100 Years Ago — 1913
An excavation was discovered a few days ago at the grave of Levia Raum, the late wife of Bunk Raum, in the cemetery on Duncan Hill. The relatives of the deceased were much upset over the apparent work of ghouls — although those who have made a careful investigation do not believe that criminals did the digging, but was the result of dogs which were digging after moles or some other varmints.
However, the relatives desiring to take all possible precautions have decided to exhume the body and place it in a ghoul-proof steel vault so that the remains may be fully protected, if in reality there has been an effort to remove the corpse.
During a talk at the Baptist Church, president of the Kentucky College for Women, John C. Acheson, was discussing the necessity of establishing a union church in West Danville. He said that $50,000 was being spend annually in Danville for whiskey and beer. This is only one of the many harmful luxuries upon which money is being wasted in the community. Therefore, he surmised, it seems reasonable that sufficient funds should be available to build a new church.
Joseph Curd, 74, a Confederate veteran, and one of the most substantial citizens in Burgin and Mercer County, married Mrs. Nannie Witt, 50, a most excellent and attractive lady of Madison County. The wedding took place at the home of the bride’s daughter, Mrs Charles Baldwin, near Burgin on the Shakertown Road. Both the groom and the bride look to be much younger than their years.
Ladies are not only invited, but expected, to attend the approaching Chamber of Commerce banquet. Men, you are NOT expected to withhold this information from “the missus.” This is one night of the year that ladies will reign supreme in the activities of the local Chamber of Commerce, so the men should be prepared to buy two tickets.
75 Years Ago — 1938
Jordon Wallace, Boyle County’s oldest resident, quietly observed his 103rd birthday at his home in Junction City. The aged man fought in the War Between the States as a soldier in the Union Army and was born in Boyle County. Right now, he is confined to his bed following a recent accident. Mr. Wallace said he is “happy in God’s blessings and gives praise and thanks to the Almighty God for reaching one more milestone in life’s highway.”
Main Street between Third and Fourth streets will be roped off by the police department between 7 and 9:30 p.m. Friday night to allow children to roller skate. The move is experimental and may be adopted permanently during the season. Many residents have complained about roller skating on streets and sidewalks in strictly residential districts, and there is a city ordinance prohibiting the use of skates on the streets.
The police have been confiscating skates when children were apprehended skating on streets and kept them for 60 days if their parents didn’t claim them and promise to keep their kids off the streets in the future.
25 Years Ago — 1988
Alice Haynes Grow, who taught at Kentucky School for the Deaf for 51 years until her retirement in 1944, has died. A native of North Carolina, Mrs. Grow came to Danville to teach at KSD in 1894. Also in that year, she became president of the Christian Endeavor Society at KSD and for 50 years gave her time to Christian service among the pupils, being motivated by love for and a keen desire to help the boys and girls.
A group of about 20 Danville businessmen went before the City Council with a problem, but no solutions. It was frankly admitted they don’t know the remedy for traffic congestion and problems with parking downtown. Joe Frankel spoke on the possibilities of a bypass and off-street parking. The four lines of attack they suggested would be to determine changes include one-way traffic or other means to push heavy traffic through downtown; parking on side streets; traffic signals at intersections; and fix the “bottle-necks” at the post office on West Walnut Street and the Kroger store on Walnut Street.
A total of 33 people were arrested on drug charges stemming from a year-long investigation conducted by the Boyle County Sheriff’s Department with the help of four undercover agents. Seven of the people were employees of the Whirlpool Corp. The investigation involved alleged drug activities on Whirlpool property and was conducted with the cooperation of Whirlpool officials.
Commonwealth Attorney William Barnett said although several arrests were made at Whirlpool, the drug trafficking did not just occur at that location. Barnett said the investigation has and will continue to spill over to other counties.
Boyle County Fiscal Court voted to cut off funds, at least temporarily, to the local recreation board in protest of its alleged failure to hold regular public meetings. Recreation officials acknowledged after the meeting that the board did not meet regularly in the past. However, they said it has been trying to keep to a quarterly meeting schedule over the past nine months or so.
Magistrate John C. Davis, the court’s representative on the recreation board said, “I’ve been on the board for over a year and a half, and I haven’t attended one meeting; but I’ve been requesting them. They either don’t tell me when they’re being held or hold them when I can’t come. If we’re going to give them taxpayer money, they ought to be able to schedule regular public meetings.”
