Tuesday night at city hall. The type of meter the commission selected permits 12-minute parking for a penny or 60 minutes for a nickel. Considerable discussion was devoted to the proposed planning and zoning ordinance that will establish definite information for residents on the location of residential districts and commercial and industrial areas. There has been a great deal of confusion over the lack of such information for Danville, and they are unable to make plans for new buildings.

Perryville is the scene of a building boom with at least three new residences and one store building in the process of construction and one house being remodeled with a new wing added.

A colorful bit of drama happened Friday night when a lone, two-person passenger, single-motored plan was trying to find and land at Goodall Airport. Francis Gargaly of Great Barrington, Massachusetts was flying toward home in a surplus flying ship he had bought through the War Assets Corporation. He made his way to Danville from Tennessee without any difficulty where he planned to drop down at the airport, but found himself unable to see the dark stretch of Goodall field. Meanwhile, Claud Akin, manager at the airport, sensing what was happening, telephoned Fire Chief Alex Upton for help. Upton got a pickup truck and mounted portable floodlights on it. With Him Wilder of the garage driving, Ernest Kirkland on the running board, and Heber Byington, patrolman and Chief Upton playing the lights, the quartet ran the truck to Goodall field with the flier following. At the same time, J.C. Lykins, night station attendant at Danville Tire & Service Co. on Stanford Avenue heard and spotted the plane which he believed to be in distress. Turing on the spotlight of a pickup truck, and flashing them to signal the flier, Lykins hopped behind the wheel and also made the run to the field to guide the pilot. Gargaly said the next morning he was relieved when he spotted the rescuers and was grateful for their quick thinking and assistance. He expressed surprise, however, that Danville’s airport is unlighted and suggested the situation be remedied for the sake of other night fliers.

50 YEARS AGO — 1971

Always a steam engine fan, A.G. McConnell, a Perryville Road farmer, doesn’t have a steam engine near his home, but he has a caboose. Making arrangements to buy the caboose and move it to his farm wasn’t too difficult, but actually getting it there took some doing. After he finally got the caboose on his property, he said  it was believed to have been built in the 1910-’15 period. After he completes the remodeling and repairing of the caboose, McConnell expects to use it for an office and his Boy Scout Troop, which frequently meets at the farm in the summer. Actually, McConnell would have preferred a narrow gauge railroad for his farm, but he had to settle for the end of a train, which is more than 50 years old.

Seeking a “more therapeutic” atmosphere with less “outside interference,” the state Mental Health Department may move its residential drug rehabilitation program from Lexington to Danville. One of the reasons for the move is because maybe a rural atmosphere might be more therapeutic than the urban Lexington area.

The announcement that a drug rehab may come to Danville caused violent reaction from many leaders and others who expressed themselves as opposed to the proposed move.

25 YEARS AGO — 1996

Magistrates shifted the recreation “pot” from back to front burner and stirred in jail construction concerns during its meetings. Magistrate Mike Montgomery relayed a local citizen’s concerns that construction of a new county jail was being given higher priority than a place for recreation.

The Junction City council decided to ask Norfolk Southern for a caboose to put at the old Bank of Danville building, which is being turned into a community center. Junction city has an annual Railroad Days festival and its early history is linked to the development of the railroad. A committee is working on improvements to the bank building, given to the city when Bank of Danville moved to its new location.