By Dorothy Jerse
Special to the Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE
June 27, 2009 06:43 pm
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Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
1999
• “Third and Margaret Makes Hit List.” The intersection was ranked ninth on the State Farm top 10 list for Indiana. However Pat Martin, chief transportation planner for West Central Indiana Economic Development District of Terre Haute, said the U.S. 41 and Davis Avenue intersection ranked highest in the county with 86 accidents during 1997.
• Danielle Fisher, Terre Haute South Vigo sophomore, was invited to compete in the World Sports Exchange’s American High School swimming team in Sydney, Australia.
• Tom Jones and Nancy Groth regained their Hulman Links Club championships. This was Jones’ fourth time overall and Groth’s seventh overall title.
• The Dairy Castle, a West Terre Haute restaurant at 423 W. National Ave., was destroyed by fire. Owners Jim and Lori Dowers planned to rebuild.
• Members of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s Solar Phantom team, which finished third, were happy with their improvement. The team had finished 20th in 1990, 15th in 1993, 14th in 1995 and 5th in 1997.
• The Bethesda United Methodist Church, located on Thorpe Road west of West Terre Haute, celebrated 150 years.
1984
• The annual WTHI/Pabst Raft Race was staged at Fairbanks Park on the banks of the Wabash River. Entertainment was provided by Art Nevill and the “Country Cousins” and the “Country Connection” family band.
• The Indiana Department of Highways announced the U.S. 40 bridge over the Wabash River linking Terre Haute and West Terre Haute was scheduled for replacement as part of the 1984-86 Highway Improvement Program.
• The Clean Air Service team won the Hammond Hall of Fame softball tournament championship, their fourth consecutive tournament win. Mark Lane and Gus Solomon were the team offensive and pitching leaders.
• A study of community flows in the Terre Haute Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area showed that 40,718 of Vigo County’s 43,471 workers were employed in the county. Reporter Dale Long concluded, “That means Vigo County is 93.7 percent self-sufficient in providing employment for the residents, far and away the highest figure in southwestern Indiana based on the 1980 census.
• Tony Nading and Terri Wiser won the third annual Mayor’s Cup Mile run down Wabash Avenue preceding the 39th annual Frontier Day Parade.
1959
• The public wedding of Georgene Kracy and David Lee Williams was staged in front of the arcade of the new Southland Shopping Center. Both were Gerstmeyer High School graduates. Kracy was employed at Hook Drugs at the shopping center and Lee worked for Owens Oil Co.
• Sections of Tom Parks’ Shrine Circus began arriving in Terre Haute for two performances at Memorial Stadium. The Shriners had sponsored the circus since 1937 to raise money for the Zorah Shrine crippled children’s fund.
• Terre Haute with an estimated population of 73,000 was the seventh largest city in the state. Indianapolis, Gary, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend and Hammond were larger.
• The Rea Park Men’s Club led by Bob Arnett and Warren Artz won the ninth inter-club tourney at Rea Park.
• A spectacular demonstration of firefighting highlighted activities at Hulman Field as part of the state training program sponsored by the Indiana Volunteer Firemen Association. Some 1,000 IVFA members and visitors were present for the event held in cooperation with the Indiana Air National Guard.
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