100 YEARS AGO — 1919

 

Junction City news: James Minor is remodeling the front of the old Dr. J.R. Steele garage and E.R. Galbreath’s old beef shop for Ed Lunsford, who is to occupy it and the old Simmons stand for beef and groceries: Aunt Ermie Meiggs, mother of Sam and Bee Meiggs, is over 80 years old, blind almost for the past five years, but well-preserved otherwise. She’s cheerful and full of memories of the white folks she has cooked for in the past. She still lives near her old home with her daughter, Nora, and seems good for several years of life and usefulness, for she still knits and sews: Born on Wednesday to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lewis of Salt River, a fine baby boy. The father is doing well: James Coulton Sr. got hit by a car coupling hose and had his jaw badly lacerated. He is tied up like a soldier wounded in the head.

 

Much indignation is felt in Danville and throughout Boyle County by the act of vandalism committed by unknown parties, in writing and otherwise desecrating the monument erected to the Confederate Dead in McDowell Park. This monument stands as a labor of love and expression of the high esteem in which these heroic dead are held, by all classes of political faiths. They suffered and died for what they believed was right and today they are held in highest esteem by those who so gallantly met them in battle in the days of the great Civil War.

 

At least 1,000 more houses are needed in Danville to take care of the many good people who are seeking locations here, as well as the many families who are living in the same house. One reason given for the absence of new buildings here is the because all building material is high. But is not everything high at this time? New buildings are going up at Lancaster, Stanford, Harrodsburg and Lexington. What’s the matter with Danville?

 

75 YEARS AGO — 1944

 

Sergeant Edward E. Duncan, 38, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Duncan of Harrodsburg, and former student at Danville High School, is now assigned to an Eighth Air Force bomber station in England repairing battle damages to B-17 Flying Fortresses participating in bombing attacks on Nazi war-making installations Duncan is a sheet metal worker and plays an important part in repairing the Flying Forts so they can return to the bombing assaults which are softening German resistance for the Allied Armies’ thrust into the Reich.

 

The thrill of hearing his parents’ voices for the first time in 23 months was experienced a few days ago by Charles W. Grubbs, coxswain, U.S. Navy and son of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Grubbs of Bluegrass Road. He called his parents as soon as he docked in New York City. After talking to members of the family and hearing the old clock strike while he was on the wire, Mr. Grubbs made immediate tracks for home and arrived in time to celebrate Christmas there once again.

 

The majority of Danville offices will be closed on Jan. 1 according to a preliminary canvass. The following grocery stores are definitely committed to the vacation: Jones Brothers; Gabbard supermarket; Gabbard and Pennington: H.E. Roy; Elmer Stephens; G.B. Richardson; Cardwell’s; W.D. Lunsford: Williams grocers, J.W. Stephens, Skidmore grocery; the Corner Chilton’s market; the Boyle County locker plant, Kroger and A&P.

 

Omer Casey, a well-known trapper from Junction City, is a winner of a Daily award in the 16th National Fur show, conducted by the Raw Fur Marketing Service of Sears, Roebuck and Company. Casey’s carefully handled mink pelt brought him one of the $5 Daily awards, as a result of its being judged one of the three best handled skins among all pelts received at Sears Raw Fur Marketing Station in Memphis on Dec. 16. 

 

50 YEARS AGO — 1969

 

Sgt. Sam E. Worley, load master on a C-130 cargo plane, was one of the crewmen chosen to assist with the Bob Hope USO Christmas Show. Sam and his crew, the Red Devil Squadron, met up with the show in Bangkok, Thailand, on Dec. 20. They toured in the Vietnam area for nine days. Worley is the son of Mr. and Mrs. E.M. Worley of Perryville.

 

While Danville basked in the glory of being an All-America City in the past 12 months, the town also recorded probably one of the biggest stories in recent years — the six-month operation Nelson Air Corporation at the Danville and Boyle County airport that paid none of its bills and ran up debts between $49,000 and $50,000.

 

A new four-bed intensive care unit is scheduled to open for use on Monday at Ephraim McDowell Memorial Hospital. It is designed for those who are critically ill, and is expected to make the crucial difference for many who have previously had to go to Lexington for such special hospital care. Among those who will benefit from the new services are coronary and respiratory patients, severe trauma and post-operative patients. The unit will have two nurses on duty all around the clock.

 

25 YEARS AGO — 1994

 

The 1993-94 fiscal year was a good one for Danville. Revenues increased by $304,457 over the previous year. The $5.7 million in revenues is 8.5% higher than the previous year. Most of the increase came from licenses and permits, according to City Manager Edward Music.

 

A rash of post-Christmas burglaries have been reported over the last two days. Burglaries were reported at the Centre College groundskeeping shop, city hall and Danville Lawn Mower Repair Service. Also a diesel tractor was stolen off the lot at Horn Ford Tractor Sales. A string of burglaries also happened along the bypass at Video Villa, Finley’s Roller Rink and Shoe Sensation.

 

Movies showing at Cinema 4 on Hustonville Road include: “The Santa Clause,” “Dumb and Dumber,” “Drop Zone,” and “Houseguest.”

 

Local post offices were busy on the first day of the new postal rates. The cost to mail a first-class letter increased to 32 cents. The post office has been selling 32-cent stamps as well as three-cent stamps to go with the 29-cent stamps for the past couple of weeks. Those who want to avoid the post office lines have some alternatives. They can post their mail at convenience centers such as Rite Aid in Ridgefield Shopping Center or the post office vending machines and through their mail carrier.