The following was collected by my father, Fred King, and I print it as he wrote it in the ‘80s. This is from Brown County Democrat files.
1914: Frank Hohenberger makes annual trip to scenic Brown County. Theater movies in town were Tuesday and Saturday nights and cost 10 cents and they were the latest motion pictures.
1916: Post Toasties introduced here. Electric light plant installed at a cost of $2,000 to light all town homes and also 20 streetlights from dusk to 11 p.m. First proposal for a local state park.
1917: Helmsburg has 120 residents, three general stores, one hardware, lumber yard, sawmill, furniture store and railroad depot and Fruitdale had only a flag. Trevlac has a railroad depot. Bill Pittman is operating the Pittman Hotel across from the courthouse. A traveling optician stopped here in June. A farmer complained that T.C. Steele sold a painting of his barn for more money than the whole farm is worth.
1920: A group forms a town library with 3,000 volumes.
1921: The Nashville House is sold to Barbara Percifield. There are 82 teachers in Brown County.
1922: Radio station proposed for Brown County. Snipp movie at Helmsburg, 15 cents.
1923: Library has 3,800 volumes. Ethyl gas introduced in town.
1924: A mail carrier brings in 150 pounds of sassafras to be mailed. Melodian Hall opens for 15 cents and 25 cents. New fire truck purchased, still here.
1925: Editor says; Japan and U.S. getting formal in their emphatic profession of eternal friendship. That is a sign of international trouble. Dale Deaver has let his affections drift downstream and lodge near the Menry Artis crossing. James Swan was dressed and decorated like a spotted horse at a circus Saturday night and behaved himself exceptionally well. Miss Gladys Ralphy, teacher, has installed a mailbox in front of her school so she can get The Democrat and messages from her sweetie while they are still hot. Mrs. C. Moore said her hens had gone on strike and are not laying any eggs. Someone slipped two dozen eggs in the nests and after gathering them, she said she reckoned the hens had called off the strike and decided to work. “Stomachs filled and dishes bare, just enough and none to spare.” Eighteen months ago, the KKK had 230 members, but now only 20. New IU stadium finished with 22,000 seats at a cost of $250,000.
1926: Art gallery opens in Wilkes Building. Bill Gates buys the Nashville House from JL Tilton for $6,000. Nashville House was built in 1869 by William Snyder. Twenty-four-hour power comes to Nashville from Columbus.
1927: Fred Johnson and AJ Rogers remodel the Nashville House at a cost of $50,000. Fifty of the 630 girl students have bobbed hair. Nashville has 96 families, 70 own autos, 77 subscribe to The Democrat.
‘Til next time. — Buzz
