Published: August 30, 2008 10:11 pm            

LOOKING BACK: 1958: Terre Haute children return to school on Sept. 3 for 1958-59 year

TERRE HAUTE — Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.



1998

• There were 45 entries in the 46th running of the Hut Hundred for U.S. Auto Club midget cars at the Action Track in Terre Haute.

• Gene and Barbara Marietta, re and regina, and Karen Ugo, queen of grapes, reigned over the Little Italy Festival in Clinton.

• Congress had approved the establishment of outpatient clinics for veterans in Terre Haute and Lafayette. They were expected to open in early 1999.

• Terre Haute South Vigo High School won the girls county golf title. Cara Stuckey (South Vigo) and Jennifer Turner (North Vigo) tied for medalist.

• A Tribune-Star story by Ted Monoson reported the number of Valley grain elevators had declined from eight to three since 1976. Omaha-based ConAgra Inc. owned Graham Grain Co. elevators in Terre Haute and Shelburn and ADM owned one in Sullivan.

• Duane Sinn, executive director of the Western Indiana Community Action Agency since 1980 announced he would retire in November.

• Chad Miller succeeded Jay Kidwell as executive director of the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra.

1983

• Jim Fash celebrated the grand opening of his Jiffy Mini Mart at 1131 N. Third St., the site of the former Hudson Gas Station which had closed more than a year before.

• Large crowds, both young and older, gave the Sesame Street Jamboree, led by Big Bird, a successful seven-show run at Hulman Center.

• City, county and airport authority officials agreed to the development of Hulman Airpark, a 64.4-acre industrial park on Fell Road west of Hulman Regional Airport.

• The Terre Haute First Church of Christ Scientist dedicated its new building at 329 S. Sixth St., the site of the former structure destroyed by fire in 1981.

• The downtown Meis store liquidation sale ran from Labor Day through Saturday.

• A group of Terre Haute businessmen purchased Judy Fitzpatrick’s grand champion lamb at the Indiana State Fair. Fitzpatrick, an eight-year 4-H member, was a senior at West Vigo High School.

• Tom Wheeler, Samaritan Food Project director, announced the agency would be moving from Ryves Hall to the Lighthouse Mission.

1958

• Six thousand fans at the annual high school Football Jamboree saw Gerstmeyer and Schulte come out victorious by winning over Wiley and Garfield, respectively, by identical 18-0 scores. The high school bands and color guards opened the evening at Memorial Stadium.

• Ralph “Cork” McHargue, associated with WBOW Radio for 11 years, was appointed manager of the station. Karl Walwik was named commercial manager.

• Terre Haute children, K-12, returned to school on Sept. 3 for the 1958-59 year. There had been some 10,000 enrolled in the city system the previous year, but a larger enrollment was expected now that the Harrison Township schools had been added to the city system.

• Terre Haute Aviation Inc. at Paul Cox Field was approved for GI flight training.

• Some 2,200 subscribers in the North Terre Haute area were affected when General Telephone installed modern dial service equipment.

• Ground was broken for a new enlarged Meadows Center Branch of Terre Haute First National Bank to replace the present branch built four years before.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.