This Week in Shelby County History: July 9-15

1917

Wilbur Henry, 7, suffered a broken leg when the DePrez ice truck ran over him. The boy had jumped on the back of the truck to get some ice. When the driver, unaware of the boy’s presence, turned in front of the LaBarbara store on Second Street, Wilbur fell from the truck platform underneath the rear wheel. Mr. Henry said his boy was at fault and that he had told his son “on numerous occasions to keep off wagons.”

After complaints of clogging traffic, City Council ordered street lunch wagons to cease. The Republican noted a “disgraceful orgie on East Jackson St.,” referring to people loafing at the corner of Jackson and Harrison, defying health laws, and making remarks about “every woman or girl who passes.” The paper also expressed concern about the men and boys “engaged in talking race riot.” The first reported lunch wagon was 20 years prior, owned by Abe Spolsky, who kept a wagon on Public Square selling fruit, against the newspaper’s wishes. Isaac Thralls, a constable, finally removed Spolsky, but the problem remained south of Public Square.

1942

Children who collected and turned in at least 10 pounds of rubber were admitted into the Alhambra and Ritz theaters free of charge for a matinee. Three carloads were shipped to an Ohio processing plant from Shelbyville.

Train traffic had increased 35 percent in Shelbyville due to war needs.

673 paid for admission into Porter Pool on Sunday, the highest number of the year.

1967

Roof beams for the new SHS gym arrived on railroad cars. The beams were unloaded by a crane onto flatbed trucks before being taken to the construction site.

Fifteen girls took part in the Shelby County Fair Queen contest: Elaine Pyle, Lilly Orosco, Marie Corwin, Judy Phares, Diana Lynn Marthaler, Jo Ann Beekman, Judy Henderson, Mary Jane Limpus, Vicki Price, Cynthia Hancken, Sue Lee, Sue Graham, Cheryl Wickliff, Patti Kimbrell, and Sara Woodall.

Mayor Ralph VanNatta urged residents to fly their flags “as an expression of our appreciation of the sacrifices being made by our fighting men in Vietnam.”

Cheryl Wickliff was elected president of the Shelby County Rural Youth Club. Others elected were Mike Young, Diann Hulsmann, Deloris Miner, Cheryl LeClerc, Deane Bradley, Janice Cole, Becky Young, and John Pollman.

City Officer Bob Williams was appointed by Chief Robert Nollley to head the new police juvenile unit. Nolley said he not only took into consideration Officer Williams’ “fine record on the department but also the fact that Bob is just 24 and better able to understand the problems of youngsters than an older officer.”

1977

Pvt. Jimmie Beal was moved to a new camp in Korea. Navy Machinist Mate Fireman Jeffrey Gibbon was aboard the destroyer USS Morton, homeported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Pvt. Sterling Hamner was named top enlisted man for the month at his army base.

Jay Lee was named Flat Rock Festival Queen, crowned by the previous year’s winner, Judy Roberts. Scott Phelps was named Jr. Fire Chief.

George and Mary (Farrell) Henderson celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

Walter Reece, local attorney for 62 years, received a congratulatory card from President Jimmy Carter on Reece’s 86th birthday. Admitted to the bar in 1915, he was one of the few lawyers in Indiana with over 60 years’ experience.

Angie Burbrink won the Senior Grand Champion award at the 4-H Fashion Revue. Carol Douglas was named Senior Reserve Grand Champion. Lydia Linville was named Junior Grand Champion and Sonya Crafton was named Junior Reserve Grand Champion.

A power outage caused several areas of town to lose electricity, sending WSVL off-air for a time.

Winners in the Women’s South Central Ladies Association annual invitational tournament included Martha McCracken, Hilda Hungerford, and Sally Tobian.

Robert Woods, Coach of Mac’s Steak House “B” League team in the Knothole League, complained about inappropriate adult behavior at games in a letter to the newspaper’s editor. “Some of the conversation that takes place isn’t fit for animals, let alone the boys we’re there to set an example for,” he wrote.

1992

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new Shelby County jail. The then-present jail was built in 1874. Sheriff Albert “Bert” McCorkle, elected in 1876 at 29 years old, was the first sheriff to live in the new jail. McCorkle was killed in the line of duty in 1880. Doorknobs all over town were draped in black on the day of the funeral, Oct. 12. According to Jim McKinney, services started at the jail’s residence, but ended when someone yelled “fire.” A major furniture mill was burning and local firefighters described it as the biggest fire they’d ever fought. About four hours later, firefighters and townspeople resumed the funeral, saying good words about Sheriff McCorkle. While a towering headstone remains at City Cemetery, McCorkle’s remains, and those of his wife, who died three months later at 32, and their infant child, were moved to Forest Hill in 1902 in an unmarked grave.

Despite competition from VCRs and two Indy-area discount theaters, Elmer DeWitt reported strong sales at Shelbyville’s Cinema 3 on Harrison St. Admission price was $3.50.

Gerald and Clara (Seitz) Gilles celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.